Three months into Iran’s crackdown on coverage of widespread protests, media analysts remain troubled by the dozens of journalist arrests and reports of abuse in detention centers.   “Right now is probably the worst time to ever be a journalist in Iran,” said Sherif Mansour, Middle East and North Africa program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).   Data released by CPJ in December showed Iran as the top jailer of journalists globally, with 62 reporters — 24 of whom are women — currently in prison.   More than 20 other journalists have been arrested since September, but

A conservationist and veterinarian with dual French and Australian citizenship who was kidnapped last week in Chad has been released. Chad President Mahamat Idriss Deby announced Jerome Hugonnot’s release Sunday in a post on Twitter without providing any further details. Hugonnot who manages an oryx park on behalf of the Sahara Conservation Fund, or the SCF, was kidnapped Friday by unknown assailants. SCF has been working for years to re-introduce into the environment a species of desert antelope known as the scimitar-horned oryx. The reason for Hugonnot’s kidnapping or whether a ransom was paid for his release was not immediately