Europe & Central Asia

New York, February 27, 2025—CPJ calls on Russian authorities to drop legal proceedings against 64-year-old Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash, who is under house arrest and could be jailed for up to 10 years for criticizing Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On February 25, Ukrainian-born Barabash, a film critic for the independent outlet Republic, was detained…

New York, February 27, 2025— Belarusian authorities should immediately release Belarusian journalist Palina Pitkevich, whose trial on charges of participating in an extremist organization is set to start on March 7, and stop jailing the press for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. “Palina Pitkevich’s detention is yet another grim reminder that…

New York, February 26, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the killing of Ukrainian journalist Tetyana Kulyk, editor-in-chief of the multimedia editorial department of state news agency Ukrinform, in a Russian drone attack on February 26. “The Russian drone strike that killed Ukrainian journalist Tetyana Kulyk just days after the grim three-year milestone of Russia’s…

New York, February 25, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is dismayed by the Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court’s February 25 decision confirming sentences against three Temirov Live journalists on charges of calling for mass unrest, including a six-year prison term for Makhabat Tajibek kyzy, director of the anti-corruption investigative outlet, a five-year prison term for presenter Azamat…

The U.K. government must lead on a joint statement addressing Egypt’s human rights crisis, according to a February 19 letter sent by the Committee to Protect Journalists and 24 other press freedom and human rights organizations to U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy ahead of the 58th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council. The letter…

New York, February 21, 2025 – The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Kyrgyz authorities to reverse amendments to the country’s Code of Offenses, which took effect February 10, that recriminalize libel and insult on the internet and in media. “Kyrgyzstan’s implementation of legislation that will make it easier to fine news outlets for defamation and insult…

The Committee to Protect Journalists on February 20 joined dozens of press freedom and journalists’ organizations in calling on Georgian authorities to immediately release jailed media manager Mzia Amaghlobeli. Police arrested Amaghlobeli, director of the independent media outlets Netgazeti and Batumelebi, on January 11 following an altercation with a local police chief. She was charged…

Istanbul, February 14, 2025–Turkish authorities must continue searching for those who masterminded the 2007 murder of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday, after a retrial in which an Istanbul court issued nine defendants with life sentences. Lawyers representing the Dink family said they would appeal the February 7 verdict due…

Berlin, February 13, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Italian authorities to swiftly complete their investigation into the gunshots fired at four Italian television journalists on February 5 while reporting on the alleged mistreatment of two children by their family. An unknown individual shot at public broadcaster RAI1’s reporter Vito Francesco Paglia and camera…

On February 13, CPJ joined 11 other organizations in calling on the European Commission to step up its engagement with the Indian authorities over human rights, including press freedom, during its upcoming visit to the country. The European Commission is seeking to strengthen its partnership with India, at a time when the government has been…