Europe & Central Asia
2009
Belarus journalist threatened, warned not to publish
New York, December 10, 2009—The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Belarusian authorities to prosecute and convict the perpetrators who made death threats against Iryna Khalip, Belarus correspondent for the Moscow-based independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta.
Kyrgyzstan court rejects new probe in Saipov murder
New York, December 9, 2009—Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court ruled today that the prosecution of a man accused in the 2007 murder of Alisher Saipov, editor of the Uzbek-language weekly Siyosat, can proceed, the independent news Web site Ferghana reported. Saipov’s family and colleagues have called the case bogus.
CPJ’s 2009 prison census: Freelance journalists under fire
New York, December 8, 2009—Freelancers now make up nearly 45 percent of all journalists jailed worldwide, a dramatic recent increase that reflects the evolution of the global news business, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In its annual census of imprisoned journalists, CPJ found a total of 136 reporters, editors, and photojournalists behind bars…
Video Report: Behind Bars But Not Alone
In this video companion to CPJ’s annual census of imprisoned journalists, Deputy Director Robert Mahoney describes how international advocacy can make a difference in winning the freedom of jailed reporters, editors, photojournalists, and bloggers. (3:45) Read the special report “Freelancers Under Fire” and view our database of journalists in prison.
Beketov still recovering from attack a year later in Russia
Those familiar with Mikhail Beketov’s ordeal describe his survival as nothing short of a miracle. The once fit, towering 51-year-old who campaigned on environmental issues and criticized his city government’s policies through the pages of his newspaper is now gone. But the former editor of Khimkinskaya Pravda, an independent publication that exposed the blunders of the Khimki…
CPJ calls for immediate release of sick journalist
The Committee to Protect Journalists issued this statement following reports about the deteriorating health of Bizim Yol newspaper reporter Mushfig Huseynov, who has been jailed in state custody since 2007 for allegedly taking a bribe. Huseynov, who suffers from an advanced stage of tuberculosis, is serving a five-year prison term.
Seen and heard at CPJ benefit: ‘The pen is not broken’
Small in stature but strong in her words, Naziha Réjiba tells a reporter of all the things the Tunisian government does to try to frighten her. But Réjiba said that she will not be scared, that she will never allow such tactics to have power over her. Editor of Kalima, an online news Web site blocked in…
CPJ honors press freedom leaders
New York, November 25, 2009—The Committee to Protect Journalists honored four journalists with its 2009 International Press Freedom Awards in a ceremony Tuesday night that highlighted impunity in journalist murders, this week’s killings of Philippine journalists, and the Internet’s emerging role in press freedom. Anthony Lewis, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and founding CPJ board…
Independent broadcasters harassed, taken off air in Ukraine
New York, November 20, 2009—Authorities in Odessa, Ukraine, should immediately cease harassment of independent and pro-opposition broadcasters, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Officials from the Odessa Public Utility Service and mayor’s office have been physically obstructing the work of several local television and radio stations on the grounds of alleged building renovation, according…