Europe & Central Asia
2019
Editor of Russia’s Novye Kolyosa due in court after 15 months in custody
New York, February 13, 2019–Igor Rudnikov, editor-in-chief and owner of the independent Kaliningrad-based weekly Novye Kolyosa, is due to appear in court on extortion charges in St. Petersburg tomorrow, according to local news reports. Rudnikov, who faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted, has been in pre-trial detention since his arrest on November…
Tut editor in Belarus court on charge of illegally accessing state media website
Kiev, February 12, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Belarusian authorities to end their harassment of Maryna Zolatava, editor-in-chief of the country’s largest independent news website, Tut.by. Zolatava appeared in court in Minsk today on charges of illegally accessing part of a state-owned news outlet’s website and “official inaction,” a charge comparable to negligence,…
Russia investigates reporter, seizes property over allegations of “justifying terrorism”
New York, February 8, 2019–Russian authorities should immediately drop a criminal investigation launched against reporter Svetlana Prokopyeva and return her personal possessions seized during a raid of her apartment by armed police on February 6, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of February 2, 2019
Court convicts parliamentary deputy and editor Barış Yarkadaş An Istanbul court on February 7 convicted Barış Yarkadaş, the parliamentary deputy for the main opposition party CHP and former chief editor of the online newspaper Gerçek Gündem, of “violating the secrecy of private life” and handed him a suspended 10-month prison sentence, the news website Gazete…
Serbia’s N1TV receives letter threatening to kill staff, blow up office
Berlin, February 6, 2019–Serbian authorities should thoroughly investigate a death threat made against staff at the privately owned N1TV, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The station received a letter on February 4 from someone threatening to kill its journalists and their families, and to blow up its office, N1TV reported.
French police attempt to search Mediapart offices over Benalla report
Berlin, February 4, 2019–The Paris prosecutor’s office should cease its attempts to search the offices of investigative news outlet Mediapart, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. Mediapart reported that police and prosecutors attempted to search its office today as part of an investigation into the outlet’s reporting on the French president’s former top security officer…
French radio station burned in arson attack, anarchist group claims responsibility
The Grenoble office of regional French public radio station France Bleu Isère was partially destroyed in an arson attack on January 28, 2019, according to the broadcaster. On January 30, a local anti-capitalist anarchist group claimed responsibility for the attack, the station reported.
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of January 28, 2019
Düzkan starts jail term for Özgür Gündem campaignJournalist Ayşe Düzkan started serving an 18-month prison sentence in Bakırköy Women’s Prison in Istanbul on January 29 over her participation in a solidarity campaign with the daily newspaper Özgür Gündem, the independent news website Bianet reported. A court sentenced Düzkan in November. Before turning herself in, Düzkanb…
Journalists assaulted by far-right demonstrators in Greece
Berlin, January 24, 2019–Greek authorities should quickly and thoroughly investigate the assault and harassment of reporters and photojournalists at a protest in Athens on January 20 and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.