WASHINGTON – In recognition of World Press Freedom Day, The National Press Club and its non-profit affiliate NPC Journalism Institute, will hold a news conference Thursday to discuss developments in the cases of four journalists who are recent recipients of one of the Club's highest honors, the John Aubuchon Press Freedom award.
Emilio Gutierrez, a Mexican journalist who entered this country legally nine years ago to seek asylum after receiving death threats for his reporting, has been held in the El Paso Processing Center since December 2017.
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The Press Club and 19 other journalism organizations have asked for his release while his asylum case is under consideration, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have denied the requests.
Mahmoud Abou Zeid, also known as Shawkan, was one of a number of journalists arrested in August, 2013 while covering anti-government demonstrations in Egypt.
While foreign journalists have been released, Shawkan was not. Prosecutors' request for the death penalty comes despite widespread protests against his detention by human rights and press freedom organizations.
Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been in custody since December 12, 2017 on accusations of breaching the government's Official Secrets Act. The two journalists had been covering the Rohingya human rights crisis in Rakhine state of Myanmar.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LIVESTREAM OF THE NEWS CONFERENCE.