World Press Freedom Day Thursday, May 3 – Dangerous Times

In recognition of World Press Freedom Day, The National Press Club and its non-profit affiliate NPC Journalism Institute, will hold a news conference at 1 p.m., Thursday, May 3, 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.

The news conference will be held in the Club’s Bloomberg Room. There is no charge to attend however RSVPs are required. To register, click here.

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. The Club and 19 other journalism organizations have asked for his release while his asylum case is under consideration, but U.S. 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 Dec. 12 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.

Panelists are:

· Kathy Kiely, NPC Journalism Institute Press Freedom Fellow

· Lynette Clemetson, executive director, Knight Wallace Journalism Fellowship

· Sherif Mansour, program coordinator, Middle East and North Africa, Committee to Protect Journalists

· Eduardo Beckett, attorney representing Emilio Guttierez

John Donnelly, chair of NPC’s Press Freedom committee will moderate.