Europe & Central Asia

Contact CPJ Europe & Central Asia

Facebook: CPJ ECA Desk
Program Coordinator:
Gulnoza Said

Researcher:
Anna Brakha

Tel: 212-465-1004
Fax: 212-214-0640

Knight Foundation Press Freedom Center
P.O. Box 2675
New York, NY 10108 USA

  
Police officers are seen in Italy in 2020.

In Italy, 4 journalists shot at while reporting on alleged child abuse

Berlin, February 13, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Italian authorities to swiftly complete their investigation into the gunshots fired at four Italian television journalists on February 5 while reporting on the alleged mistreatment of two children by their family. An unknown individual shot at public broadcaster RAI1’s reporter Vito Francesco Paglia and camera…

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes President of the European Union Ursula von der Leyen upon her arrival at the G20 Summit in New Delhi in 2023.

CPJ, partners call on European Commission to hold India to account over rights crisis

On February 13, CPJ joined 11 other organizations in calling on the European Commission to step up its engagement with the Indian authorities over human rights, including press freedom, during its upcoming visit to the country. The European Commission is seeking to strengthen its partnership with India, at a time when the government has been…

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Journalists Konstantin Gabov, Antonina Favorskaya, Artem Kriger and Sergei Karelin, accused of taking part in the activities of an "extremist" organization founded by late opposition politician Alexei Navalny, stand inside an enclosure for defendants before a court hearing in Moscow, Russia October 2, 2024

Russia’s repression record

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, its media has experienced an unprecedented crackdown. Hundreds of journalists have been forced into exile, where they continue to face transnational legal persecution, and their families have been harassed back home. Meanwhile, reporting from inside Russia has become increasingly difficult, with journalists and media outlets often silenced…

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Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with journalist Pavel Zarubin after his annual televised year-end press conference and phone-in held in Moscow, Russia, December 19, 2024.

Russia preps to block income of ‘foreign agent’ journalists

Berlin, February 11, 2025—After a year that saw Russia increase its pressure on independent media and journalists, authorities are seeking to tighten the squeeze on dissenting voices from March 1 by blocking those designated as “foreign agents’” from access to their earnings. The 2025 law requires those listed by the justice ministry as “persons under…

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Novosti newspaper

Prominent Serbian minority newspaper receives threatening letter with white powder

Berlin, February 11, 2025—Croatian authorities must swiftly investigate the recent threat to the staff of weekly newspaper Novosti, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday, after the country’s most prominent Serbian minority newspaper received a letter containing a suspicious powder and referencing a deadly nerve agent. “Croatian authorities must spare no effort in bringing all…

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An Azerbaijani court decision remanded Toplum TV presenter Shahnaz Baylargizi to 3.5 months in pretrial detention over foreign funding allegations. (Photo: Toplum TV)

Azerbaijani journalist given 3-month pretrial detention in foreign funding case

New York, February 10, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a February 6 Azerbaijani court decision remanding Toplum TV presenter Shahnaz Baylargizi to 3.5 months in pretrial detention over foreign funding allegations and calls for her immediate release. “Veteran journalist Shahnaz Baylargizi’s arrest underscores how Azerbaijani authorities are exploiting allegations of Western funding to silence leading independent voices,”…

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Journalist Francesco Cancellato speaks in February 2025 about his phone being targeted with Israeli-made spyware through WhatApp.

Italian investigative journalist Francesco Cancellato targeted with Paragon spyware

Berlin, February 10, 2025 — Italian authorities should thoroughly investigate the targeting of the editor-in-chief of the news site Fanpage.it Francesco Cancellato’s cell phone with spyware via the WhatsApp messaging app and punish the perpetrators, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. “The attack on investigative journalist Francesco Cancellato with Paragon spyware is a serious…

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Georgian journalists assaulted, obstructed while covering renewed protests

New York, February 7, 2025 – In Georgia, resurgent protests demanding new elections have been met with a violent police crackdown in which authorities forcefully obstructed or assaulted more than a dozen journalists covering the demonstrations. Protests against the Georgian Dream party’s disputed October election victory and the November suspension of European Union accession talks…

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Pavlo Borysko-Oleksandr Motornyi

Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Borysko injured while reporting on war 

New York, February 7, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Russia’s latest attack on Ukraine, which injured camera operator Pavlo Borysko, with TSN, a daily news program with the Ukrainian privately owned broadcaster 1+1, and calls on Russian and Ukrainian authorities to ensure the safety of journalists covering the war. “Three years since the beginning of Russia’s…

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Swedish public broadcaster SVT’s building vandalized

Berlin, February 6, 2025—Swedish authorities should quickly investigate the recent vandalistic attack on Sveriges Television’s (SVT) building in Stockholm and ensure the broadcaster’s journalists’ safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.  “CPJ is concerned by the repeated attacks on SVT, Sweden’s public broadcaster,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “This fourth attack of vandalism…

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