CPJ condemns Belarus ‘witch hunt’ after three BelaPAN journalists sentenced to lengthy prison terms
Paris, October 6, 2022 – Belarusian authorities must immediately release Andrei Aliaksandrau, Dzmitry Navazhylau, and Iryna Leushyna, three former and current employees of independent Belarusian news agency BelaPAN who were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 4 to 14 years on various charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. All three have denied the charges, and Leushyna and…
Turkish parliament to vote on criminalizing the spread of ‘false information’
Istanbul, October 5, 2022—The Turkish parliament should not approve the draft bill on misinformation that would criminalize spreading “false information,” the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Turkey’s parliament, known as the Grand National Assembly, started discussing the draft bill on Tuesday evening and is set to finish voting this week, according to multiple news…
Tajikistan journalist Abdullo Ghurbati sentenced to 7.5 years in prison
New York, October 4, 2022 – In response to news reports that a court in Tajikistan on Tuesday sentenced Tajikistani journalist and documentary filmmaker Avazmad Ghurbatov, who works under the name Abdullo Ghurbati, to seven and a half years in prison, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement condemning the ruling: “We condemn today’s harsh and…
‘He should never have been on trial’: CPJ on acquittal of Kyrgyzstan investigative reporter Bolot Temirov
New York, September 28, 2022 – In response to news reports that a court in Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday acquitted investigative reporter Bolot Temirov on charges of drug possession and illegally crossing the state border, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “We are relieved by today’s acquittal of Bolot Temirov, but he should…
CPJ condemns 8-year jail sentence for Belarusian journalist Ksenia Lutskina
Paris, September 28, 2022 – In response to news reports that a court in Belarus on Wednesday convicted and sentenced Ksenia Lutskina to eight years in prison for conspiring to seize state power, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “The harsh verdict against former state TV journalist Ksenia Lutskina shows the ruthlessness…
Russian journalists arrested, detained, charged, summonsed during anti-mobilization protests
Paris, September 26, 2022—Russian authorities must allow the media to report freely on protests against the country’s call-up of reservists to bolster its forces in Ukraine and stop using the threat of conscription against journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. At least three journalists were arrested, at least 16 more were detained, at…
Journalists suffer injuries while covering the war in Ukraine
Paris, September 23, 2022—Ukrainian and Russian authorities must investigate whether journalists covering the war in Ukraine were targeted because of their work and take steps to ensure their safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Saturday, September 17, Alejandro Kirk, a reporter for Venezuela-based television network Telesur, was injured by Ukrainian shelling while…
Protesters attack freelance video journalist Lorena Sopena in Barcelona
Berlin, September 22, 2022 – Spanish authorities should swiftly and thoroughly investigate the attack on freelance video journalist Lorena Sopena, bring the perpetrators to justice, and ensure that journalists can cover protests safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On September 10, Sopena was filming a Catalan pro-independence demonstration in Barcelona for Spanish public…
Kyrgyzstan TV director Taalaibek Duishenbiev convicted of incitement
New York, September 21, 2022 – On Wednesday, a court in Kyrgyzstan convicted Next TV director Taalaibek Duishenbiev of inciting interethnic hatred over posts on the broadcaster’s social media accounts covering Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to news reports. Duishenbiev, who was detained for seven months pending trial, was originally handed a five-year prison sentence, his lawyer,…
Russia to block, fine news outlets for ‘false’ reports on military call-up
Paris, September 21, 2022 — In response to Wednesday’s announcement by Russian state media regulator Roskomnadzor that media outlets could be fined or blocked for spreading “false information” on President Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilization of military reservists, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Access to reliable and transparent information at this critical time is crucial,…