Statements

Stockholm, April 2, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists called for Kyrgyzstan to repeal a law, newly ratified on Tuesday by President Sadyr Japarov, that requires some nonprofits, including media organizations, to register as “foreign representatives.” “President Sadyr Japarov’s decision to follow Russia’s lead on ‘foreign agent’ legislation threatens to erase Kyrgyzstan’s 30-year status as a…

Istanbul, April 2, 2024—Turkish authorities must not disregard the news media’s legally protected right to observe the election process and must investigate the armed attack on a group of journalists in Diyarbakır, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Sunday’s election day, the High Board of Elections (YSK) banned reporters from observing the votes…

Washington, D.C., April 1, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists urgently calls on the Israeli government not to close the Jerusalem-based bureau of Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera and allow the media to report freely on news events in Israel and Gaza during the current conflict. On Monday, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed a law allowing the…

New York, April 1, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned a Russian court’s decision on Monday to extend the pretrial detention of U.S.-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva until June 5 and called for her immediate release. “Russian authorities have been holding journalist Alsu Kurmasheva for over five months on charges directly connected with her journalistic work. Today’s extension…

CPJ joined 38 other civil society organizations on Wednesday in calling on the European Commission to strengthen its fifth annual rule of law report, which assesses media freedom in European Union member states. With Europe due to vote from June 6 to 9, the 39 groups also called on the new European Commission to prioritize…

New York, March 26, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Russia to immediately release U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich following Tuesday’s court decision to extend his pretrial detention until June 30, 2024. “CPJ strongly condemns the three-month extension of Evan Gershkovich’s detention, just days before the one-year anniversary of his arrest on fabricated charges. Today’s…

Washington, D.C., March 26, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the British High Court’s Tuesday ruling, which could allow Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to contest his extradition to the United States. According to the court’s decision, the U.S. government has three weeks to give assurances that Assange will be able to rely on First Amendment…

New York, March 22, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the sentencing on Friday of Belarusian journalist Ihar Karnei to three years in prison and a fine of 20,000 rubles (US$6,115) on charges of participating in an extremist group. “It took three days for the Belarusian authorities to send Ihar Karnei to prison for three…

Beirut, March 22, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Israeli authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the journalists arrested at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City this week.  On Monday, March 18, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a new offensive on the Al-Shifa hospital complex, arresting scores of Palestinians. An unspecified number of journalists, including…

New York, March 21, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for journalist Andrei Tolchyn’s immediate release after a Belarusian court on Thursday sentenced him to 2½ years in prison for facilitating extremism and defaming President Aleksandr Lukashenko. “The 2½ year prison sentence handed to journalist Andrei Tolchyn on unfounded charges is yet another demonstration of…