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Category: Legal

  • CPJ calls on Venezuelan government to release human rights defender

    CPJ and 24 other international press freedom groups, led by IFEX, signed an open letter urging the Venezuelan government to immediately release lawyer and human rights defender Eduardo Torres, a member of the Venezuelan Program for Human Rights Education-Action.

    Government officials confirmed that Torres was detained May 13 but have since provided no information on the charges against him.

    The letter calls on Venezuelan authorities to “guarantee that human rights defenders can carry out their work freely and safely, without fear of harassment, reprisals or imprisonment” and to allow Torres regular communication with family members and trusted lawyers.

    Read the full letter in English here and Spanish here.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • CPJ, partners welcome 2 convictions for Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder

    The Committee to Protect Journalists and four other international media freedom organizations welcomed Thursday’s conviction of Robert Agius and Jamie Vella for supplying military-grade explosives to the hitmen who murdered Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia with a car bomb.

    The two men, part of a Maltese criminal gang, are due to be sentenced in the coming weeks.

    The joint statement said that the June 5 verdict marks a vital step toward full justice — a crucial development in the fight against impunity that will hopefully strengthen the case against the alleged mastermind, businessman Yorgen Fenech, who is awaiting trial. To date, five individuals have been found guilty of involvement in Caruana Galizia’s murder.

    Read the full statement here.

    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

  • Journalist subpoenaed by reporters arrested at 2021 California protest

    Los Angeles Times reporter James Queally was subpoenaed on May 9, 2025, by two Knock LA journalists for testimony at the trial of their civil case against the city of Los Angeles, California, and multiple police officers.

    Queally and the two reporters were among the nearly 20 journalists detained while documenting protests near LA’s Echo Park Lake on March 25, 2021, after police surrounded and arrested everyone using a tactic called “kettling.”

    Queally was released after approximately 30 minutes, with help from attorneys and a managing editor for the Times. Other journalists, including the two reporters for nonprofit community journalism outlet Knock LA, were charged with failure to disperse. The charges were quickly dropped.

    The Knock LA reporters, Jonathan Peltz and Kate Gallagher, then filed a lawsuit against the city, as well as then-Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore and 10 police officers. The reporters alleged that their arrests violated both their constitutional rights and California’s Tom Bane Civil Rights Act, which protects journalists.

    “This is a civil rights action challenging the Los Angeles Police Department’s longstanding policy, custom and practice of obstructing, targeting, and retaliating against members of the press for exercising their First Amendment rights to gather news regarding police officer activity in public places,” the lawsuit states.

    Three weeks before the case was set to go to trial on May 27, attorneys for Peltz and Gallagher subpoenaed Queally, ordering him to appear as a witness and to testify about “the protest, his coverage of it, and being detained, but ultimately released when the officers identified him as a journalist.”

    In a motion to quash the subpoena filed May 23, attorneys representing Queally argued that, in a rush to vindicate their own interests, the Knock LA journalists had infringed on the rights of a fellow reporter.

    “The free flow of information to the public is jeopardized when litigants use the coercive power of the Court to force journalists to testify in support of parties’ private aims, which undermines reporters’ credibility and hampers their ability to do their job,” the motion said.

    Dan Laidman, one of the attorneys representing Queally, told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that the decision to challenge the subpoena doesn’t reflect any position on the merits of the case.

    “James Queally and the Los Angeles Times have demonstrated histories of supporting press freedom and fellow journalists,” Laidman wrote, but added, “Forcing reporters to testify in court about matters that they cover compromises their ability to gather the news, and under the First Amendment it’s only allowed as a last resort in exceptional circumstances.”

    A hearing on the motion is scheduled for June 26, and the trial date has been moved to Aug. 5.


    This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • The Trump Administration’s Legal Battle to Cast Immigration as an “Invasion”


    This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by ProPublica.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Yemen’s Houthis abduct at least 4 journalists, jail another for criticism of leader

    Washington, D.C., June 2, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Houthi rebels’ abduction of at least four Yemeni journalists and media workers  in the western port city of Hodeidah, and the sentencing of journalist Mohamed Al-Miyahi to 1½ years in jail for criticizing the group’s leader.

    Local press freedom groups said those abducted between May 21 and 23 included:

    On May 24, the Specialized Criminal Court in the capital Sanaa sentenced well-known Yemeni journalist Mohamed Al-Miyahi to 1½ years in prison for criticizing Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi online. Al-Miyahi was also ordered to sign a pledge not to resume his journalistic work and to pay a guarantee of 5 million riyals (US$20,500), which he would forfeit if he were to resume publication of material critical of the state.

    “The kidnapping of at least four Yemeni journalists and media workers and the sentence issued against Mohamed Al-Miyahi exemplify the Houthis’ escalating assault on press freedom,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “We call on Houthi authorities to immediately release all detained journalists and stop weaponizing the law and courts to legitimize their repression of independent voices.”

    The Iranian-backed rebels, who control Sanaa and govern more than 70% of Yemen’s population, have been fighting a Saudi-backed coalition since 2015. The group is designated a terrorist organization by the United States.

