Hungarian journalist Csaba Lukács on covering COVID-19 amid attacks on independent media
In 2018, a group of conservative journalists opposed to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his right-wing government launched Magyar Hang, an independent weekly magazine. Since then, government officials and their supporters have repeatedly harassed employees of the magazine, calling them “traitors” for opposing Orbán, accusing them of spreading fake news, and threatening them with…
Journalist Soltan Achilova on covering COVID-19 in Turkmenistan, one of the few countries with 0 confirmed cases
Soltan Achilova is a freelance photojournalist based in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, who covers social issues for independent foreign-based media outlets including Khronika Turkmenistana.
Unidentified shooters attack office of Kocaeli Ses newspaper in Turkey
Istanbul, April 20, 2020 — Turkish authorities should conduct a swift and transparent investigation into the shooting attack on the Kocaeli Ses newspaper, hold those responsible to account, and ensure the safety of the paper’s staff, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
CPJ, partner organizations call for strengthened EU accountability on press freedom
CPJ and partner organizations today sent recommendations on the European Rule of Law Mechanism to Didier Reynders, the European Union’s Justice Commissioner, and Věra Jourová, Vice President for Values and Transparency.
Croatian reporters attacked while documenting Easter Mass amid COVID-19 lockdown
On April 12, 2020, in the coastal Croatian city of Split, several unidentified men attacked Živana Šušak Živković, a reporter working for local news website Dalmatinskiportal, and Ivana Sivro, a camera operator for local broadcaster N1 TV, while they were documenting an Easter Mass held despite a ban on public gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic,…
Russian authorities bring new charges against jailed journalist Abdulmumin Gadzhiev
Vilnius, Lithuania, April 14, 2020 — Authorities in the Russian republic of Dagestan should immediately release journalist Abdulmumin Gadzhiev and drop all the charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Turkey amnesty bill would release 90,000 prisoners, but no journalists
New York, April 7, 2020 — In response to the Turkish Parliament’s proposed bill that would release 90,000 prisoners to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, but which would not free journalists held as political prisoners, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: