Europe & Central Asia

  
Russian journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva spoke with CPJ about facing terrorism charges for her reporting. (Artiom Avanesov)

Russian journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva facing trial over terrorism commentary

New York, June 15, 2020 – In advance of tomorrow’s trial of Russian journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva on charges of “justifying terrorism,” the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Russian authorities should drop the absurd charges against journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva, lift the travel ban imposed against her, unfreeze her assets, and allow her to…

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Office of independent TV station 3 Kanal firebombed in Kyrgyzstan

New York, June 9, 2020 – Kyrgyzstan authorities should conduct a quick and thorough investigation into the arson attack on the office of the 3 Kanal broadcaster, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At around 7 a.m. on June 7, unidentified attackers threw a Molotov cocktail through a window of the independent television station’s…

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Turkish police arrest 2 journalists in espionage investigation

Istanbul, June 9, 2020 – Turkish authorities must release journalists Müyesser Yıldız and İsmail Dükel immediately, and ensure that the press can cover political and military news freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday morning, police in Ankara arrested Yıldız, Ankara news director for opposition news website Odatv, and Dükel, the Ankara representative…

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European Union flags fly during a special European Council summit in Brussels on February 21, 2020. (AFP/ Ludovic Marin)

CPJ joins call to strengthen EU legislation on dual-use technologies

Yesterday, the Committee to Protect Journalists joined seven other human rights and free expression groups in writing a letter to European Union Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan, requesting that human rights provisions be included in draft EU legislation concerning the exports of technology products such as surveillance software, which could be used for both civilian and…

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Slovenian reporter Eugenija Carl receives threatening letter with white powder

Berlin, June 8, 2020 — Slovenian authorities should conduct a quick and thorough investigation into the threats against journalist Eugenija Carl and ensure her safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 1, Carl, a reporter for public broadcaster RTV Slovenia, received an envelope mailed to her work address in the city of…

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Journalists in protective gear

Amid COVID-19, the prognosis for press freedom is dim. Here are 10 symptoms to track

By Katherine Jacobsen The COVID-19 pandemic has sent public health officials scrambling, the global economy into shock, and governments everywhere into crisis. It has also reshaped the way journalists work, not least because many authorities in many countries have cited the contagion as a reason to crack down on the news media. Certain dangers will…

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Map: Attacks on press freedom during the COVID-19 pandemic

Updated June 22, 2021 CPJ has documented numerous press freedom violations since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, from legislation threatening to censor free speech to arrests of journalists providing the public with vital news about the virus. This map plots violations, verified by CPJ staff, across nearly every region of the world from early…

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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press in Biarritz, France, on August 26, 2019, during the annual G7 Summit. (AFP/Ludovic Marin)

UN Secretary General responds to #FreeThePress campaign call to action

In a letter this week to the partners of the 2020 #FreeThePress campaign, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres emphasized that freedom of the press and the safety of journalists remains a key priority for him, stressing that, “No democracy can function without press freedom, which is the cornerstone of trust between people and their institutions,…

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Police officers are seen in Sofia, Bulgaria, April 17, 2020. Police recently journalist Dimiter Petzov for alleged drug posession after searching his car. (Reuters/Stoyan Nenov)

Bulgarian investigative journalist arrested for drug possession days after filing information request

Berlin, May 21, 2020 — Bulgarian authorities should immediately drop all charges against journalist Dimiter Petzov and let him work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A police car is seen in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on March 26, 2020. CPJ recently joined a statement calling on the region's police and politicians to thoroughly investigate threats made against journalists. (Reuters/Jason Cairnduff)

CPJ joins call condemning threats against journalists in Northern Ireland

The Committee to Protect Journalists today joined 20 free expression groups, activist organizations, and journalists in a joint statement condemning recent threats against journalists working for the Sunday Life and Sunday World newspapers in Northern Ireland.

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