Europe & Central Asia

  
Unidentified people came to the apartment of Yuriy Nikolov, a co-founder and editor of Nashi Groshi, banged on his door, and shouted that he needed to join the army on January 14, 2023. Nikolov’s door was covered with papers with inscriptions calling him a “provocateur,” a “traitor,” and a (military service) “evader.”

Ukrainian investigative journalist Yuriy Nikolov threatened, journalists with Bihus.Info under alleged surveillance

New York, January 18, 2024—Ukrainian authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into threats made against journalist Yuriy Nikolov and alleged surveillance of journalists with investigative outlet Bihus.Info, and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On January 14, a group of unidentified people came to the apartment of…

Read More ›

Belarus police

Belarusian authorities start trial of Aliaksandr Ziankou, bring charges against Ales Sabaleuski, detain Yauhen Hlushkou

New York, January 18, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Belarusian authorities to drop all charges against journalist Aliaksandr Ziankou and to disclose the charges against journalist Ales Sabaleuski and the reason for the recent detention of journalist Yauhen Hlushkou. On January 12, Minsk City Court began the trial of Ziankou, a freelance photojournalist,…

Read More ›

Makhabat Tajibek kyzy and 24.kg office

Kyrgyzstan authorities raid news outlets 24.kg and Temirov Live, arrest journalists

Stockholm, January 16, 2024 — Kyrgyz authorities should drop criminal investigations into privately owned news website 24.kg and investigative outlet Temirov Live, release all detained current and former members of Temirov Live, and end their crackdown on the independent press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Monday, officers from Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for…

Read More ›

Targeting suspected in Ukraine hotel shelling that injured at least 2 journalists

New York, January 12, 2024 —The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday called on Russia to stop targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, after a missile strike on a hotel injured at least two journalists reporting on the war. On Wednesday evening, Russian forces shelled Park Hotel in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, injuring Violetta-Anastasia Pedorich, a Ukrainian freelance…

Read More ›

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announces a mayoral candidate as his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) choice on January 7, 2024.

CPJ welcomes Turkish court’s annulment of law that allowed takedown of online news

Istanbul, January 11, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the decision by Turkey’s Constitutional Court to annul a legal clause that allowed local courts to remove online news. “We are pleased that Turkey’s highest court found unconstitutional the legal article that had been used to take down online news with public value under the guise…

Read More ›

Ukrainian journalist Oleh Baturyn receives threats online after report on politician

New York, January 9, 2024—Ukrainian authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into violent threats made against journalist Oleh Baturyn, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On December 31, 2023, the Center of Journalistic Investigations, a Ukrainian independent investigative outlet, published a report, which said that Valery Saltykov, a member of Kherson Regional…

Read More ›

Shamo Eminov and Aziz Orujov

Azerbaijani authorities charge Kanal 13 journalists Aziz Orujov and Shamo Eminov over alleged foreign donor money, order channel blocked

Stockholm, January 8, 2024—Azerbaijani authorities should release journalists Aziz Orujov and Shamo Eminov, overturn a block on their outlet Kanal 13, and stop retaliating against critical independent media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On December 22, police in the capital, Baku, detained Eminov, a freelance reporter who contributes to the popular YouTube-based broadcaster…

Read More ›

At least 3 journalists injured in missile strikes in Ukraine

New York, January 5, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday has called for an investigation into recent missile attacks in Ukraine that injured at least three journalists reporting on the war during the final weeks of 2023. On December 30, Svitlana Dolbysheva, a producer with the German public broadcaster ZDF, was injured when Russian…

Read More ›

In Tajikistan, independent media throttled by state repression

Giant portraits of President Emomali Rahmon adorn even the most nondescript buildings in Tajikistan’s capital of Dushanbe. Throughout the country, his sayings are featured on posters and billboards. Their ubiquitous presence underscores the consolidation of power by Rahmon – officially described as “Founder of Peace and Unity, Leader of the Nation” – since he emerged…

Read More ›

Turkish editor Furkan Karabay arrested for reporting on corruption trial of judiciary members

Istanbul, January 2, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Turkish authorities to immediately release journalist Furkan Karabay and to stop criminalizing reporting on the judiciary.   Istanbul police took Karabay, an editor for independent news website Gerçek Gündem (The Real Agenda), into custody on December 28, 2023 according to news reports. The next day, he…

Read More ›