CJFE regularly sends letters of concern to authorities in countries around the world - including Canada - where free expression violations have occurred and which warrant particular attention on behalf of CJFE and other like-minded groups. Click on the links below to view the alerts we have released. Alerts do make a difference - and, in some cases, can save lives of imperiled journalists. If you wish to write alerts in support of press freedom around the world, we have some tips and instructions, or contact us at cjfe [at] cjfe.org for further enquiries.
Neither Confirm nor Deny: RCMP Respond to CJFE Query About Makuch Case
In August 2017, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed to Global News that Farah Mohamed Shirdon, a Somali-Canadian terror suspect was killed in Mosul, Iraq on July 13, 2015. Global News reports that it sent the U.S. military a list of Canadian foreign fighters and asked if any had been killed in Coalition actions.
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Why banning Manning is bad for Canada and democracy
CJFE is deeply concerned by the revelation that whistleblower and former political prisoner Chelsea Manning was barred entry to Canada by the Canada Border Services Agency on September 22, 2017. Manning shared a photo of a memo which appears to show that she was refused entry because of her criminal record.
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Make International Incidents Great Again: Canadian Held in US Prison for Role in Anti-Trump Protest
CJFE is calling for immediate consular support for Canadian political dissident Anton Bueckert, who was arrested on August 22 at the St. Clair River U.S.-Canada border crossing. Anton Bueckert, who was on his way to the Burning Man festival, was held for two weeks in a St. Clair, Michigan, county jail waiting for extradition to Minnesota, but when picked up, was transported by the private company Prisoner Transport Service to a hub in Alabama.
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70 Years for Filming a Protest? This is Actually Happening in Trump's America
We are deeply concerned by the criminal charges brought against two American journalists who covered protests during the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January. Aaron Cantú, a staff writer for the Santa Fe Reporter and editor at The New Inquiry, faces a felony charge of rioting, which carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted; while professional photographer Alexei Wood faces a statutory maximum of more than 70 years in prison on additional rioting and destruction of property charges.
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Mission Accomplished? Shirdon is Dead, Will the RCMP Drop its Case Against Ben Makuch Now?
CJFE calls on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to drop its case ordering VICE News reporter Ben Makuch to release his confidential communications with accused terrorist Farah Mohamed Shirdon. The U.S. military has confirmed that Shirdon was killed in Mosul, Iraq, in July 2015. A statement released by VICE Canada reads:
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CJFE condemns vandalism of Comedy Bar
CJFE condemns the vandalism of Comedy Bar, a well-known stand-up comedy venue and small business in Toronto that became the unwitting host of a provocative and politically charged event, which in turn attracted elements of the Canadian far right. Small businesses must not be victimized by becoming accidental battlegrounds in the unfolding cultural crisis.
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