radiofree.asia

Category: Legal

  • WikkiTimes publisher, reporter face criminal charges over reporting on alleged corruption

    Abuja, September 16, 2024—Authorities in Nigeria should discontinue criminal proceedings against journalists Haruna Mohammed Salisu and Yawale Adamu, of the privately owned WikkiTimes news site, and reform laws that criminalize the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.

    “Nigerian journalists must be allowed to investigate allegations of corruption without fear of imprisonment,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo, in Nairobi. “The criminal proceedings against WikkiTimes journalists Haruna Mohammed Salisu and Yawale Adamu should never have ended up in court and should be discontinued without delay.”

    Adamu, a reporter, is set to be arraigned on September 17 at a court in the northern Bauchi state on charges of criminal defamation, injurious falsehood, and mischief, in a case privately prosecuted by a businessman, Abubakar Abdullahi, according to the journalist, WikkiTimes lawyer Idrees Gambo, and a charge sheet reviewed by CPJ.

    Gambo told CPJ that Salisu, the outlet’s publisher, who is currently outside of Nigeria, is facing the same charges and that on September 3, the court had issued an arrest warrant for him. The defamation and falsehood charges each carry a sentence of up to five years, with a term of up to two years for mischief, according to the Bauchi state penal code. The journalists would also face an unspecified fine if convicted.

    The charges emanate from an April 16 report alleging that a federal lawmaker from Bauchi state, Mansur Manu Soro, colluded with the businessman to fraudulently divert public funds.

    Abdullahi told CPJ in a phone interview that he was aware of the court case, but he denied instituting the proceedings.

    CPJ’s September 16 calls and messages for comment on the charges to Soro went unanswered.


    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.

  • Dems Fear NY Governor’s Nonstop Problems Will Damage The Party

    New York governor Kathy Hochul has always been deeply unpopular, but the arrest of her chief of staff last week for acting as an agent of China has made the situation so much worse. There are now fears that Hochul’s nonstop problems could severely hurt Democrats this year and beyond in New York. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss […]

    The post Dems Fear NY Governor’s Nonstop Problems Will Damage The Party appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Former editor subpoenaed in constable’s defamation suit

    The former managing editor of the Sullivan County Democrat, a twice-weekly newspaper in New York’s Catskills Mountains, was subpoenaed on July 18, 2024, to testify and produce documents about a former law enforcement official suing the town of Highland for defamation and discrimination.

    A motion to quash the subpoena by the editor, Joseph Abraham, was denied in September, but the order was stayed for 60 days pending a possible appeal.

    The Democrat published an article by reporter Derek Kirk in August 2022 about a Highland Town Board investigation of its law enforcement entity, a team of constables (or “constabulary”). The board had released a redacted report on its investigation and announced its decision to dissolve the constabulary and instead contract with the county sheriffs.

    The Democrat obtained and confirmed the authenticity of an unredacted version of the board’s report, however, that contained a number of allegations labeled “substantiated” and “unsubstantiated” against one of the constables. The paper’s August 2022 article described the substantiated allegations, which accused Constable Marc Anthony of workplace misconduct.

    Anthony then sued the town, alleging that a town official had leaked information from the investigation that damaged his reputation.

    Abraham left the Democrat in April 2023, according to court documents. In March 2024, he received an email from Anthony’s attorney, reviewed by the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, asking to talk about the 2022 article. Abraham did not respond.

    The attorney then issued a subpoena demanding Abraham’s testimony and any documents in his possession that referred to Anthony, the constabulary or the article.

    Kirk, the author of the article, confirmed to the Tracker that he was not subpoenaed in the case.

    The court allowed a motion from Abraham to quash that subpoena due to “improper service” — the subpoena had been sent to a house that Abraham owns but does not live in.

    But Anthony’s attorney then issued another subpoena July 18, this time also calling for text messages between Abraham and the town official Anthony had accused of leaking information from the investigation. That official admitted to compiling the board’s report but not to confirming its authenticity to the Democrat.

    That the town official authenticated the allegations within the report for the paper is key to Anthony’s defamation claims against her, his attorney argued.

