Europe & Central Asia

2019

  
A police car is seen in Chernihiv, Ukraine, on October 9, 2018. Blogger Igor Stakh was recently assaulted in Chernihiv. (AFP/Genya Savilov)

Blogger Igor Stakh beaten in Ukraine

Washington, D.C., August 30, 2019 — Ukrainian authorities must immediately investigate the recent attack on blogger Igor Stakh, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Kirill Vyshinsky, director of the Ukrainian office of the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, talks to the media after a court ordered his release on bail, in Kyiv, Ukraine August 28, 2019. (Reuters/Serhii Nuzhnenko)

Ukraine authorities should drop charges against Russian journalist Kirill Vyshynsky

Washington, D.C., August 28, 2019 — A Kyiv court today ruled to release Russian journalist Kirill Vyshynsky on bail while he awaits trial, according to news reports. Vyshynsky, the Kyiv bureau chief for Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, had been detained since May 2018 on treason charges, according to those reports.

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Journalist Ikram Rahimov is set to appear before a judge for an appeal hearing on August 28. (Image via Elchin Sadygov)

Jailed Azerbaijani journalist Ikram Rahimov to appeal sentence

Washington, D.C., August 27, 2019 — Azerbaijani authorities should immediately release journalist Ikram Rahimov and stop retaliating against reporters for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Police detain a man during a protest in Moscow, Russia, on August 10, 2019. CPJ on August 22 joined a call for Russian authorities to end the harassment of journalists covering the Moscow protests. (Evgeny Feldman/Meduza via AP)

CPJ joins call for Russian authorities to end harassment of journalists covering Moscow protests

The Committee to Protect Journalists today joined seven other press freedom organizations in calling on the Russian authorities to end their harassment of journalists covering opposition protests in Moscow. Protests have taken place on four consecutive Saturdays in July and August after the local electoral commission’s decision to ban several opposition politicians from participating in…

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Police detain a protester in Istanbul on August 20, 2019. At least seven journalists were recently arrested throughout Turkey. (AFP/Yasin Akgul)

At least 7 journalists arrested throughout Turkey

Istanbul, August 21, 2019 – Turkish authorities must immediately release the seven journalists who were detained by police since August 19, as well as all journalists jailed for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Guardian columnist Owen Jones is seen in London on January 12, 2019. Jones was recently assaulted outside a London bar. (AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas)

Guardian columnist Owen Jones assaulted in London

On August 17, 2019, a group of men physically attacked Owen Jones, a columnist for the U.K. daily newspaper The Guardian, his employer reported.

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People look across at the city central square from the mall viewing platform covered with snow in Kiev, in January 2019. A court in the city on August 6 ruled against Hromadske TV in a case over the outlet's tweet about a nationalist group. (AP/Efrem Lukatsky)

Ukraine court orders Hromadske TV to pay costs in case over C14 tweet

On August 6, 2019, the Kiev Commercial Court ruled that a tweet posted by the independent news outlet Hromadske TV in May 2018 had harmed the reputation of C14, a Ukrainian nationalist group, according to Hromadske TV and other outlets.

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People help a wounded man during a rally calling for opposition candidates to be registered for elections to the Moscow City Duma, the capital's regional parliament, in Moscow, Russia, on July 27, 2019. Police in Moscow attacked, threatened, and detained journalists covering protests in Moscow on July 27 and August 3. (Reuters/Tatyana Makeyeva)

Moscow police detain, assault journalists covering protests

Washington, D.C., August 8, 2019–Russian authorities should allow journalists to cover protests freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today, after the detention of several journalists and the use of force by police against the media during demonstrations in Moscow on July 27 and August 3.

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Journalists hold placards on January 10, 2016, during a march in Istanbul as they protest against the imprisonment of journalists. On July 16, 2019, a Turkish court ordered service providers to block access to several news sites. (AFP/Ozan Kose)

Turkish court orders service providers to block access to news sites

Istanbul, August 6, 2019–An Ankara court on July 16 ordered Turkish internet service providers to block access in Turkey to 136 web addresses, independent news website Bianet reported today. The blocked addresses include the websites of news outlets Bianet, ETHA news agency, Halkın Sesi TV, Özgür Gelecek, osp.org, geziyisavunuyoruz.org, Gazete Fersude, Yeni Demokratik Gençlik, Umut…

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Employees of a regional TV company work during the broadcast of an annual nationwide televised phone-in show attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Krasnoyarsk, Russia June 20, 2019. Journalist Mikhail Romanov found guilty of "abuse of freedom of information" and "false" news in the city of Yakutsk on July 25. (Reuters/Ilya Naymushin)

Russian journalist Mikhail Romanov found guilty of ‘abuse of freedom of information’ and ‘false’ news

Washington, D.C., August 2, 2019–Journalist Mikhail Romanov, a correspondent with the weekly Yakutsk Vecherniy, was found guilty on July 25 by the city court of Yakutsk, in eastern Russia, on charges of “abuse of freedom of information by publishing false information that poses a threat to the public,” according to news reports. He was fined…

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2019