    Al-Miyahi criticized the Houthis in his last article prior to his September abduction and enforced disappearance for over a month. In January, he appeared in court, accused of “publishing articles against the state.” 

    Al-Miyahi’s prosecution violates Article 13 of Yemen’s press law, which protects journalists from punishment for publishing their opinions, unless these are unlawful.

    CPJ has criticized the establishment of parallel justice systems by non-state groups, like the Houthis, as they are widely seen as lacking impartiality.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Kyrgyz authorities raid homes, offices of Kloop news staff, arrest 8

    New York, May 30, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Kyrgyz authorities to end the legal persecution of eight former and current Kloop news website staffers arrested this week—including journalists Aleksandr Aleksandrov and Joomart Duulatov, who on Friday were remanded into pretrial detention until July 21 on charges of calling for mass unrest.

    “Following Kloop’s forced shutdown last year, the arrest of eight current and former Kloop staffers and incitement charges against journalists Aleksandr Aleksandrov and Joomart Duulatov is a grave escalation of Kyrgyz authorities’ vendetta against Kloop for its critical coverage of government corruption,” said Carlos Martínez de la Serna, CPJ’s program director. “All press members swept up in these targeted raids must be released without delay.”

    Between Wednesday and Friday, officers with Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (SCNS) raided Kloop’s offices and the homes of journalists and staffers in the capital of Bishkek and the southern city of Osh, seizing electronic devices, before taking them to SCNS offices for questioning, according to multiple reports.

    Kloop founder Rinat Tuhvatshin called the arrests “abductions,” stating that the SCNS conducted searches and questioned the journalists without lawyers present and did not allow them to make any phone calls. 

    In a May 30 statement, the SCNS accused Kloop of continuing to work despite the liquidation of its legal entity and said its “illegal work” was “aimed at provoking public discontent … for the subsequent organization of mass unrest.”

    With Aleksandrov and Duulatov, an unnamed Kloop accountant detained Friday also remained in SCNS custody. If found guilty on the incitement charges, Aleksandrov and Duulatov could face up to eight years in prison.

    A local partner in the global investigative network Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Kloop regularly reports on alleged corruption and abuses by government officials. The outlet’s website has been blocked in Kyrgyzstan since 2023.

    The charges against Aleksandrov and Duulatov echo those brought last year against 11 current and former staffers of investigative outlet Temirov Live. 

    CPJ’s email to SCNS for comment did not immediately receive a reply.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Egyptian journalist Rasha Qandeel charged with spreading ‘false news’ after political reports. 

    Washington, D.C., May 29, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Egyptian authorities to end the prosecution of journalist Rasha Qandeel, who was summoned May 25, interrogated, and charged with “spreading and broadcasting false news inside and outside the country” after her reports on Egypt’s social, political and economic developments for the independent media platform Sotour.

    The Supreme State Security Prosecution released Qandeel the same day on bail of 50,000 Egyptian pounds (about US$1,004).

    “Accusing Qandeel after questioning her journalistic integrity is another example of Egypt’s legal harassment and use of vague charges to silence independent voices,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “We urge Egyptian authorities to drop all charges against her and stop targeting independent journalism.”

    Qandeel, a well-known former BBC Arabic presenter, said she has faced increased verbal attacks from pro-regime Egyptian media presenters after publishing articles last month criticizing the Egyptian army’s arms purchases amid the country’s economic hardships.

    If convicted, Qandeel could face up to five years in prison, a fine up to half a million Egyptian pounds, or both, under Article 80(d) of the Penal Code—a provision that raises penalties for spreading “false news” abroad.

    Qandeel told Cairo-based news outlet Al-Manassa that the charges followed 31 citizen complaints filed over two weeks in May—all related to investigative reports she published last year.

    Egypt ranked as the sixth-worst country globally for press freedom last year, with 17 journalists behind bars.

    CPJ’s request for comment from the Egyptian Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding Qandeel’s case did not receive an immediate response.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • New Lawsuit Looks To Change How PBMs Control Insulin Costs

    Insulin overpricing has been a news story for a while now as we’re seeing in some cases insulin prices have gone up over a thousand percent and this is a drug that’s been around for over a hundred years. This is due to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and what they call rebates, which are in […]

    The post New Lawsuit Looks To Change How PBMs Control Insulin Costs appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Diddy’s Team Is Already Reaching Out To Trump For Possible Pardon

    There’s a lot in the news right now with the Diddy case going on, serious, serious charges, a lot of overlap and a lot of really disturbing details about what it was like, what he was doing. There’s rumors going around that Donald Trump may consider pardoning him. Can he pardon him? Transcript: *This transcript […]

    The post Diddy’s Team Is Already Reaching Out To Trump For Possible Pardon appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Mahmoud Khalil’s legal team says Biden paved the way for Trump’s targeting of students


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • US press freedom groups launch Journalist Assistance Network to address growing need for legal, safety, immigration resources 

    New York, May 22, 2025 – Five major U.S.-based press freedom organizations announced Thursday the launch of a network to provide legal and safety resources and training to journalists and newsrooms in the United States. 