    Abraham filed another motion to quash Aug. 19, arguing that Anthony was seeking “a broader swath of information that even more clearly violates Mr. Abraham’s rights under the New York Shield Law and the First Amendment.”

    The court denied the motion Sept. 10. Abraham did not respond to a question from the Tracker about whether he plans to appeal the ruling during the 60-day stay.


    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.

  • Parents Are Finally Being Held Responsible For School Shootings

    The tragic school shooting in Georgia has reignited debates about gun control in America. That may be a problem that never gets solved – but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a solution out there, and the way that this case is being handled could offer us an answer to help prevent more tragedies. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss […]

    The post Parents Are Finally Being Held Responsible For School Shootings appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Tunisia appeals court upholds Sonia Dahmani’s conviction amid election coverage crackdown

    New York, September 13, 2024—Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release commentator Sonia Dahmani, following an appeals court decision Tuesday to uphold her conviction for spreading false news with a reduced eight-month sentence, and allow all journalists and news outlets to cover the upcoming presidential elections freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

    “The sentencing of Tunisian lawyer and media commentator Sonia Dahmani to eight months in prison on appeal, instead of releasing and acquitting her, is unacceptable because she did not belong in prison in the first place,” said CPJ Interim MENA Program Coordinator Yeganeh Rezaian. “Tunisian authorities must release Dahmani, drop all charges against her, and allow all journalists in the country to cover the elections without intimidation.”

    The Tunisian appeals court, issuing its verdict without a hearing and without the presence of Dahmani’s legal representatives, reduced her sentence from one year to eight months.

    Dahmani, a lawyer and commentator for local independent radio station IFM and television channel Carthage Plus, was arrested on May 11 over comments that authorities deemed critical of President Kais Saied. On July 6, a court convicted her and imposed a one-year sentence.

    Dahmani’s defense team said she had been subjected to a “disgraceful body search” while in custody and forced to wear a long white veil typically worn by inmates convicted of sexual offenses.

    Tunisian authorities have tightened their grip over media coverage of the upcoming October 6 elections. Last week, authorities banned sales of the September print issue of Paris-based magazine Jeune Afrique featuring an investigative report about Saied, while the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) prevented journalists from attending the announcement of final election candidates. On August 20, ISIE revoked the press accreditation of Khaoula Boukrim, editor-in-chief of local news website Tumedia, which would likely prevent her from covering the elections.

    CPJ’s email to ISIE, and its phone call to the Ministry of Interior, requesting comment on Dahmani’s sentencing, and violations regarding the election coverage received no responses.

    Editor’s note: The headline was updated to correct a typo.


    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.

  • Election Oracles Predict The Next President

    America’s Lawyer E114: The oracle of American politics has unveiled his prediction for which candidate he believes will win the White House this year, so we’ll tell you who it is and why they are the favorite to win. New York governor Kathy Hochul is in deep trouble after one of her aides was arrested […]

    The post Election Oracles Predict The Next President appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • CPJ joins call to release over a dozen journalists jailed in Azerbaijan ahead of COP29 

    The Committee to Project Journalists called on the Azerbaijani government to release over a dozen jailed journalists and reform the country’s deeply restrictive media laws in a letter signed by 25 organizations ahead of the United Nations Climate Conference on November 11-22, 2024.

    Azerbaijani authorities have charged 13 journalists over the past year for alleged violations of funding rules in an extensive crackdown on independent media outlets and civil society, amid declining relations between Azerbaijan and the West. 

    CPJ and partners also urged member states of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the conference’s organizing body, to ensure all journalists can freely participate and cover conference developments without obstruction. 

    Read the full statement here.


    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.

