Press Freedom
CPJ Updates
- Global impunity in journalist murders continues unabated
- Getting Away with Murder
- Members of public assault Israeli journalist Daniel Siryoti in Kiryat Ata
- Pakistan media regulator walks back ban on news anchors expressing personal opinions
- Sierra Leone journalist Mahmud Tim Kargbo charged with criminal defamation
- Palestinian court orders block of dozens of news websites and Facebook pages
- Chinese journalist Sophia Huang Xueqin detained following coverage of Hong Kong protests
- CPJ calls on Tajik president to ensure journalists can report the news freely and safely
- Australian newspapers stand together for press freedom
Reporter Without Borders
- Malta: International organisations urge close scrutiny as the public inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia begins on 6 December
- Level of media control in Hungary is “unprecedented in an EU member state”
- Egypt continues biggest wave of arrests of journalists since 2014
- Latin American media: under control of families, economic and political elites
- Iran : Open season on journalists after deadly crackdown on protests
- NGOs criticize Russian plan to extend “foreign agents” law to journalists
- Malta: RSF files complaint in France in connection with Maltese journalist’s murder
- Pakistan: Pro-government activists besiege Dawn building in Islamabad
Report of the Press Freedom Committee to OPC Board October 25, 2010
United States
On October 20, the Committee sent a strongly worded letter to U.S. Senate candidate, Joe Miller, following his security team’s “arrest” of reporter, Tony Hopfinger, of Alaska Dispatch at a publicly advertised town hall in Anchorage. Americans will tolerate all sorts of quirks in their politicians, we told Miller, but we loathe a bully.
Iran
On October 8, we were in touch with President Ahmadinejad about the on-going intimidation of journalists by the Iranian government. Citing only the most recent examples, we called the brutality of the police and courts “dishonorable” and illegal — not only under Iran’s laws — but under those of international conventions to which it is a signatory.
Russia
October 6, we wrote a rare letter of commendation to Russia applauding the announcement by Aleksandr Bastrykin, chairman of an Investigative Committee, pledging to pursue 19 cases of murdered journalists in recent years.
Iraq
On October 4, we told Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, about this month’s move to evict journalists from the well-known Mansour Hotel — which has been a symbol of free expression since the hardest days of the American invasion. We viewed the move as a part of the amplifying pressure on journalists to get in line in advance of next year’s Arab League Summit in Baghdad.
Mexico
That same day, we gave the Club’s active support to Mexican president following this fall’s formation of a new program to protect journalists who have been threatened in Mexico’s escalating drug wars.
Respectfully submitted by: Kevin McDermott