    The Journalist Assistance Network comprises five founding members: the Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom of the Press Foundation, International Women’s Media Foundation, PEN America and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. 

    Since the November 2024 U.S. election, requests for assistance from journalists and newsrooms in a wide range of areas have increased significantly to each of the five groups. The requests include everything from digital and physical security advice, to immigration guidance, to legal risk assessment and newsgathering support. 

    “Journalists and newsrooms from across the country are increasingly concerned about a raft of measures and actions that threaten press freedom in the United States,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg. “We hope this network will make it easier for individuals and media organizations to locate advice and assistance.” 

    The Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom of the Press Foundation, International Women’s Media Foundation, PEN America and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press will:

    • Coordinate holistic safety and legal training for U.S. journalists, journalist organizations and newsrooms.
    • Promote safety and legal resources to help reporters understand what assistance is available.
    • Refer requests for support to other and any member organizations within the Journalist Assistance Network who can meet the specific need. 

    “We hope that by making it clear that we are working together – and that through any one of these organizations you have access to the resources of the broader coalition – we can help reporters get the best information in the fastest way possible,” said IWMF Executive Director Elisa Munoz.

    The five organizations have many years of experience working together and have been actively collaborating to provide safety and legal training and assistance across the United States, along with a number of other organizations and partners working in the field of press freedom and journalist protection. They have deep experience in physical safety, digital security, legal support, mental health, and online abuse defense.

    “We want to make it easy for any journalist who needs help to find it, no matter the issue. We’re bringing our organizations together, each with specific expertise in the areas where we know the needs are most critical, to do just that,” said Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press President Bruce D. Brown.

    “With the unprecedented number of journalists in dire need of more digital security and legal protection, this coalition could not come at a better time,” said Freedom of the Press Foundation Executive Director Trevor Timm. “It’s all hands on deck in this unprecedented moment, and by working together we will be able to help more journalists than ever before.” 

    “With both the media and civil society increasingly under attack in the U.S., it is particularly important that organizations like ours come together to ensure that journalists and newsrooms can find the support they need to continue doing their vital work,” said PEN America Interim Co-CEO Summer Lopez.

    The network is expected to expand over time to include participating partners that offer services, resources and information in these fields and to better direct requests for support. Please contact emergencies@cpj.org if you are interested in more information about joining the network.

    Notes for Editors

    The Committee to Protect Journalists is an international non-profit organization headquartered in the United States. It provides free digital and physical safety training, individual advice and resources to journalists and newsrooms, as well as financial assistance for short-term emergency support to journalists following an incident related to their work. CPJ provided safety training and advice to more than 950 journalists in the United States in 2024 compared to 106 the previous year and just 20 in 2022. For media queries, please contact press@cpj.org.

    The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press provides free legal support and legal resources, including training, direct legal representation, and reporting guides, to protect First Amendment freedoms and the news gathering rights of journalists both nationally and locally in the U.S. The Reporters Committee’s Legal Hotline is available 24/7 to working journalists and offers a privileged, secure way to obtain legal help from its attorneys. For media queries, please contact media@rcfp.org.

    Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) protects and defends press freedom in the United States. Its digital security training team has taught thousands of journalists how to better protect themselves online. FPF also builds secure communications tools used by many of the nation’s top investigative news organizations, systematically tracks press freedom violations in the United States, and advocates for stronger laws protecting reporters’ rights at the local, state and national level. For media queries, please contact trevor@freedom.press. 

    The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) strengthens equal opportunity and press freedom worldwide. In the United States, IWMF offers customizable Hostile Environment and Emergency First Aid Trainings (HEFATs), in-person newsroom trainings, and one-on-one safety consultations. Topics can include risk assessment, contingency plans, personal security, psychosocial and mental health awareness, and preparedness discussions surrounding active shooters and protests. In 2024, the IWMF trained and surveyed 610 journalists across 200 media outlets in 13 U.S. states. For media queries, please contact cfox@iwmf.org. 

    PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. Its digital safety programming focuses on helping journalists, writers, and their advocates navigate online harassment and other safety challenges; collaborating with media organizations, publishers, and other institutions to strengthen safety infrastructure; conducting research and advocacy on digital safety and free expression; and working in coalition with partner organizations to fight back. PEN America also co-led, alongside the Aegis Safety Alliance and Journalist Assistance Network members, a recent pilot project to coordinate proactive and reactive safety support for U.S.-based journalists and news outlets at risk following the US election. For media queries, please contact strimel@pen.org.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Turkish journalist Öznur Değer’s terrorism trial opens for her reports on PKK

    Istanbul, May 21, 2025—Turkish authorities should release Öznur Değer ahead of her trial on Thursday and stop conflating reporting on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) with publishing propaganda for the outlawed group, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.

    “The prosecution of Öznur Değer is yet another example of the witch hunt against critical journalists in Turkey. Reporting on sensitive issues does not equate with promoting violence,” said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey representative. “Turkish authorities should quickly free Değer, drop the charge against her, and put an end to such vindictive prosecutions.”

