Europe & Central Asia

  
Alerts
A police car is seen in Milan, Italy, on May 4, 2020. Unidentified attackers recently shot at Italian journalist Mario De Michele’s home. (AFP/Miguel Medina)

Unidentified attackers open fire on Italian journalist Mario De Michele’s home

Berlin, May 7, 2020 — Italian authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the shooting attack at the home of journalist Mario De Michele and ensure his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Read More ›

Features & Analysis
Law enforcement officers are seen in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on March 26, 2020. CPJ recently joined a letter expressing concern over media restrictions in the country. (Reuters/Vladimir Pirogov)

CPJ joins letter expressing concern about Kyrgyzstan media restrictions during pandemic

CPJ and 23 other members of IFEX, a global network of free expression organizations, sent a letter yesterday expressing concern over the press freedom implications of Kyrgyzstan’s COVID-19 state of emergency, which has been in place since March 22.

Read More ›

Letters

CPJ, 192 partner organizations urge UN Secretary General to take action to secure release of jailed journalists amid COVID-19

The #FreeThePress campaign, made up of 193 press freedom and human rights organizations and the more than 11,337 concerned citizens who signed the petition, urges the UN secretary general to take immediate action to secure the release of journalists jailed around the world whose lives are risk due to the spread of COVID-19.

Read More ›

Letters

CPJ leads call to Maltese Attorney General asking for Europol support for murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia

CPJ leads a joint call to Peter Grech, the Maltese Attorney General, asking for increased Europol support in the legal proceedings of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Read More ›

Alerts
A courthouse is seen in Istanbul, Turkey, on December 11, 2019. An Istanbul court recently filed charges against journalist Fatih Portakal. (AFP/Ozan Kose)

Turkish journalist Fatih Portakal charged for tweet about president’s speech

Istanbul, April 30, 2020 – Turkish authorities should drop the charges against journalist Fatih Portakal and allow him to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Read More ›

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

Russian journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva says charges against her are ‘an act of intimidation’

In February 2019, police in Pskov, in northwestern Russia, raided the home of journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva.

Read More ›

Features & Analysis
A picture taken on May 5, 2019, shows flags during the open day marking the 70th Anniversary of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France. (AFP/Frederick Florin)

Council of Europe report finds attacks on journalists becoming a ‘new normal’

The Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists today published its annual report, “Hands off Press Freedom.”

Read More ›

Features & Analysis
Ana Lalić, a reporter for news website Nova.rs, recently told CPJ about her arrest and detention over a COVID-19 report. (Ana Lalić)

Serbian reporter Ana Lalić on her arrest and detention over COVID-19 report

On April 1, Serbian police arrested Ana Lalić, a reporter for news website Nova.rs, just hours after she published a report on chaotic conditions in a local hospital.

Read More ›

Alerts
The Tajik Ministery of the Interior is seen in Dushanbe on July 30, 2018. Tajikistan recently banned the independent Akhbor news website. (AFP/AFPTV/Shodmon Kholov)

Tajikistan bans independent Akhbor news website

New York, April 28, 2020 – Tajikistan authorities should immediately restore access to the independent regional news website Akhbor and allow its correspondents to report without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Read More ›

Features & Analysis
AFP photographer Diptendu Dutta works during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the spread of COVID-19 in Siliguri, India, on April 10, 2020. Freelance journalists have faced risks to their lives and livelihoods amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (AFP)

Freelance journalists risk lives and livelihoods amid COVID-19 pandemic

Johannesburg-based freelance journalist Yeshiel Panchia was on his way to cover a story about a local developer who had found a way to keep his wage laborers employed during South Africa’s coronavirus lockdown by letting them live on the construction site so that they didn’t have to leave “home” in contravention of strict rules.

Read More ›