  • Texas Governor Creates Special Courts To Benefit Big Oil

    The state of Texas has created a brand new court system that only deals with cases involving big businesses – and you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that the judges chosen for these new courts ALL come from law firms that represented these same companies. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a […]

    The post Texas Governor Creates Special Courts To Benefit Big Oil appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Biden Orders DOJ To Smack Down Greedy Price Gougers

    The federal government has filed multiple lawsuits aimed at helping reduce the costs of everything from rent to groceries for consumers. But these lawsuits face a steep uphill battle. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio: The federal government has filed […]

    The post Biden Orders DOJ To Smack Down Greedy Price Gougers appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Texas Judges Gone Crazy For Big Oil

    America’s Lawyer E113: In less than 9 weeks, this presidential election cycle will be over, but we are about to be overloaded by both candidates as they sprint towards the finish line. Saudi Arabia is refusing to pay their bills for weapons that the US has sold them, and in spite of not getting paid, […]

    The post Texas Judges Gone Crazy For Big Oil appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • CPJ, others reject 7-year prison sentence for Brazilian journalist over blog

    The Committee to Protect Journalists joined the 10 other members of Brazil’s Coalition in Defense of Journalism in condemning the August 12 sentencing of journalist Ricardo Antunes to seven years in prison for slander, libel, and defamation after he published five blog posts about a businessman.

    The posts dealt with an investigation into an alleged corruption scheme involving the businessman, a company, and Caruaru City Hall in the northeastern state of Pernambuco, in the organization of events.

    “Criminal justice is not the appropriate response to dealing with slander, defamation and libel. These should be addressed solely through civil lawsuits, to enable the balancing of rights and preserving freedom of expression and of the press,” the statement said.

    Read the full statement in English here.

    Read the full statement in Portuguese here.


    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.

  • CPJ concerned by Kazakhstan’s restrictive new media accreditation

    New York, September 3, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned that recent changes to Kazakhstan’s domestic media accreditation regulations and proposed changes to foreign media accreditation could be used to silence critical journalists.

    “New and proposed amendments to Kazakhstan’s accreditation regulations are excessive and open too many doors to censorship. Instead of the greater openness promised by President Tokayev’s ‘New Kazakhstan,’ what journalists are really getting is ever more creeping state control,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “Kazakh authorities should heed journalists’ legitimate complaints and revise the media accreditation rules.”

    The new rules governing domestic media, which went into force August 20, allow journalists’ accreditation to be withdrawn for six months if they twice fail to comply with rules at news events, which could potentially include asking off-topic questions.

    The proposed rules for foreign media, posted for public comment August 19, would allow the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deny or revoke accreditation for any violation of Kazakh law, including minor “administrative” offenses. A media law passed in June already bans foreign media from unaccredited journalistic activity.

    Press freedom advocates say the proposed changes are worrying given authorities’ monthslong denial of accreditation to dozens of journalists working for U.S. Congress-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Kazakh service, known locally as Radio Azattyq, over a “false information” fine, as well as escalating use of administrative “false information” charges against domestic journalists.

    Diana Okremova, head of local press freedom organization Legal Media Center, told CPJ that the reforms amounted to an “intensification of government control” that would give authorities “wide discretionary tools to clamp down on” journalists.

    CPJ’s emails to the Ministry of Culture and Information and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment did not receive any replies.


    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.

  • CPJ, others: China criminalizing journalism in Hong Kong with Stand News verdict

    Taipei, September 2, 2024—Hong Kong authorities are criminalizing normal journalistic work with the “openly political” conviction of two editors from the shuttered news portal Stand News for subversion, the Committee to Protect Journalists and four other rights groups said.

    By weaponizing the legal system against journalists, China has ruthlessly reneged on guarantees given to Hong Kong, which should enjoy a high degree of autonomy after the former British colony was handed back to Beijing in 1997, the groups said in a joint statement.

    Former Stand News editors Patrick Lam and Chung Pui-kuen are due to be sentenced on September 26 and could be jailed for two years.

    “We now await with trepidation the outcome of trials targeting senior staff from the defunct Apple Daily newspaper, especially its founder Jimmy Lai who faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars,” they added.

    Read the full statement here.

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

  • Corrupt Texas Judge Exposed In Disgusting Sex Scandal

    Texas has become the hub for corporate bankruptcy cases where big businesses try to avoid paying out lawsuits, and one judge in particular oversees most of those cases. So it shouldn’t be surprising to learn that this judge is about as corrupt as possible, and reports suggest that an illicit affair that he had with […]

    The post Corrupt Texas Judge Exposed In Disgusting Sex Scandal appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Russian journalist Sergey Mikhaylov sentenced to 8 years in prison

    New York, August 30, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the sentencing Friday of Russian journalist Sergey Mikhaylov to eight years in prison on “fake news” charges and calls on Russian authorities to release him immediately.   

