CPJ is highlighting a case involving Washington D.C. based Uighur journalist Shohret Hoshur. Authorities have harassed members of his family in China, apparently in connection with Hoshur's reporting.
Excerpt from a 7 January 2015 CPJ Blog post by Bob Dietz, CPJ Asia Program Coordinator.
When we conduct the research for our annual list of jailed journalists, we rely on a range of sources. And we come across a lot of information that doesn’t always make it on to our list. With China once again the largest jailer of journalists–44 this year–our research team spotted several stories that deserve notice, even if they don’t fall precisely under the “jailed journalist” heading.
One such case was that of Washington D.C.-based Uighur journalist Shohret Hoshur, who works for the U.S.-government funded Radio Free Asia (RFA). Hoshur left China in 1994 after two articles that he wrote for a local newspaper were deemed to be “separatist” by the propaganda department, RFA told the Committee to Protect Journalists. According to RFA, the harassment of Hoshur’s family started in September 2009 after the broadcast of his report on the death of a Uighur torture victim, but the threats from officials accelerated last year.