Russia / Europe & Central Asia

  
Journalist Ivan Golunov is seen on June 7, 2019, following his detention by Moscow police. (Image via Ivan Kolpakov, used with permission)

Police detain, allegedly beat Russian investigative journalist Ivan Golunov

New York, June 7, 2019 — Russian authorities should immediately drop all charges against investigative journalist Ivan Golunov, release him, and investigate allegations that he was beaten in police custody, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A screen shot of Russian video blogger Vadim Kharchenko, speaking on his YouTube channel

Russian video blogger Vadim Kharchenko attacked, injured in Krasnodar

New York, June 4, 2019–Russian authorities should conduct a swift and credible investigation into the brutal attack on video blogger Vadim Kharchenko in the southwestern city of Krasnodar and bring the perpetrators to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Police detain a protester during a May Day rally in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on May 1, 2019. Two journalists were also arrested at the protest, and one was allegedly assaulted by police. (AFP/Valentin Yegorshin)

Russian police beat at least 1 journalist, arrest 2 during May Day protests in St. Petersburg

Washington, D.C., May 1, 2019 — Russian authorities should allow journalists to freely cover protests and must investigate the alleged assault by police of Timur Hadjibekov and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A view of the State Duma building in Moscow, in March 2018. CPJ and other rights groups have called on President Vladimir Putin to not approve amendments to a bill that could further limit internet and press freedom in Russia. (AFP/Vasily Maximov)

Letter calls on Putin to not approve Russia’s ‘sovereign internet’ bill

CPJ and a coalition of international human rights and press freedom organizations called on President Vladimir Putin to not approve legislative amendments known as the “bill on a sovereign internet” that could lead to further limitations on internet and media freedom in Russia.

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Russian lawmakers are seen in the State Duma on May 22, 2018. The Duma recently considered amendments that would restrict foreign print media in the country. (AP/Pavel Golovkin)

Russian draft legislation would ban distribution of foreign print media without government permission

New York, April 4, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on the Russian parliament to drop legislative amendments that would ban the distribution of foreign print media in the country without government permission.

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This screenshot of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website shows how the government labels critical reports as 'fake news.'

Russia advances legislation on ‘fake news’ and ‘disrespecting authorities’

New York, March 7, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalist today called on Russia to drop proposed legislation advanced in the country’s parliament that would allow courts to jail and fine people who use the internet to spread “fake news” or disrespect government officials and state symbols, including President Vladimir Putin. The bills would also allow…

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Police walk past a monument to Peter the Great during a rally of opposition supporters in Saint Petersburg on February 10. Jailed Russian journalist Igor Rudnikov is due in court in the city on February 14. (Reuters/Anton Vaganov)

Editor of Russia’s Novye Kolyosa due in court after 15 months in custody

New York, February 13, 2019–Igor Rudnikov, editor-in-chief and owner of the independent Kaliningrad-based weekly Novye Kolyosa, is due to appear in court on extortion charges in St. Petersburg tomorrow, according to local news reports. Rudnikov, who faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted, has been in pre-trial detention since his arrest on November…

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A police officer walks inside the office of Echo of Moscow radio station in Moscow on October 23, 2017. A journalist at the station's Pskov office is now under investigation for comments she made on-air in November, 2018. (Vasily Maximov/AFP)

Russia investigates reporter, seizes property over allegations of “justifying terrorism”

New York, February 8, 2019–Russian authorities should immediately drop a criminal investigation launched against reporter Svetlana Prokopyeva and return her personal possessions seized during a raid of her apartment by armed police on February 6, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A Russian traffic police officer stands guard as vehicles drive past in central Moscow. In Far Eastern Russia, a blogger was recently detained by authorities, ostensibly for a traffic violation. He maintains that the arrest is linked to a video he shared online. (Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters)

Russia jails blogger for 10 days after sharing video online

New York, January 15, 2019 – Russian authorities should immediately release blogger Viktor Toroptsev from jail, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. A court in the city of Amursk, in the Far Eastern region of Khabarovsk, handed a 10-day sentence to Toroptsev yesterday, ostensibly for a traffic violation, after he shared a video on…

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Reuters journalist Kyaw Soe Oo is led handcuffed from a court in Yangon in September. He and colleague Wa Lone are serving seven-year prison sentences in Myanmar. (Reuters/Ann Wang)

Hundreds of journalists jailed globally becomes the new normal

For the third year in a row, 251 or more journalists are jailed around the world, suggesting the authoritarian approach to critical news coverage is more than a temporary spike. China, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia imprisoned more journalists than last year, and Turkey remained the world’s worst jailer. A CPJ special report by Elana Beiser

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