    “The sentencing of journalist Sergey Mikhaylov to eight years in prison on what Russian authorities label as ‘fake news’ is another sign of the Kremlin’s fear of journalists telling the truth about the 2022 civilian massacre in Russian-occupied Bucha,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s program coordinator for Europe and Central Asia. “Russian authorities should not contest Mikhaylov’s appeal and stop their prosecution of independent journalists.”  

    A city court in Gorno-Altaysk, the capital of the Siberian republic of Altai, found Mikhaylov, a publisher of independent Siberian newspaper Listok detained since April 2022, guilty of disseminating “knowingly false information” about the Russian army “under the guise of reliable information” over the information distributed through Listok’s Telegram channel and website about the killing of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Bucha and other Ukrainian cities.

    The court also banned Mikhaylov from working as a journalist and administering websites for four years after his release.

    Mikhaylov, who plans to appeal, denied the charges and told the court that he wanted “to reveal the truth” about the Russian-Ukrainian war, protect Russians from state propaganda, and reduce the number of war casualties.

    Russian state media regulator Roskomnadzor blocked Listok’s website in February 2022, and law enforcement raided the outlet’s editorial office and several employees’ homes on the day of Mikhaylov’s arrest.

    Mikhaylov was one of the first journalists detained under the March 2022 law against publishing “fake news” about the army following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    Russia is the world’s fourth-worst jailer of journalists, with CPJ’s most recent prison census documenting at least 22 journalists, including Mikhaylov, in prison on December 1, 2023.


    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.

  • Policy Doesn’t Matter In 2024

    America’s Lawyer E112: The Party conventions are now in the rearview mirror, but the corporate shadow that hung over both the Democrats and Republicans can’t be ignored. We’ll explain why both events were little more than a big love fest for corporations. One of the biggest corporate bankruptcy judges in the country was caught having […]

    The post Policy Doesn’t Matter In 2024 appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Kyrgyzstan Supreme Court upholds shuttering of investigative outlet Kloop

    New York, August 29, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the decision by Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court in July to uphold the liquidation of Kloop Media, a nonprofit that runs the investigative news website Kloop.

    “The forced shuttering of international award–winning investigative outlet Kloop is a shameful episode in the history of modern Kyrgyzstan — a country long viewed as a haven for press freedom in Central Asia — and is a clear indication that under President Japarov this reputation no longer holds,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “Kyrgyz authorities should immediately reverse their repressive course against the media and allow Kloop and all other independent outlets to work freely.”

    On Thursday, Kloop reported that the Supreme Court on July 16 had upheld a lower court’s refusal to hear its appeal against a February liquidation order. The decision, which Kloop learned of on August 22, marks the end of the outlet’s hopes of overturning that liquidation.

    Kloop founder Rinat Tuhvatshin said the decision was “expected” but that the organization plans to keep publishing “the most penetrating investigations, the most balanced news, and the sharpest commentary.”

    Kyrgyz prosecutors applied to shutter Kloop, a local partner of the global investigative network Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), in August 2023 and blocked its website amid a series of corruption investigations into relatives of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and other top state officials.

    Under Japarov, Kyrgyz authorities have launched an unprecedented crackdown on independent reporting in a country previously seen as a regional beacon for the free press.


    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.

  • Russia retaliates against foreign journalists covering Ukraine advance into Kursk

    Berlin, August 29, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Russia’s recent launch of a spate of criminal investigations into foreign journalists reporting on the Ukrainian army’s advance into Russia’s Kursk region.

    Since the Ukrainian army started its incursion on August 6, Russian authorities have opened probes into seven foreign journalists accompanying Ukrainian forces to report on the conflict in the western town of Sudzha, accusing them of illegally crossing the border. 

