Russian court sentences journalist Andrey Novashov to 8 months of correctional labor
Paris, March 6, 2023 – In response to multiple news reports that a Russian court Monday sentenced journalist Andrey Novashov to eight months of correctional labor, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “Russian journalist Andrey Novashov’s case demonstrates how authorities are using wartime censorship measures to silence members of the…
Russian legislature adopts bill extending censorship on war reporting
Paris, March 2, 2023 – In response to multiple news reports that the lower house of the Russian parliament adopted amendments on Thursday, March 2, to expand existing penalties for spreading “fake” information about or discrediting participants on Russia’s side of the war in Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of…
Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko sentenced to 6 years in prison
Paris, February 15, 2023 – In response to news reports that a Russian court on Wednesday sentenced journalist Maria Ponomarenko to six years in prison, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “Russian authorities should be ashamed of the six-year prison sentence given to journalist Maria Ponomarenko, whose sole so-called crime…
Russia fails to renew accreditation of longtime Finnish correspondent Arja Paananen
Paris, February 13, 2023 — Russian authorities should not interfere with the renewal of Finnish journalist Arja Paananen’s accreditation and visa and let her work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On February 9, the Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reported that the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had failed to renew Paananen’s accreditation to…
Russian authorities seek 9-year prison term for journalist Maria Ponomarenko, detain RFE/RL columnist Iskander Yasaveyev
Paris, February 7, 2023 – Russian authorities should immediately release journalist Maria Ponomarenko and columnist Iskander Yasaveyev and stop prosecuting members of the press over their reporting and commentary on the war in Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Monday, February 6, authorities in Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Tatarstan Republic, arrested…
Russian court summons Kazakh outlet Arbat.Media over Ukraine war coverage
Paris, February 3, 2023 – Russian authorities must stop their efforts to silence reporting on the country’s invasion of Ukraine and stop harassing foreign outlets covering the conflict, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On January 24, the Leninsky District Court in the western city of Vladimir summoned the Kazakhstan-based independent news website Arbat.Media…
Russian authorities outlaw independent outlet Meduza
Paris, January 26, 2023 — Russian authorities should let the independent news website Meduza work freely and should cease banning outlets and labeling them as undesirable organizations and foreign agents, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Thursday, January 26, the Russian general prosecutor’s office declared the activity of the Medusa Project, the news…
Russia orders journalists Ilya Makarov and Maksim Litvinchuk detained for 15 days
Paris, January 25, 2023 — Russian authorities should immediately release journalists Ilya Makarov and Maksim Litvinchuk and let all members of the press work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On January 19, police in Moscow detained the two reporters for the independent online outlet Sota.Vision while they reported on a local government…
Deadly year for journalists as killings rose sharply in 2022
By Jennifer Dunham/CPJ Deputy Editorial Director Published January 24, 2023 Key Takeaways | Methodology | 2022 Killed Data | Interactive Map | Video The year 2022 was deadly for members of the press. At least 67 journalists and media workers were killed during the year–the highest number since 2018 and an almost 50% increase from…
Forensic tools open new front for using phone data to prosecute journalists
On April 13, police in Russia’s Khakassiya republic arrested Mikhail Afanasyev and seized his digital devices. Afanasyev, chief editor of the online magazine Novy Fokus, was detained based on an article about riot police in southern Siberia refusing to serve in Ukraine. He faces a possible 10-year prison sentence for spreading “false” information. It’s not surprising for…