Polish police search journalist’s home, seize equipment over alleged threats to legislator
Berlin, October 6, 2021 — Polish authorities should stop harassing journalist Piotr Bakselerowicz, return his equipment, and respect the confidentiality of his sources, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 2, four officers from the Warsaw Police Department, two of whom carried guns, searched the apartment of Bakselerowicz, a reporter for the independent…
Ukrainian state bank personnel seize journalists’ equipment, delete footage
Vilnius, Lithuania, October 5, 2021 — Ukrainian authorities should conduct a thorough investigation into an assault on two journalists working for investigative project Skhemy and ensure that all journalists can operate in a safe environment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, security personnel of state-owned bank Ukreksimbank forcibly seized recording equipment from journalists of…
Russian journalist Igor Kuznetsov detained, charged with inciting mass disturbances in Telegram chats
Stockholm, October 4, 2021 – Russian authorities should immediately release journalist Igor Kuznetsov and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 16, police in Tomsk, in western Siberia, arrested Kuznetsov, a local freelance correspondent for the independent news outlet RusNews, and searched his home, where they confiscated three…
‘It is becoming unbearable:’ Journalists say they have become ‘scapegoats’ at anti-vaccine protests
Journalists covering demonstrations against COVID-19 countermeasures have been called “terrorists,” “pedophiles,” “murderers,” and “scumbags.” Protesters have harassed and assaulted members of the press, and told them that “the nooses are ready.” Threats like these have become increasingly familiar for reporters in Europe and the United States, where the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, a CPJ partner,…
Russian authorities harass family of exiled journalist Roman Dobrokhotov
Vilnius, Lithuania, October 1, 2021 – Russian authorities should stop harassing journalist Roman Dobrokhotov and his family members, and allow members of the press to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, officers with the Federal Security Service (FSB) raided Dobrokhotov’s apartment, where his wife lives, and his parents’ apartment in Moscow,…
Russia labels Mediazona, OVD-Info, and 2 journalists as ‘foreign agents’
Vilnius, Lithuania, September 30, 2021 – Russian authorities should allow the independent news outlets Mediazona and OVD-Info to work freely and without government harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, the Russian Justice Ministry expanded its lists of so-called “foreign agents,” adding the independent news website Mediazona, the human-rights news website OVD-Info, and…
CPJ joins call for European Parliament to strengthen Digital Services Act
The Committee to Protect Journalists today joined 13 freedom of expression and digital rights organizations in a letter calling on members of the European Parliament to ensure that the proposed Digital Services Act protects freedom of expression. The draft legislation, which is currently being reviewed, will become binding legislation for all EU member states once…
French police question journalist Thomas Dietrich over complaint by Chad official
On September 9, 2021, judicial police in Puteaux, a Paris suburb, questioned Thomas Dietrich, a reporter for the news website Le Média, about his recent encounter with a government official from the central African country of Chad, according to a statement by the local journalists’ union SNJ-CGT, a report by Le Média, and Dietrich, who…
CPJ calls on EU states to prioritize safe passage for fleeing Afghan journalists
Brussels, September 27, 2021 – At the upcoming High-level Resettlement Forum, European Union officials must commit to helping Afghan journalists resettle in EU member states, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The forum, scheduled for October 7, has been convened by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and Commissioner for…
Turkish government official sues 3 newspapers for covering corruption allegations made in parliament
In late August and early September 2021, Turkish Deputy Health Minister Selahattin Aydın filed civil defamation lawsuits against the leftist opposition dailies Cumhuriyet, BirGün, and Evrensel seeking damages over their coverage of corruption allegations made against him in the country’s parliament, according to reports by the independent news website Bianet and by each outlet targeted…