‘Egypt disappeared two journalists’
January 22, 2021
CAIRO: Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Thursday called on Egypt to release two journalists who disappeared about two weeks ago on charges including spreading false news .
Photojournalist Hamdi al-Zaeem and online editor Ahmed Khalifa went missing on January 4 and 6 respectively after security forces raided their homes. Both appeared last week before a state security court, also accused of belonging to a terror group . These two enforced disappearances in the space of a few days show the degree to which the treatment of journalists violates international law, said Sabrina Bennoui, head of the RSF Middle East desk.
No freedom of press in Pakistan, journalists face charges for criticising military ANI | Updated: Jan 20, 2021 14:40 IST
Berlin [Germnay], January 20 (ANI): Pakistan continues to remain the most dangerous country in the world for journalists, and more and more scribes are being arrested for criticising the country s Army under the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA).
PECA, which is seen as the draconian tool to silence free speech, criminalises any speech considered to be blasphemous and even those who criticise state institutions.
Recently, a new section was added in PECA stating that those who intentionally ridicule, bring into disrepute or defame the Armed Forces of Pakistan will be sentenced upto two years and be fined over USD 3,018.
Pakistan continues to remain the most dangerous country in the world for journalists, and more and more scribes are being arrested for criticising the country
Berlin [Germnay], January 20 (ANI): Pakistan continues to remain the most dangerous country in the world for journalists, and more and more scribes are being arrested for criticising the country s Army under the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA).
PECA, which is seen as the draconian tool to silence free speech, criminalises any speech considered to be blasphemous and even those who criticise state institutions.
Recently, a new section was added in PECA stating that those who intentionally ridicule, bring into disrepute or defame the Armed Forces of Pakistan will be sentenced upto two years and be fined over USD 3,018.
DW quoted Pakistani journalist Asad Ali Toor, who was one of the several journalists to have been charged under the PECA, as saying that the most frustrating part of his judicial process was that he was never told which of his tweets were deemed illegal, or who had filed the FIR.
Thursday, 21 January 2021, 6:47 am
As President Biden and Vice President Kamala
Harris take office on January 20, Reporters Without Borders
(RSF) calls on them to take immediate leadership on press
freedom by signing the Press Freedom Pact. Members of
Congress are also urged to sign the pact to demonstrate
their commitment to ensuring First Amendment protections for
journalists are respected, after a spate of detentions and
assaults against those covering the recent riot in
Washington, DC.
Ahead of November’s
elections, RSF called
on all candidates running for public office to sign the
Press Freedom Pact a pledge of just under 50 words