CPJ joins 15 other organizations urging Turkey to release reporter İsmail Arı
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 15 other press freedom and human rights organizations Thursday in calling on Turkish authorities to release İsmail Arı, a reporter for the leftist daily BirGün, who has been in detention since March 21. His trial will begin in Ankara on June 5. Arı was indicted in mid-May on charges…
Arson attack targets Italian journalist Adriano Cappellari after mob-related threats
Berlin, June 3, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Italian authorities to swiftly complete their investigation into an arson attack targeting journalist Adriano Cappellari, as well as ongoing threats against him, in a thorough and transparent manner and bring all perpetrators to justice. Cappellari, a contributor to the regional daily Il Giornale di Vicenza…
Journalist Yelis Ayaz arrested in Turkey for ‘spreading disinformation’
Istanbul, May 20, 2026—Turkish authorities must release journalist Yelis Ayaz without delay and stop punishing journalists for doing their jobs, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Ayaz, publisher and editor-in-chief for the local newspaper Aydınpost in the western province of Aydın, was arrested pending trial by a court on May 15 on suspicion of…
Russia adds CPJ to its list of ‘undesirable organizations’
New York, May 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists has been included on a Russian government list of “undesirable organizations” — a label used to suppress media outlets, NGOs, and other independent voices that the Kremlin deems a threat to its narrative control. CPJ, which was not notified of the decision or the reasons behind…
CPJ urges European Commission to not invite the Taliban to Brussels
The Committee to Protect Journalists on Monday called on the European Commission to scrap reported plans to invite the Taliban to Brussels. According to media reports, the technical talks would focus on the return of rejected asylum seekers and Afghans convicted of crimes. The European Union does not officially recognize the Taliban, and formal engagement…
CPJ urges Trump to prioritize Jimmy Lai’s release in meeting with Xi Jinping
New York, May 12, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges U.S. President Donald Trump to do everything possible to secure the release of jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai during his meeting this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Lai, a British citizen and founder of the defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was sentenced to…
Daughter of murdered Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija on her 27-year fight for justice
On April 11, 1999, Slavko Ćuruvija, the owner of Serbia’s first private daily newspaper, Dnevni Telegraf, was assassinated outside his home in the capital, Belgrade. After a decades-long pursuit of accountability, the case reached a turning point in February 2024 when the Belgrade Court of Appeal issued a final, non-appealable acquittal for four former Slobodan Milošević-era state…
Belarus frees journalist Andrzej Poczobut
New York, April 28, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release by Belarus on Tuesday of journalist Andrzej Poczobut, as part of a Polish-Belarusian prisoner exchange involving the United States, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. The swap, which included ten prisoners from various countries, took place at the Polish-Belarusian border and was confirmed by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who posted a picture of…
CPJ joins call for Turkey to repeal disinformation law for its use against journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 22 press freedom and human rights organizations in an April 28 joint statement condemning Turkey’s frequent use of its disinformation law for prosecuting and imprisoning journalists. The signatories urged the Turkish authorities to release all journalists imprisoned under this law and ultimately repeal it. “Turkey’s disinformation law is structurally…
Exiled investigative journalist surveilled, doxxed by Belarusian state TV
New York, April 24, 2026—CPJ is alarmed that the Belarusian state-owned TV channel STV broadcast the address and phone number of exiled investigative journalist Stanislau Ivashkevich, and shared personal information about 20 other journalists. We call on Polish authorities to thoroughly investigate allegations that Ivashkevich has been surveilled by Belarusian security services, and on Belarus…