    Değer, news director for the pro-Kurdish site JİNNEWS, was taken into police custody during a February 7 raid on her home in the southeastern city of Mardin and put under arrest by a court.

    The court subsequently charged her with making propaganda for the PKK, which Turkey recognizes as a terrorist organization.

    The PKK, which has been fighting Turkish security forces since 1984, announced in May that it was planning to disband as part of a new peace process.

    In the four-page indictment, reviewed by CPJ, prosecutors said PKK-related news, photographs, and videos that Değer posted on the social media platform X between 2021 and 2024 were terrorism propaganda.

    The indictment also said Değer was under investigation for “insulting a public officer,” who filed a complaint about comments Değer made at a funeral wake in December.

    Değer is appealing a six year and three month sentence issued against her and seven other journalists in June 2024 for membership of a terrorist organization. She spent almost seven months in jail, from October 2022 to May 2023, awaiting trial.

    CPJ’s email requesting comment from the chief prosecutor’s office in Mardin did not receive a reply.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Stephen Miller Group Files Lawsuit In Attempt To Take Control Of The Supreme Court

    Stephen Miller’s group has cooked up a lawsuit, it seems like it’s about a FOIA request, but there’s some layers to this onion. It’s a power grab. This is the guy that is the architect of everything having to do with Donald Trump’s immigration policy. So it would make sense that he’s going after the […]

    The post Stephen Miller Group Files Lawsuit In Attempt To Take Control Of The Supreme Court appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Death & Rape Forces “Care Facility” To Close Their Doors

    Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Caleb Cunningham: So let’s talk about this New York Times story. It’s suicides and rapes at prized mental health center. Farron Cousins: Yeah. There was this mental health center called Timberline Knolls in Chicago, run by this massive group, […]

    The post Death & Rape Forces “Care Facility” To Close Their Doors appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Trump’s Press Secretary Fumbles When Asked About Arresting More Judges

    We’ve been reading about the judge in Wisconsin who’s been arrested by the bootstrap thugs lately. The federal jackboots have gone in and arrested a state court judge because they didn’t do what she wanted them to do. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Caleb […]

    The post Trump’s Press Secretary Fumbles When Asked About Arresting More Judges appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Judge Smacks Down J&J’s Final Attempt To Screw Over Cancer Victims

    Johnson & Johnson has been in bankruptcy court arguing that even though they make billions of dollars a year, they’re totally bankrupt. We can’t pay out thousands of claims against them. But US bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez says, no, you’re not bankrupt, this is ridiculous. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software […]

    The post Judge Smacks Down J&J’s Final Attempt To Screw Over Cancer Victims appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • The Drug of Choice in Ohio Prisons Is a Legal One

    Suboxone has become a widely misused drug in prisons. Medication assisted treatment programs—known as the ‘gold standard’ of treatment for opioid use disorder—could be the solution.


    This content originally appeared on The Progressive — A voice for peace, social justice, and the common good and was authored by Michael Ray.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • “Abuse of Power”: Trump Admin’s “Bizarre” Arrest of Milwaukee Judge Shocks Legal Community


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • CPJ joins more than 270 organizations, journalists in call against enacted Peruvian law 

    São Paulo, April 28, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists joined Peru’s independent media in a joint statement condemning a law enacted by President Dina Boluarte on April 14 that could negatively impact nonprofit media organizations and journalism operations funded by international cooperation.

    The law requires such outlets to register their journalistic plans, projects and programs in a state-run registry, a violation of the right to professional secrecy, and puts disproportionate sanctions on activities described in vague terms. 

    More than 270 organizations and journalists have signed the statement, which rebukes the law as a mechanism of censorship and “the result of a political coalition that has seized control of nearly all branches of the state.”

    Read the full statement in Spanish here.

    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

  • 2 Macao journalists detained, risk prosecution after seeking to cover parliament 

    New York, April 28, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists decries the 11-hour detention and potential prosecution of two journalists for disruption after they were barred from a parliamentary session in China’s special administrative region of Macao.

    “There has been a systematic erosion of press freedom in Macao, with the denial of entry to journalists and restricted access to public events. The detention of two reporters simply for attempting to cover a legislative session marks a disturbing escalation in the suppression of independent journalism,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “Authorities must drop any potential charges against All About Macau’s reporters and allow journalists to work without interference.”

    Macao, or Macau, is a former Portuguese colony, which reverted to Chinese rule in 1999 under a “One Country, Two Systems” framework that promised a high degree of autonomy and wider civil liberties than the Chinese mainland.

    On April 17, All About Macau’s editor-in-chief Ian Sio Tou and another reporter were barred from entering the Legislative Assembly chamber to cover a debate on the government’s annual Policy Address. Ian is also president of the Macau Journalists Association.

    Police said the case would be transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office for investigation as the journalists were suspected of violating Article 304 of the Penal Code relating to “disrupting the operation” of government institutions, for which the penalty is up to three years in prison.

    All About Macau is recognized for its critical and in-depth reporting on political and social issues.

    Two days earlier, three All About Macau reporters were barred from entering the chamber to hear Macao Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai’s Policy Address, outlining government proposals for the year.

    In a video posted by All About Macau, which quickly went viral online, Ian Sio Tou displayed her Legislative Assembly-issued press card to numerous officials who physically blocked the journalists from the hall.

    Police did not immediately respond to CPJ’s emailed request for comment.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Kyrgyz authorities move to shutter Aprel TV over ‘negative’ government coverage

    New York, April 24, 2025 —The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a lawsuit filed by Kyrgyz prosecutors against independent broadcaster Aprel TV, which the outlet reported on April 23, over alleged “negative” and “destructive” coverage of the government.

    “Kyrgyz authorities continue a deplorable pattern of shuttering news outlets on illegitimate grounds that their ‘negative’ reporting could spark unrest,” said CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia Senior Researcher Anna Brakha. “In a democratic society, critical news coverage is not a grounds to shutter media. Kyrgyz authorities must allow Aprel TV to operate freely.”

    According to the prosecutors’ filing, reviewed by CPJ, authorities seek to close down Aprel TV by revoking its broadcast license and terminating its social media operations on the basis of an investigation by Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security.

    The filing alleges that the outlet’s critical reporting portrays the authorities “in an unfavorable light” and “undermines the authority of the government,” which “could subsequently be aggravated [by] other social or global triggers and provoke calls for mass unrest with the aim of a subsequent seizure of power.”

    In a statement, Aprel TV rejected the accusations, saying it is the function of journalism to focus on “sensitive issues of public concern,” in the same way “state media constantly report on government successes.”

    Aprel TV has around 700,000 subscribers across its social media accounts and broadcasts via Next TV, which reports say is owned by an opposition politician. In 2019, authorities seized Aprel TV’s assets and its reporters have since been harassed by law enforcement officials.

    The channel, whose flagship news show is highly critical of the government and often adopts an irreverent tone, was previously owned by former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev but the outlet said in its statement that it is no longer affiliated with any politicians or political forces.

    Following current President Sadyr Japarov’s ascent to power in 2020, Kyrgyz authorities have launched an unprecedented assault on the country’s previously vibrant media, shuttering leading outlets and jailing journalists often on the grounds that their critical reporting could lead to social unrest.

    CPJ’s emails to the office of the prosecutor general and the State Committee for National Security for comment but did not receive any replies.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Kyrgyz authorities move to shutter Aprel TV over ‘negative’ government coverage

    New York, April 24, 2025 —The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a lawsuit filed by Kyrgyz prosecutors against independent broadcaster Aprel TV, which the outlet reported on April 23, over alleged “negative” and “destructive” coverage of the government.

    “Kyrgyz authorities continue a deplorable pattern of shuttering news outlets on illegitimate grounds that their ‘negative’ reporting could spark unrest,” said CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia Senior Researcher Anna Brakha. “In a democratic society, critical news coverage is not a grounds to shutter media. Kyrgyz authorities must allow Aprel TV to operate freely.”

    According to the prosecutors’ filing, reviewed by CPJ, authorities seek to close down Aprel TV by revoking its broadcast license and terminating its social media operations on the basis of an investigation by Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security.

    The filing alleges that the outlet’s critical reporting portrays the authorities “in an unfavorable light” and “undermines the authority of the government,” which “could subsequently be aggravated [by] other social or global triggers and provoke calls for mass unrest with the aim of a subsequent seizure of power.”

    In a statement, Aprel TV rejected the accusations, saying it is the function of journalism to focus on “sensitive issues of public concern,” in the same way “state media constantly report on government successes.”

    Aprel TV has around 700,000 subscribers across its social media accounts and broadcasts via Next TV, which reports say is owned by an opposition politician. In 2019, authorities seized Aprel TV’s assets and its reporters have since been harassed by law enforcement officials.

    The channel, whose flagship news show is highly critical of the government and often adopts an irreverent tone, was previously owned by former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev but the outlet said in its statement that it is no longer affiliated with any politicians or political forces.

    Following current President Sadyr Japarov’s ascent to power in 2020, Kyrgyz authorities have launched an unprecedented assault on the country’s previously vibrant media, shuttering leading outlets and jailing journalists often on the grounds that their critical reporting could lead to social unrest.

    CPJ’s emails to the office of the prosecutor general and the State Committee for National Security for comment but did not receive any replies.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Trial of 5 journalists who covered Turkish protests set to open

    Istanbul, April 17, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Turkey to drop charges against five photojournalists, whose trial begins on Friday, for allegedly taking part in protests in Istanbul last month.

    The journalists could be jailed for up to three years for violating the law on gatherings and demonstrations. In the indictment, reviewed by CPJ, prosecutors argue that the journalists were participating in an illegal meeting as protesters. Photographs in which their press credentials and cameras were not visible were submitted as evidence to support this charge.