    “The prosecution of the journalists covering an important development in the Russian-Ukraine war is another assault on press freedom,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator, in New York. “These reporters were performing their essential role of informing the public about the ongoing conflict. It is imperative that Russian authorities allow journalists to report on the war from within the conflict zone without the threat of prosecution.” 

    Over a 10-day period from August 17 to 27, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced investigations into the following journalists and outlets:  

    • Unnamed Washington Post reporters who visited Sudzha on August 17 accompanied by Ukrainian military personnel. An August 18 Washington Post report said that Siobhán O’Grady, Tetiana Burianova and photographer Ed Ram had traveled to Ukrainian-held territory in Russia. 

    The charge of illegally crossing the Russian border carries a prison sentence of up to five years, according to the Russian criminal code. The FSB said those under investigation will be placed on an international wanted list. 

    CPJ did not receive a response to an email requesting comment on the investigations from Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

    Editor’s note: The first bullet point was updated to correct the characterization of the TV channel.


    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.

  • CPJ submits report on Iraq to UN’s human rights review

    The Committee to Protect Journalists has submitted a report on the state of press freedom and journalist safety in Iraq and semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan to the United Nations Human Rights Council ahead of its January to February 2025 Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session.

    The U.N. mechanism is a peer review of each member state’s human rights record. It takes place every 4 ½ years and includes reports on progress made since the previous review cycle and recommendations on how a country can better fulfill its human rights obligations.

    CPJ’s submission, together with the MENA Rights Group, a Geneva-based advocacy organization, and the local human rights groups Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq and Community Peacemaker Teams Iraq, shows that journalists face threats, online harassment, physical violence, and civil and criminal lawsuits.

    The submission notes an escalating crackdown on civic space in Iraq where crimes against journalists are rarely investigated, fueling a cycle of violence against the press, while public officials have voiced anti-press rhetoric and attempted to limit access to information.

    Iraq is ranked 6th in CPJ’s Global Impunity Index 2023, with 17 unsolved murders of journalists, and is one of the few countries to have been on the Index every year since its inception in 2007.

    CPJ’s UPR submission on Iraq is available in English here.


    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.

  • Biden Takes On SCOTUS With Final Days In Office & JD Vance Regret Sinks In For Republicans

    In an op-ed, President Biden called for sweeping reforms for the Supreme Court, including term limits and a code of ethics. Also, Donald Trump thought he picked a winner when he selected Senator JD Vance as his running mate, but Republicans disagree with his choice. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a […]

    The post Biden Takes On SCOTUS With Final Days In Office & JD Vance Regret Sinks In For Republicans appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • CPJ welcomes conviction in killing of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German

    Washington, D.C., August 28, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed the news that jurors had reached a decision in the trial of Robert Telles, who was found guilty of killing Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German.

    “While Wednesday’s ruling will not bring Jeff German back to his family, friends, and colleagues, the conviction sends an important message that the killing of journalists will not be tolerated,” said CPJ U.S., Canada, and Caribbean Program Coordinator Katherine Jacobsen. “It is vital that the murder of journalists should be taken seriously and perpetrators held accountable.”

    German, a veteran reporter who covered organized crime and local politics, was found stabbed to death on September 2, 2022, outside his home in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Telles, a former Clark County public administrator, lost a re-election bid in June 2022 after German reported on alleged mismanagement in the official’s office.


    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 court orders social media accounts blocked despite ruling that banned police ‘virtual patrolling’

    Istanbul, August 27, 2024— The Committee to Protect Journalists urges X (formerly Twitter) site administrators not to comply with a Turkish court’s order to block accounts belonging to several journalists and media outlets.

    “Turkish authorities continue to practice the ‘virtual patrolling’ and censorship of social media users under the false guise of national security,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, in New York. “The request to block access to multiple X accounts, including those of journalists and media, will have a negative effect on press freedom in Turkey, where media have already worked under constant government restraints.” 

    On August 20, a criminal court in the northeast city of Gümüşhane ordered 69 X accounts, including those of at least three journalists and a media outlet, to be blocked from access inside Turkey. The court ruling was issued in response to request by the local military police to stop “terrorist organization propaganda,” according to reports. The court document, reviewed by CPJ, did not specify the nature of the alleged terrorist propaganda. 

