Pegasus spyware targeted exiled journalists from Russia, Latvia, Belarus, report finds
New York, May 30, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply troubled by a Thursday report by rights group Access Now and research organization Citizen Lab alleging that Pegasus spyware was used to surveil at least five journalists. The report, “Exiled, then spied on: Civil society in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland targeted with Pegasus spyware,”…
Russia confirms detention of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina
New York, May 29, 2024—Russian authorities must immediately release Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina and end the practice of illegally detaining Ukrainian journalists in occupied territories, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. “CPJ strongly denounces Russian authorities’ detention of journalist Viktoria Roshchina, who went missing 300 days ago while reporting in Russian-occupied Ukraine,” said Gulnoza…
Prominent Serbian minority newspaper repeatedly threatened in Croatia after nationalist party gains power
Berlin, May 29, 2024 — Croatian authorities should immediately and thoroughly investigate the threats against journalists of Novosti, a weekly newspaper of the Serbian national minority, and ensure their safety and ability to report, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Novosti journalists have received dozens of insulting, hateful, intimidating, and threatening messages by email,…
Georgian parliament overrides presidential veto, adopts Russian-style ‘foreign agents’ law
Stockholm, May 28, 2024 — The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly decries the Georgian parliament’s Tuesday decision to overturn a veto by the country’s president and adopt a Russian-style “foreign agents” law that would target media outlets and press freedom groups. “The ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to push through Kremlin-inspired ‘foreign agents’ legislation despite…
CPJ calls on Tajikistan authorities to stop harassing relatives of exiled journalists
Stockholm, May 24, 2024—Tajikistan authorities must end their harassment of family members of journalists with independent Europe-based broadcaster Azda TV and allow exiled journalists to work without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Since late last year, Tajik law enforcement agencies have repeatedly summoned, interrogated, and threatened relatives of five Azda…
Turkish prosecutors charge journalist Sinan Aygül for threatening his attackers
Istanbul, May 22, 2024 – Turkish authorities must drop charges against journalist Sinan Aygül alleging that he threatened the men who attacked him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. In June 2023, Aygül, chief editor of the privately owned local news website Bitlis News and chair of the local trade group Bitlis Journalists Society, was hospitalized after he was…
Russia bans news site SOTA, penalizes 3 ‘foreign agent’ journalists
Berlin, May 22, 2024—Russian authorities must immediately halt their criminalization of journalists and independent media outlets by labeling them as “undesirable” and by issuing punitive sanctions against those they deem “foreign agents,” the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On May 16, the prosecutor general’s office banned SOTA, one of Russia’s last independent news outlets,…
UN asks Taiwanese journalists for Chinese passports to attend WHO assembly
Taipei, May 22, 2024 – The World Health Organization should allow all journalists to cover the organization’s annual decision-making meeting, the World Health Assembly, and issue press accreditation to Taiwanese media outlets, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On May 9 and 10, after submitting a request for press accreditation to cover the World…
Belarusian authorities invade homes of 2 exiled journalists
New York, May 21, 2024 — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Belarusian authorities to stop harassing exiled journalists and ensure the media can work freely, both abroad and at home. On Thursday, May 16, officers with the Belarusian State Security Committee, or KGB, and representatives of the Ministry of Taxes and Duties sealed…
CPJ, others urge UK to repeal harsh media law passed after phone hacking scandal
The Committee to Protect Journalists and nine other organizations representing news media titles, journalists, and campaign groups, urged U.K. authorities on Tuesday to urgently repeal Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, which could force publishers to pay the costs of people who sue them — even if the outlet wins. Section 40,…