    “This trial has been invented as a scare tactic to intimidate and deter all journalists in Turkey from reporting from the field. Experienced journalists should not be forced to explain in court why they were photographing Turkey’s biggest protests in a decade, in its biggest city,” said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey representative. “Authorities should drop the charges against the five photojournalists who already suffer enough in trying to capture images of historic events while repeatedly being beaten, tear gassed and shot with rubber bullets.”

    On March 24, Istanbul police raided the homes of Agence France-Presse’s Yasin Akgül, local NOW Haber TV channel’s Ali Onur Tosun, and freelancers Bülent Kılıç, Zeynep Kuray, and Hayri Tunç, as well as two photographers employed by local municipalities, Kuruluş Arı and Gökhan Kam.

    All seven were arrested and then released on March 27, pending their April 18 trial.

    Unrest broke out on March 19 following the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is seen as a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

    CPJ’s email to Istanbul’s chief prosecutor requesting comment did not receive a response.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • 2 freelance journalists arrested amid Cuba’s ongoing repression of independent press

    Miami, April 17, 2025– CPJ is alarmed by the arrest and prolonged pre-trail detention of Cuban freelance reporters Yadiel Hernández and José Gabriel Barrenechea, who both write for the online newspaper 14ymedio, and calls on Cuban authorities to release them immediately.

    “The Cuban government continues to engage in a campaign of harassment and intimidation against the country’s non-state media in an apparent effort to force them into silence or exile,” said Katherine Jacobsen, CPJ’s U.S., Canada, and Caribbean program coordinator, from Washington, D.C.

    Hernández, 33, was arrested January 24 while reporting on drug trafficking in a school in the city of Matanzas, according to 14yMedio. He is currently being held at the Combinado del Sur prison, accused of “propaganda against the constitutional order”.

    Barrenechea, 53, has been detained for five months awaiting trial on a “public disorder” charge after he participated in a protest on November 8, 2025, in Encrucijada, Villa Clara, after power blackouts caused by Hurricane Rafael. He faces a potential sentence of three to eight years in prison. His family is concerned about his deteriorating health.

    Cuba has intensified repression against journalists under a new Law of Social Communication, which came into force on October 4, 2024. virtually outlawing the practice of journalism outside the official state media. The new law was promulgated after anti-government demonstrations swept the island in July 2021, resulting in the prosecution of people who reported or shared videos of the events online.

    In recent months, Cuban state security agents have questioned at least eight journalists and media workers from non-state media outlets, many in connection with alleged crimes against the state, leading several to flee the country. El Toque reported that between 2022 and 2024, at least 150 Cuban journalists went into exile due to harassment by state security agents.

    Several journalists told CPJ that officers warned them to stop working as journalists outside of official state media, and told them it was a crime to participate in foreign-funded training and support programs, or to receive grants from foreign governments.

    Cuban authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Journalists arrested in Senegal as prime minister announces ‘zero tolerance’ for false news

    Dakar, April 16, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Senegalese authorities to stop the legal harassment of journalists and to deliver on President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye’s promise to decriminalize press offenses.

    A Dakar court judge charged Zik Fm editor-in-chief Simon Pierre Faye with spreading false news on April 14 and released him under judicial control. On the same day, the Dakar gendarmerie questioned for several hours online broadcaster Source A TV’s journalists Omar Ndiaye and Fatima Coulibaly, and freelance news commentator Abdou Nguer, over their comments on the death of a local official. Nguer’s lawyer told local media that the gendarmes detained the journalist on false news charges related to a TikTok post that does not belong to him. The post called for an autopsy of the official. Ndiaye and Coulibaly were released without charges.

    “Senegalese authorities must drop all charges against journalist Simon Pierre Faye, release news commentator Abdou Nguer, and end their judicial harassment of journalists,” said Moussa Ngom, CPJ’s Francophone Africa Representative. “Authorities should instead focus their efforts on advancing promised reforms to decriminalize press offenses.”

    Police arrested Faye on April 10 for a post on his outlet’s Facebook page, later deleted, republishing another article on the alleged distrust of President Faye’s leadership.

    Responding to a parliamentarian’s question about Faye’s detention, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said that “penal policy will now be zero tolerance” for spreading “false news.”

    CPJ has documented detentions of Senegalese journalists on false news charges, an offense punishable by one to three years in prison. In his campaign, President Faye promised to replace imprisonment for press offenses with fines. 

    Separately, on April 13, police and gendarmes stopped and questioned Al Jazeera Qatar journalist Nicolas Haque and his camera operator, Magali Rochat, upon their arrival in the southern Ziguinchor city, where they sought to report on the return of people displaced by the region’s conflict. The journalists were sent back to Dakar the day after, Haque told CPJ.

    CPJ’s email to the government’s information and communications office was not answered.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Reporter subpoenaed for trial testimony by California city

    Fresno Bee reporter Thaddeus Miller was subpoenaed by prosecutors for the city of Fresno, California, on April 8, 2025, in connection with a criminal case. The subpoena was dropped as moot following the case’s dismissal on April 10.