    The list of accounts CPJ reviewed included those of politicians, activists and individuals from various countries. As of August 27, some of those accounts were not accessible from inside Turkey, while others were suspended or deleted. The accounts of Amberin Zaman, chief correspondent for the independent news website Al Monitor; Deniz Tekin, a correspondent for the local media freedom group MLSA in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır; and the pro-Kurdish daily Yeni Yaşam were accessible despite being included on the court list. The account of Öznur Değer, a reporter for the pro-Kurdish news site JİNNEWS, was inaccessible. 

    The Constitutional Court of Turkey canceled the Turkish police force’s authority for “virtual patrolling” in 2020 due to the right to privacy and the protection of personal data. However, the Turkish security forces continue the practice.

    CPJ emailed Turkey’s interior ministry, which oversees the military police, for comment but didn’t receive a reply. 


    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.

  • Harvard University Refuses To Remove Sackler Name Linked To Opioid Deaths

    Harvard has decided that they will NOT be removing the Sackler name from several of their buildings, even after years of pressure from the families of victims of the opioid crisis. Other universities and museums didn’t hesitate to remove the Sackler name, but Harvard has decided that they simply don’t care. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: […]

    The post Harvard University Refuses To Remove Sackler Name Linked To Opioid Deaths appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Meta Allowed Kids To Overdose On Drugs Sold Through Instagram

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pledged earlier this year that his platforms would do a better job protecting children. But it turns out that never happened, because both Facebook and Instagram have been allowing advertisements for illegal drugs to be placed on their platforms. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription […]

    The post Meta Allowed Kids To Overdose On Drugs Sold Through Instagram appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • New law grants Taliban morality police fresh powers to censor Afghan media   

    New York, August 23, 2024— The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about a new law, to be enforced by the Taliban’s morality police, which bans journalists from publishing or broadcasting content that they believe violates Sharia law or insults Muslims.

    “The Law for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice grants the Taliban’s notorious morality police extensive powers to further restrict Afghanistan’s already decimated media community,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “This law marks yet another appalling blow to press freedom in Afghanistan, where the morality police has worsened a crackdown on journalists and fundamental human rights for the past three years.” 

    Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada signed the bill into law on July 31, although the news was not made public until August 21, when it was published on the Ministry of Justice’s website.

    Article 17 details the restrictions on the media, including a ban on publishing or broadcasting images of living people and animals, which the Taliban regards as unIslamic. Other sections order women to cover their bodies and faces and travel with a male guardian, while men are not allowed to shave their beards. The punishment for breaking the law is up to three days in prison or a penalty “considered appropriate by the public prosecutor.”

    In its annual report this month, Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice said, without providing details, that it had “successfully implemented 90% of reforms across audio, visual, and print media” and arrested 13,000 people for “immoral acts.” Several journalists were among those detained.

    Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid did not respond to CPJ’s request for comment via messaging app.


    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.

  • Republicans Fear Trump’s Self Destruction

    America’s Lawyer E111: Meta is once again in trouble after it was revealed that they are allowing ads for illicit drugs on both Facebook and Instagram, and now lawmakers want answers about how this was allowed to happen. President Biden gave a moving speech to the Democratic Convention this week, but reports say that he […]

    The post Republicans Fear Trump’s Self Destruction appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Yet again, Zambian journalist Thomas Allan Zgambo faces prison over reporting

    Lusaka, August 21, 2024—Zambian journalist Thomas Allan Zgambo is facing up to seven years in prison for his reporting on corruption and poor governance in the southern African nation. It is at least the third time that Zgambo has risked imprisonment for his online journalism, a growing threat for journalists in many African countries.

    On August 6, Zgambo was arrested on allegations of publishing seditious material, which under Zambian law includes content advocating for the overthrow of the government or raising “disaffection” among the public, for his July 28 commentary on the Facebook page of the online news outlet Zambian Whistleblower, which called on the government to be transparent about any links between a property it had rented and President Hakainde Hichilema.

