Europe & Central Asia

2020

  
Chechen blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov is seen in Poland on November 14, 2018. He was recently assaulted in what his brother described as an assassination attempt. (AP/Francesca Ebel)

Chechen blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov assaulted

Vilnius, Lithuania, February 27, 2020 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed alarm over the assault of Chechen blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov.

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A view of Ankara in April 2019. Turkish journalist Yavuz Selim, who was attacked in the city last year, says he continues to receive threats. (Reuters/Umit Bektas)

‘The goal is to make us stop writing’: Turkish journalists on attacks and threats

Eight months after he was attacked outside his Ankara home with baseball bats, Yavuz Selim Demirağ still has trouble sleeping. “The worry of suffering another attack at any minute messed with my psychology. Sometimes I feel like I am being followed,” the Turkish journalist said. “In the end, the threat continues. Because the attackers are…

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Journalist Azimjon Askarov is seen at a court in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on October 11, 2016. The country’s Supreme Court is set to hear Askarov’s appeal tomorrow. (AP/Vladimir Voronin)

Kyrgyzstan Supreme Court to hear appeal of journalist Azimjon Askarov

New York, February 24, 2020 — Kyrgyzstan authorities should not contest the appeal of journalist and human rights defender Azimjon Askarov and should release him immediately, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen in London on January 13, 2020. Assange is facing extradition to the United States for his work at Wikileaks. (Reuters/Simon Dawson)

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face extradition hearing in U.K.

Washington, D.C., February 21, 2020 — The United Kingdom should not extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges in the United States, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, British then-Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, and Canadian then-Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland address a news conference on media freedom in Dinard, France on April 5, 2019. A panel of legal experts led by Clooney recommend more sanctions targeted at press freedom violators. (Reuters/Stephane Mahe)

CPJ welcomes call for targeted sanctions to protect journalists

When the U.K. launched an initiative to support media freedom in the waning days of Jeremy Hunt’s tenure as foreign minister, CPJ was skeptical that this government-led effort would be more than a feel-good campaign. However, we chose to engage, given the current vacuum of leadership on press freedom globally. As the U.S. pulls back…

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A police car is seen in Velka Maca, Slovakia, on February 27, 2018. Slovak authorities recently charged journalist Michal Havran with criminal defamation and slander. (AP/Michal Smrcok/News and Media Holding)

Slovak authorities file criminal defamation charges against columnist Michal Havran

Berlin, February 10, 2020 — Slovak authorities should immediately drop criminal defamation and slander charges against journalist Michal Havran and stop using the country’s criminal code to prosecute journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Mexican journalists, wearing personal protective equipment amid the COVID-19 pandemic, cover a protest by administrative workers at the General Balbuena Hospital in Mexico City on April 16, 2020. (AFP/Pedro Pardo)

CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering the coronavirus pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

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A view of downtown Grozny, the capital of Russian North Caucasus region of Chechnya, on July 26, 2019. Russian journalist Elena Milashina was attacked in Grozny on February 6, 2020. (AFP/Alexander Nemenov)

Russian journalist Elena Milashina attacked in Chechnya

Vilnius, Lithuania, February 7, 2020 — Russian authorities should conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the attack against journalist Elena Milashina and bring the perpetrators to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A newsstand is seen in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 19, 2018. CPJ and other press freedom groups recently called on Turkey's ad regulator to lift a ban on advertising in two leftist dailies. (AFP/Ozan Kose)

CPJ joins call for Turkish authorities to lift advertising ban on leftist dailies

CPJ joined representatives from the International Press Institute, Reporters Without Borders, the Journalists Union of Turkey, and the European Federation of Journalists yesterday in a joint statement calling for Turkey’s Press Ad Agency, the state regulator of government ads in print media, to lift its ban on advertising in critical leftist dailies Evrensel and BirGün.

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People are seen in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on November 3, 2015. Tajik authorities recently detained journalist Daler Sharifov. (Reuters/Brendan Smialowski)

Tajikistan journalist Daler Sharifov held on incitement charges

New York, February 6, 2020 — Tajikistan authorities should immediately release journalist Daler Sharifov, drop all charges against him, and allow him to work unobstructed, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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2020