    The case involved Wickey Twohands, a 77-year-old homeless man who was arrested in October 2024 for alleged violations of the city’s controversial anti-camping law.

    The ordinance — among the toughest in the state — went into effect in September 2024 and bans camping, sitting or lying on public property at any time. Twohands pleaded not guilty on Jan. 21, 2025, and his trial was postponed until April 10 so his attorney could file motions to dismiss the case.

    Deputy City Attorney Daniel Cisneros subpoenaed Miller and a second reporter, Fresnoland’s Pablo Orihuela, ordering the journalists to appear to testify at the hearing, the Bee reported. Both Miller and Orihuela had previously interviewed Twohands and reported on the charges against him.

    Miller told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that he had been out of the office each time they attempted to serve him from April 4 to 7, but the afternoon of April 8 they succeeded. He said the subpoena did not include any indication of what prosecutors intended to ask him, just a copy of his March article.

    “The most frustrating part for me is it’s a good story, an interesting story, and now I can’t cover it,” Miller said. “It’s frustrating to try to be doing your job, where your whole job is being impartial and staying out of it, and then they try to pull you into it.”

    The subpoenas to both Miller and Orihuela were rendered moot and functionally dropped after County Judge Brian Alvarez dismissed the case against Twohands on the grounds that the city violated his right to a speedy trial.

    Following the dismissal, Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz told a Bee editor that he had not reviewed or authorized the subpoenas and that they had not been issued according to protocol, noting that “any communication with media or journalists has to be run through the City Attorney.”

    Janz told the Bee that the journalists were subpoenaed to confirm the validity of their reporting and what the defendant had told them during his interviews, and that in the future the city will first ask journalists to voluntarily testify about published information.

    Miller said that Janz’s stance was concerning. “I kind of expected the city attorney to say that they had made a mistake and that we shouldn’t worry about it in the future, but that doesn’t seem to be the stance he’s taken,” Miller told the Tracker. “It’s worrisome that the city attorney’s office sounds like they want to be doing this more in the future.”

    David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, told the Bee that while the state’s shield law does not prohibit such subpoenas, the California Evidence Code establishes that news articles are self-authenticating.

    “Whether they ask or send subpoenas, it’s immaterial,” Loy said. “It’s unnecessary, superfluous and compromises the independence and neutrality of the press. People aren’t going to be able to trust reporters if they see reporters on the stand testifying to the government.”


    This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • CPJ joins legal effort to defend MBN and RFA following Trump executive order

    New York, April 14, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) filed two amicus briefs on Friday, April 11, in response to the Trump administration’s efforts to freeze congressionally-appropriated funds for Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) and Radio Free Asia (RFA).

    On March 14, the Trump administration signed an executive order gutting the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent organization of MBN and RFA. Under U.S. law, the editorial operations of USAGM entities are protected from political interference to ensure editorial independence. 

    USAGM entities operate under an editorial firewall, separating journalists from any elected official in the U.S. The amicus briefs outline how intervention from the Trump administration would destroy RFA and MBN’s editorial independence. 

    “The dismantling of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks and Radio Free Asia, whose news outlets report on the reality of highly censored environments in the Middle East and Asia, is a betrayal of the U.S.’s historical commitment to press freedom,” said CPJ Chief Global Affairs Officer Gypsy Guillén Kaiser. “Attacks on the credibility of both outlets leave millions of people without reliable news sources, while endangering the intrepid reporters who report the facts.”

    CPJ research shows at least four journalists and media workers with MBN outlets have been killed in connection with their work, including Abdul-Hussein Khazal, a correspondent for the U.S.-funded television station Al-Hurra who was shot dead in 2005 together with his 3-year-old son in the Iraqi city of Basra, and Tahrir Kadhim Jawad, a camera operator for Al-Hurra who died instantly when a bomb attached to his car exploded while he was on assignment. Bashar Fahmi Kadumi, another journalist for Al-Hurra, has been missing since 2012. 

    CPJ has documented at least 13 journalists and media workers who worked for or contributed to RFA or its regional outlets have been imprisoned in connection with their work since 2008. Five of those remain in prison today, including Shin Daewe in Myanmar and Nguyen Tuong Thuy in Vietnam, both held on anti-state charges.

    In recent weeks, CPJ and RCFP filed amicus briefs about the White House barring AP from covering White House events and legal efforts to protect Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America after Trump’s executive order. 

    ###

    About the Committee to Protect Journalists

    The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.

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  • Venezuelan authorities arrest 2 journalists in connection with crime report

    Bogotá, April 11, 2025—Venezuelan authorities should immediately release journalist Nakary Mena Ramos and her camera operator husband, Gianni González, drop all charges against them, and ensure they can do their jobs without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

    “The Venezuelan government’s crackdown on the press has persisted for months, intensifying following the July 28 disputed reelection of President Nicolás Maduro,” said CPJ’s Latin America program coordinator, Cristina Zahar, in São Paulo. “Public scrutiny is a crucial component of democratic accountability and a free press, and Nakary Mena Ramos and Gianni González must be freed without condition.”

    A criminal court on April 10 ordered Mena, a reporter with the independent news site Impacto Venezuela, to remain in detention at a women’s prison on the outskirts of the capital city of Caracas on preliminary charges of “hate crimes” and “publishing fake news,” according to the National Press Workers Union (SNTP).  

    Impacto Venezuela posted that Mena, 28, and González, who is being held at El Rodeo II prison near Caracas, were denied access to private lawyers but assigned public defenders.

    A pro-government journalist criticized Mena’s report on rising crime in Caracas – a sensitive issue for the government –a day before she and González went missing on April 8 near a public square in downtown Caracas. Minister Diosdado Cabello has also criticized the report, calling it “a campaign to instill fear in people.” 

    Impacto Venezuela defended Mena’s report as based on interviews with average citizens and supported with government information.

    The arrests of Mena and González come amid a sharp rise in oppression against Venezuelan journalists by Maduro’s authoritarian government, which has created a heightened environment of fear, stigmatization, and criminalization of independent voices. 

    CPJ’s calls to the attorney general’s office in Caracas did not receive any reply.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Jailed Tunisian commentator Sonia Dahmani faces 10-year -sentence after charges elevated to felony

    New York, April 11, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for the immediate release of political commentator Sonia Dahmani after the Tunis Court of Appeals reclassified charges against her as a felony, a move that could lead to a 10-year prison sentence over Dahmani’s critique of prison conditions.

    “The reclassification of imprisoned commentator Sonia Dahmani’s charges as a felony is yet another alarming escalation in the Tunisian government’s use of cybercrime Decree Law 54 to intimidate and punish critical voices,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna. “Tunisian authorities must immediately release Dahmani, drop all charges against her, and put an end to the ongoing judicial harassment against journalists and commentators in the country.”

    Dahmani, a lawyer and political commentator on IFM radio and Carthage Plus TV, was arrested in May 2024 and is currently serving a 32-month prison sentence on charges in connection with televised remarks about the state of Tunisia’s prisons. The case was filed by the General Directorate of Prisons under Article 24 of the cybercrime Decree-Law 54 on spreading false news charges. 

    On Thursday, April 10, the Tunis Court of Appeals upheld felony charges against Dahmani and referred her case to the criminal court, ignoring a February 3 Court of Cassation ruling that found the cybercrime law should only apply to crimes committed via digital systems and not to opinions expressed through traditional media. 

    Dahmani faces five charges for her media commentary; four are classified as misdemeanors. 

    According to CPJ’s December 1, 2024, prison census, at least five journalists were behind bars in Tunisia, the highest number recorded since 1992. The crackdown has intensified since President Kais Saied’s 2021 power grab—when he dissolved parliament, took control of the judiciary, and gave himself powers to rule by decree.

    CPJ’s email requesting comment on Dahmani’s prosecution from the Tunisian presidency did not receive any response.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Reporter called to testify by California city as part of criminal trial

    Pablo Orihuela, a housing reporter for the nonprofit news outlet Fresnoland, was subpoenaed by prosecutors for the city of Fresno, California, on April 4, 2025, in connection with a pending criminal case.

    The case involves Wickey Twohands, a 77-year-old homeless man who was arrested in October 2024 and may be the first to go to trial for alleged violations of the city’s controversial anti-camping law.

    The ordinance — among the toughest in the state — went into effect in September 2024 and bans camping, sitting or lying on public property at any time. Twohands pleaded not guilty on Jan. 21, 2025.

    Orihuela reported on the charges against Twohands in February after his trial was postponed so his attorney could file motions to dismiss the case. The parties are due back in court April 10 for a ruling on the motions and, if the case proceeds, the start of the jury trial.

    Deputy City Attorney Daniel Cisneros ordered Orihuela to appear to testify at the hearing with less than a week’s notice, according to a copy of the subpoena reviewed by the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.

    The request did not provide any indication of what the journalist would be questioned about, and included only a copy of Orihuela’s February article obtained April 3, according to the header.

    Orihuela declined to comment until after the hearing and Cisneros did not respond to a voicemail requesting comment.

    David Loy, legal director for the First Amendment Coalition, wrote a letter on Orihuela’s behalf objecting to the subpoena the day it was issued.

    “Even if the subpoena were timely and properly served, California’s reporter shield law absolutely protects Mr. Orihuela against a subpoena from the City compelling him to testify about any unpublished information,” Loy wrote. “Accordingly, the City should immediately cease attempting to subpoena Mr. Orihuela.”

    Loy told the Tracker that the subpoena was improperly served, as it was sent via email to Orihuela and Fresnoland Executive Director and Managing Editor Danielle Bergstrom, and that without proper service a witness has no legal obligation to comply.

    “It’s obviously highly significant for any reporter or newspaper or publication to get a subpoena, even by email,” Loy said. “One would hope that government lawyers would be better educated on reporter shield law.

    “I’m going to assume best intentions, until proven otherwise: that this is some good-faith mistake and that hopefully — now that I’ve written to the city explaining the law — they have stopped trying to subpoena a reporter.”


    This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.