    Zgambo told CPJ that the police detained him in a cell until August 8 in a bid to get him to reveal his sources. “That is why they held me there for two nights. They just wanted to punish me,” said the journalist, who is due back in court on August 22.

    When Hichilema won a landslide victory in 2021, he vowed that “the media will be freed” amid broader rhetoric on improving conditions for the press in Zambia. Despite these commitments, CPJ has since documented several attacks on the press, including arrests of journalists covering protests and the opposition.

    “President Hakainde Hichilema’s promises to ensure media freedom in Zambia ring hollow after a journalist who criticized him was arrested and charged with an offense that carries a lengthy prison term,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo, in Nairobi. “Zambian authorities must immediately drop all legal proceedings against Thomas Allan Zgambo. In addition, Zambia should scrap laws that criminalize the work of the press.”

    A pattern of legal harassment 

    Zambia is widely seen as one of Africa’s most stable democracies. From 2017 to 2022, it had no journalists in jail at 12:01 a.m. local time on December 1, when CPJ’s annual prison census is conducted.

    In 2023, Zgambo became the first Zambian journalist to appear in the census in seven years. He was arrested on November 28 over his Zambian Whistleblower report that the Zambia National Service, an arm of the defense force, was importing “substandard” genetically modified maize from South Africa without informing consumers of any potential harm.

    Zgambo was freed on bail on the morning of December 1, 2023, and is due back in court for a hearing on this case on August 27.

    Zgambo is no stranger to the Zambian courts. He was first charged with sedition in 2013 after documents about the then-President Michael Sata were found in his home. Zgambo told CPJ that he was released on police bond but never received a date to appear in court. Sata died in 2014.

    Weaponizing laws to target online journalism 

    Like Zgambo, an increasing number of journalists in the region mainly publish via social media amid falling mainstream revenues and government repression. For example, in Somalia, social media can be a lifeline for local communities to access independent journalism and for freelancers to share their reporting.

    CPJ has been tracking the weaponization of existing, often colonial–era, legislation to criminalize journalism, as well as the introduction of new laws to target online freedom of expression in countries like Nigeria, Tanzania, and Kenya. Eleven of the 12 imprisoned Rwandan and Ethiopian journalists in CPJ’s 2023 prison census operate outlets that publish on YouTube. 

    The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, an African Union body, has called on countries in the region to repeal all criminal defamation, insult, and sedition laws. Although sedition provisions have been repealed in Uganda and Malawi, countries such as Zambia and Tanzania continue to use them against journalists.

    Zambia’s State House spokesperson Clayson Hamasaka referred CPJ’s request for comment to the police. Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga did not respond to CPJ’s calls and text messages requesting comment.


    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.

  • List Of Politicians Violating The STOCK Act Continues To Grow

    More than 50 members of Congress in the last 18 months have been caught violating the STOCK Act – with three violators caught in just the last week. For years we’ve seen members of Congress violate the law, but not a single one of them has ever faced any real consequences. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: […]

    The post List Of Politicians Violating The STOCK Act Continues To Grow appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • In Cameroon, long-running defamation case highlights vexatious suits against journalists

    Dakar, August 20, 2024—Cameroonian journalist Samuel Bondjock has had to appear in court more than 30 times in almost 30 months to face criminal defamation charges that could put him in jail — even though the country’s media regulator dismissed the complaint against him in 2022.

    His next appearance in the capital Yaounde is scheduled for August 27, but Bondjock has little hope there will be any resolution in what is seen as a classic example of a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) — a vexatious type of lawsuit increasingly used against those who express critical opinions.

    These suits frequently invoke criminal defamation laws to punish and censor journalists. In Cameroon, Bondjock — the publishing director of the privately owned online news site Direct Info — is the country’s latest journalist to be accused of defaming influential figures such as football stars, writers, government officials, lawmakers, pastors, and the politically connected.

    “Authorities must end the legal harassment and weaponization of Cameroon’s judicial system against Samuel Bondjock, especially as the country’s media regulator has already exonerated him,” said Angela Quintal, head of CPJ’s Africa program, in New York. “Cameroon should follow the examples of several other African states to decriminalize defamation, in line with a 2010 resolution of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and must ensure that SLAPP lawsuits are not used to censor the press.”

