Turkish court sentences 5 journalists from shuttered newspaper to prison
Istanbul, May 9, 2024 — After an Istanbul court on Thursday sentenced five journalists for “aiding a terrorist organization without being a member” in connection to their work at the shuttered pro-Kurdish daily Özgürlükçü Demokrasi (Liberal Democracy), the Committee to Protect Journalists called on Turkish authorities to not fight their appeals and end the judicial…
In Serbia, a ‘witch-hunt’ for journalists who don’t toe government line
“A real epidemic of attacks.” That’s the way Serbian journalist, advocate, and professor Dinko Gruhonjić characterized the state of press freedom in his country in a recent op-ed for the media-focused news site Cenzolovka. Gruhonjić faced severe online harassment after a doctored video in which he appears to praise a war criminal was circulated online…
Appeals court upholds 25-month sentences for 2 Turkish documentary filmmakers
Istanbul, May 3, 2024—Turkish authorities should stop fighting the appeals of documentary filmmakers Ertuğrul Mavioğlu and Çayan Demirel and allow all journalists to work freely without fear of retaliation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On April 26 in the southeastern city of Batman, an appeals court upheld a 25-month sentence for Mavioğlu and…
CPJ calls for release of Turkish journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoğan Alayumat
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 26 press freedom and human rights organizations in a Friday statement condemning the surge of arrests of Kurdish media workers in Turkey and calling on authorities to release journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoğan Alayumat. The three journalists were jailed by an Istanbul court on April 27,…
Turkish court sentences journalist Barış Terkoğlu to 2 years under terror law
Istanbul, May 2, 2024 — Turkish authorities should not contest the appeal of journalist Barış Terkoğlu after he was sentenced to two years on terrorism-related charges and review the related legislation to prevent retaliatory prosecution against journalists for their critical reporting, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. The 13th Istanbul Court of Serious Crimes…
Istanbul police obstruct, tear gas, shoot at reporters during May Day march in Turkey
Istanbul, May 2, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Turkish authorities to refrain from targeting media workers present during demonstrations, ensure journalists can continue to report on matters of public interest safely, and hold those responsible for attacks to account. Amid bans on May Day celebrations, Istanbul police blocked a route in Istanbul’s Saraçhane…
Russia puts Forbes journalist under house arrest, detains 2 others
Berlin, May 1, 2024—Russian authorities must drop legal proceedings against Sergey Mingazov, a journalist for the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, and detained journalists Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin and ensure that members of the press are not imprisoned for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On April 27, a court in the city of Khabarovsk…
Mass raid in Turkey jails 3 Kurdish reporters, others put under judicial control
Istanbul, April 29, 2024—Turkish authorities should release reporters Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoğan Alayumat and end the systematic harassment of Kurdish journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On April 23, Turkish authorities took nine people, who local media reported were all Kurdish journalists and media workers, into police custody after conducting…
Serbian ex-mayor jailed for 4 years in arson attack on journalist Milan Jovanović
Berlin, April 29, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the four-year jail sentence given to Dragoljub Simonović, the former mayor of Grocka, a suburb of the Serbian capital, Belgrade, for ordering an arson attack on journalist Milan Jovanović’s home. The court also gave a four-year sentence to Aleksandar Marinković, who set fire to the house…
Belarus takes more than 20 ‘extremist’ news websites offline
New York, April 23, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemns Belarusian authorities’ decision to cancel the domain names of news websites they labeled as “extremist” and calls for an end to the use of extremism legislation as a censorship tool to silence independent reporting. In an April 4 order, the Operational and Analytical Center (OAC)…