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…
CPJ, partners file ECtHR amicus brief on spyware use against journalists in Azerbaijan
The Committee to Protect Journalists, together with partners Access Now, Data Rights, and Human Constanta, filed an amicus brief on April 21 to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on the use of spyware to silence journalists, activists, and human rights defenders. The brief was filed in support of a group of cases involving the secret surveillance…
CPJ, partners urge Malta to take action on media reforms
CPJ joins four press freedom and journalist organizations to call on the Maltese authorities to make long-overdue media reforms an immediate priority, and to commit to meaningful and transparent collaboration with national and international civil society. The assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was killed in a car bomb attack in 2017, generated…
Journalist Mehmet Yetim arrested in Turkey for ‘spreading disinformation’
Istanbul, April 21, 2026—Turkish authorities must stop their improper and excessive use of the country’s disinformation law against journalists because of their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Police took Mehmet Yetim, editor-in-chief of the local broadcaster Kulis TV, in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, into custody in the early hours of April 18. On April…
CPJ submission to UN documents series of journalist jailings, secretive trials, torture claims in Tajikistan
New York, April 17, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists has submitted a report on the state of press freedom in Tajikistan to the United Nations Human Rights Council ahead of November’s 53rd Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session. The submission details a significant deterioration of media freedom — in what was already one of the world’s most restrictive environments…
EU must suspend agreement with Israel over Gaza, West Bank violations
Brussels, April 17, 2026—European Union officials and foreign ministers should call for a full or partial suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement during the upcoming Foreign Affairs Council on April 21, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. The agreement sets out the EU’s legal and institutional framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation with…
3 arrested after arson attack on London-based Iran International
London, April 16, 2026—Three men have been arrested following an arson attack on the London premises of Iran International, a Persian-language broadcaster whose journalists regularly face threats and intimidation from the Iranian regime. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on U.K. authorities to fully investigate this latest attack and put additional protection in place for…
Courts in Turkey sentence four journalists for critical commentary
Istanbul, April 15, 2026—Turkish authorities must stop harassing critical journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Zafer Arapkirli (of the leftist daily BirGün and BirGün TV), Barış Pehlivan (of the pro-opposition daily Cumhuriyet, and the Onlar TV YouTube channel), Timur Soykan (BirGün, Onlar TV), and Murat Ağırel (Cumhuriyet, Onlar TV) were sentenced to prison by two Istanbul courts in…