    In March 2022, Ahmadou Sardaouna, the managing director of the state-run Cameroon Real Estate Company (SIC), filed criminal complaints against Bondjock for “impugning his honor” in two articles published in December 2021 and February 2022, according to CPJ’s review of the complaints and news reports.

    Four months later, Sardaouna also lodged a complaint with Cameroon’s National Communication Council (NCC) for “unsubstantiated accusations likely to damage his image.” The media regulator ruled in Bondjock’s favor, saying his journalism had met “professional requirements of investigation and cross-checking,” according to a copy of its July 29, 2022, decision, reviewed by CPJ.

    Bondjock told CPJ that he has little hope that his trial will begin this month because Sardaouna’s absence led to repeated postponements of previous hearings  “The plaintiff is doing nothing but delaying tactics to prolong this trial in order to exhaust me financially, morally, and even professionally, by wasting my time. My lawyer defends me despite many unpaid fees,” he said.

    Joseph Jules Nkana, Sardaouna’s lawyer, told CPJ that his client had not refused to attend previous hearings and that mediation was undertaken by “Bondjock’s colleagues.” However, the journalist had refused to meet to conclude an agreement, Nkana said.

    François Mboke, president of the Cameroon network of press outlet owners, who initiated mediation in 2022 to stop the prosecution, told CPJ that it had not been successful.

    Bondjock told CPJ there was no reason for him to try to seek an agreement with Sardaouna, as the NCC had ruled in his favor.

    Under Cameroon’s penal code, defamation is punishable by a prison sentence of six days to six months and a fine of up to 2 million CFA francs (US$3,330).

    In a joint 2023 submission to the U.N. Human Rights Council scrutinizing Cameroon’s human rights record, CPJ and other rights groups noted at least four cases of arrest and conviction for defamation between 2019 and 2022, including against Martinez Zogo, who was killed in 2023.

    Other sub-Saharan countries that have criminalized defamation include Nigeria, Angola, Togo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In June 2024, Niger reinstated prison sentences for defamation and insult that had been replaced by fines two years earlier.

    Denis Omgba Bomba, director of the media observatory at Cameroon’s Ministry of Communication, did not respond to CPJ’s request for comment on Bondjock’s case via messaging app.


    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.

  • Russia prosecutes Italian journalists covering war in Kursk region

    Berlin, August 19, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a decision by Russian authorities to open a criminal case against Italian journalists Stefania Battistini and Simone Traini for alleged illegal border crossing from Ukraine into Russia.

    “Trying to put Italian journalists Stefania Battistini and Simone Traini on trial seems to be a desperate attempt by Russian authorities to intimidate and silence international journalists covering the Russian-Ukraine war,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator, in New York. “Russian officials must stop their harassment of journalists and respect the essential role of the press in conflict zones.”

    The decision to launch a criminal probe follows the two journalists’ reporting on a Ukrainian military offensive into Russian’s southern Kursk region that began August 6. Reporting from the town of Sudzha, Battistini, a correspondent for Italian public broadcaster RAI and Traini, RAI’s camera operator, were shown in a Ukrainian military vehicle as they spoke with residents and looked at damaged houses and cars. The report marked the first foreign media report from the affected area.

    In remarks to the state broadcaster Rossiya-24, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova alleged that facts were “entirely rewritten” in Battistini and Traini’s reporting. “Turning everything upside down – black was called white, and white was called black,” Zakharova said and added that law enforcement agencies would further investigate the matter. 

    If found guilty, the journalists could face up to five years in prison.

    After the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Italy’s ambassador on August 16 over the border crossing, Battistini and Traini left Russia on August 18 to temporarily return to Italy, according to reports and their employer RAI who said the reason was “exclusively to guarantee safety and personal protection” of the two journalists.

    CPJ sent emails to Battistini, and Russia’s Foreign Ministry requesting comment but has not received a response.

    Editor’s note: The date of this Ukrainian military offensive has been updated.


    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.