Bangladesh authorities arrest siblings of UK-based journalists

Bangladesh authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Nur Alam Chowdhury Pervez and Abdul Muktadir Manu and cease harassing family members of journalists who report from abroad, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On September 13, officers with the detective branch of the Bangladesh police, in the Noakhali town of the southeast Chittagong division, arrested Nur Alam Chowdhury Pervez, brother of Shamsul Alam Liton, editor of the privately owned United Kingdom-based Weekly Surma newspaper, according to news reports, a report by The Weekly Surma, a Twitter thread by Bangladeshi editor Tasneem Khalil, and a person familiar with the…Read more

South African journalist Karyn Maughan criminally charged over report on former President Zuma

Former South African President Jacob Zuma and his legal team should immediately drop their private criminal prosecution against Karyn Maughan, a reporter with the privately owned News24 site, and allow the press to report on court proceedings without intimidation or fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On September 6, Zuma’s legal team notified Maughan in a court summons that it had filed criminal charges against her in connection to her August 10, 2021 News24 report on Zuma’s medical condition, according to multiple news reports, a statement by local press freedom group South African Editors’ Forum, as…Read more

Sierra Leonean authorities fine, suspend licenses of Star broadcasters

Authorities in Sierra Leone should ensure that Star television and radio stations can broadcast news without undue interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.  In mid-August, Sierra Leone’s broadcast media regulator, National Telecommunications Commission, suspended the licenses of privately owned broadcasters Star Radio and Star TV for over two weeks and denied workers access to the broadcasters’ transmitters in Brookfields, a neighborhood in western Freetown, the capital, according to an August 19 commission statement and Philip Neville, the broadcasters’ founder who holds 70% ownership of shares and handles the finances. Neville, who spoke with…Read more

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

It is with great sadness that the CPU Media Trust records the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022. Her Majesty was a committed supporter of the Commonwealth and the work done by organisations such as the CPU Media Trust and the organisation had a very good working relationship with Buckingham Palace over the years.Showing an ongoing interest in the Commonwealth media, Her Majesty invited delegates to receptions during two of the CPU Conferences over the past 20 years and always showed a keen interest in the workings of…Read more

Four Zimbabwean journalists beaten, forced to delete footage by ruling party supporters

  • Posted on August 30, 2022
  • /Under Assault
 Zimbabwean authorities should investigate the brutal assault of four journalists working for private media outlets, bring the perpetrators to justice, and ensure that party supporters do not attack members of the press covering political rallies, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.  The reporters assaulted are: Chelsea Mashayaombe, a reporter for online newspaper Zimbabwe DailyPellagia Mpurwa, a reporter for online magazine Technomag Tongai Mwenje, managing editor of news website SportBriefToneo Rutsito, editor of Technomag Around 12:30 p.m. on August 25, the journalists were injured after they filmed a convoy of 20 vehicles of the…Read more

Nigerian journalist Agba Jalingo detained over defamation, cyberattack complaint

Nigerian authorities should drop all investigations into publisher Agba Jalingo, compensate him for his previous unlawful detention, and stop harassing the journalist, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On August 19, a group of about 15 police officers arrested Jalingo, publisher of the privately owned news website CrossRiverWatch, at his home in Ogudu, in Lagos state, according to Jalingo, who spoke with CPJ via messaging app, CrossRiverWatch editor Ugbal Jonathan, who spoke with CPJ by phone, and a statement by the International Press Centre, a local press group. Officers detained Jalingo at a police…Read more

Two journalists in Mozambique attacked by police while covering officer’s funeral

Mozambican authorities must investigate and hold to account police officers who assaulted two broadcast reporters and ensure that journalists are able to report freely and without fear, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.  On August 4, reporters for privately owned broadcaster Tua Televisão, Alexandre Eusébio and Ivaldo Novela, were assaulted by five officers of Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) in the capital, Maputo, while covering the funeral of another police officer who had committed suicide, according to media reports, a statement by the Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom group Media Institute of Southern…Read more

Two journalists in Mozambique attacked by police while covering officer’s funeral

Mozambican authorities must investigate and hold to account police officers who assaulted two broadcast reporters and ensure that journalists are able to report freely and without fear, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.  On August 4, reporters for privately owned broadcaster Tua Televisão, Alexandre Eusébio and Ivaldo Novela, were assaulted by five officers of Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) in the capital, Maputo, while covering the funeral of another police officer who had committed suicide, according to media reports, a statement by the Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom group Media Institute of Southern…Read more

Zimbabwe police charge 2 journalists with publishing false information

Zimbabwean authorities should immediately drop all charges against journalists Wisdom Mdzungairi and Desmond Chingarande and allow them to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Tuesday, August 2, police summoned Mdzungairi, editor-in-chief of the privately owned media company Alpha Media Holdings, and Chingarande, a senior reporter with the company, to appear for questioning the following day, the journalists told CPJ by phone. On Wednesday morning, Mdzungairi and Chingarande appeared at the Harare Central Police Station where police held them for about three hours and charged them with transmitting “false data…Read more

Gambian police attack, detain journalist Yusef Taylor

Gambian authorities should swiftly investigate and hold to account the police officers who harassed journalist Yusef Taylor, drop any charges against the journalist, and allow him to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On July 5, police officers blocked Taylor, editor and manager of the privately owned Gainako news website, from reporting about a land dispute in Gambia’s West Coast region, and then arrested him and charged him with obstructing police, according to the journalist, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview, and a statement by the local press freedom group…Read more