CPJ renews call for Kyrgyzstan to drop charges against journalist Makhabat Tajibek kyzy as retrial begins
London, August 24, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists reiterates its call for authorities in Kyrgyzstan to withdraw criminal charges against Makhabat Tajibek kyzy, director of anti-corruption investigative outlets Temirov Live and Ait Ait Dese, ahead of her retrial, which is scheduled to begin in Bishkek on Tuesday. Tajibek kyzy spent more than two years in…
From prosecutions to bans and spurious copyright claims: how Kazakhstan’s journalists are being silenced
Ahead of this month’s parliamentary election, independent journalists in Kazakhstan have faced “unprecedented” pressure, ranging from criminal prosecutions to professional bans, and this crackdown warrants heightened international scrutiny to ensure the country upholds its obligations on media freedom. Voters go to the polls on August 23 to elect a unicameral parliament established under a new…
Kazakhstan sentences journalist Gulnara Bazhkenova to eight years in prison as pre-election press crackdown intensifies
New York, August 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists is shocked by the eight-year prison sentence handed down to Gulnara Bazhkenova, former editor-in-chief of independent outlet Orda, in Kazakhstan on August 18, and warns that this latest prosecution appears to be part of an escalating crackdown on the media ahead of elections this month. An Almaty…
CPJ, partners sound alarm over pre-election media crackdown in Kazakhstan
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined eight local and international press freedom and human rights groups on Friday in expressing deep concern over escalating pressure on independent journalists in Kazakhstan ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for August 23. The groups’ joint statement details how, in the weeks leading up to the vote – the first…
Russia sentences journalist Vasilisa Shishkina to 12 years in jail on treason charges
Berlin, August 12, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Russian authorities to swiftly clarify the circumstances surrounding the prosecution of journalist Vasilisa Shishkina on treason charges and her subsequent sentencing in May to 12 years in prison amid reports that she was targeted because of her work. Shishkina, an editor at the regional outlet Nomer…
CPJ calls on Kazakhstan to overturn travel ban, end harassment of journalist Lukpan Akhmedyarov
New York, August 5, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Kazakhstan to stop harassing prominent journalist Lukpan Akhmedyarov after he was barred from leaving the country for a holiday on August 3. “Amid a worrying surge in criminal prosecutions of leading independent journalists in Kazakhstan, the unexplained travel ban on Lukpan Akhmedyarov is deeply concerning,”…
Photojournalist injured by police while covering protest in Spain’s Mallorca
Berlin, July 29, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Spanish authorities to ensure that police forces guarantee the safety of journalists covering protests after freelance journalist Xavi Hurtado was hit by a police officer while covering a demonstration in Palma, Mallorca and left needing hospital treatment for a head wound and bruising. On July…
Azerbaijan: CPJ condemns shocking sentences handed down in Toplum TV case
New York, July 28, 2026 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the extremely harsh prison sentences of up to 15 years handed down on July 27 to journalists and other individuals associated with leading Azerbaijani news outlet Toplum TV on charges related to receipt and use of foreign funds. “The shockingly heavy sentences meted…
Hungary’s initial media reforms are promising but lasting safeguards still needed
Hungary’s new government has taken promising first steps to restore press freedom after years of state capture under former prime minister Viktor Orbán, but authorities must now move beyond quick fixes to deliver transparent, durable reforms that ensure the media is protected from any and all political interference. After his Tisza party won a landslide…
UPDATE: Sports journalist Luca Esposito killed in Italy
[Editor’s Note: On July 24, 2026, Italian police arrested a man in connection with the killing and local reports said the evidence gathered so far suggests the motive was not related to Esposito’s journalism.] Berlin, July 20, 2026—Italian authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of sports journalist Luca Esposito, whose charred body was found on a farm in southern Italy on…