Turkish police detain at least 9 journalists in Diyarbakır crackdown
Istanbul, April 25, 2023—Turkish authorities should release all recently detained journalists held in retaliation for their work and ensure that the country’s anti-terror laws are not weaponized against the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. In the early hours of Tuesday, April 25, authorities in 21 cities throughout the southeastern province of Diyarbakır…
Russian authorities raid Arkticheskiy Obozrevatel office, 2 journalists’ homes
Paris, April 25, 2023—Russian authorities should immediately return all equipment confiscated from the independent news website Arkticheskiy Obozrevatel and two of its journalists and stop harassing members of the press for their reporting, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On April 20, police in the northwestern port city of Murmansk searched the editorial office…
Bulgarian authorities allege investigative journalists conspired with criminals
Berlin, April 24, 2023—Bulgarian authorities must ensure that members of the press are not criminally investigated for their work and stop all efforts to harass journalists Dimitar Stoyanov and Atanas Tchobanov, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. In February, the Bureau of Investigative Reporting and Data news website, or BIRD, published a report on…
Belarus prosecutor requests lengthy prison terms for journalists Raman Pratasevich, Stsypan Putsila, and Yan Rudzik
Paris, April 21, 2023–A Belarusian prosecutor requested a 10-year prison sentence for detained journalist Raman Pratasevich, a 19-year prison sentence in absentia for journalist Yan Rudzik, and a 20-year prison sentence in absentia for journalist Stsypan Putsila during a hearing on Friday, April 21, in Minsk, the capital, news reports said. “The lengthy prison terms…
CPJ joins call for Turkey’s internet authority to protect end-to-end encrypted services
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 26 human rights, press freedom, and internet freedom organizations in urging Turkey’s internet regulator Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), to protect end-to-end encrypted services in light of recent legislation. In October 2022, Turkey’s parliament passed a 40-article bill that included amendments providing more detail about the existing obligations of social…
Turkish courts find 2 journalists guilty on terror charges
Istanbul, April 18, 2023—In response to Turkish authorities’ sentencing of two journalists on charges of spreading terrorist propaganda Tuesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “By issuing prison sentences to Mehmet Güleş and İsmail Çoban, Turkish authorities have yet again abused the country’s anti-terror legislation,” said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey…
Turkey charges 17 Kurdish journalists, media worker with membership in a terrorist organization
Istanbul, April 14, 2023 – Turkish authorities must immediately release all imprisoned members of the press and stop prosecuting journalists who cover Kurdish issues, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Wednesday, April 12, the 4th Court of Serious Crimes in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır charged 17 Kurdish journalists and a media worker…
Kazakh outlet Moy Gorod receives bomb threat
Stockholm, April 14, 2023—Kazakh authorities should thoroughly investigate a recent bomb threat against Kazakh news outlet Moy Gorod and take steps to ensure the outlet’s safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On April 7, an individual emailed Moy Gorod’s editorial office in the northwestern city of Oral saying they had planted a bomb…
Georgian parliament suspends accreditation of 6 pro-opposition journalists
Stockholm, April 14, 2023 – Georgia’s parliament should revoke its decision to suspend the accreditations of six journalists from critical news outlets and reform recently adopted accreditation regulations, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Between April 3 and April 6, Georgia’s parliament suspended for one month the accreditations of three reporters and three camera…