Russian strikes on Ukraine damage 3 media outlets
New York, August 28, 2025—A massive, early morning Russian attack on Ukraine damaged the offices of at least three news outlets on August 28, 2025. In Kyiv, the offices of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and independent news outlet Ukrainska Pravda were damaged in a drone and missile attack. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, in eastern Ukraine, a drone strike damaged the office of local newspaper Mezhivsky Merydian. No media…
Belarusian court sentences journalist Aleh Supruniuk to 3 years in prison
New York, August 26, 2025—A Belarusian court convicted freelance journalist Aleh Supruniuk on charges of participating in an “extremist” group” and sentenced him to three years imprisonment on August 8. His sentencing was made public August 25 by the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), an advocacy and trade group operating from exile. “The sentencing of journalist Aleh Supruniuk to three years in…
CPJ calls on Kazakhstan to accredit, end ban on 16 RFE/RL journalists
Editor’s note: In a deferred hearing on August 20, the court upheld Kazakh authorities’ accreditation denial and ban against seven RFE/RL journalists; the appeal of a further nine journalists remains under consideration. RFE/RL said it would appeal the verdict. New York, August 18, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Kazakh authorities to reinstate accreditation for 16 journalists with U.S. government-funded…
‘It has become extremely difficult for us’: Uncertain future for RFE/RL’s Kazakh service
Radio Azattyq director Torokul Doorov says it is “very difficult” for journalists not to become activists in the face of “unfairness and injustice” in Kazakhstan. “You just want to start screaming,” says Doorov, who joined the Kazakh arm of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in 2014, and the outlet grew to be one of Kazakhstan’s most influential…
‘Outrageous’: Georgia sentences Mzia Amaglobeli to 2 years for slap
New York, August 6, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is horrified by the two-year sentence given to prominent Georgian media manager Mzia Amaglobeli on Wednesday, in a case previously denounced by CPJ and partners as “disproportionate and politicized.” “The outrageous two-year sentence meted out to widely respected journalist Mzia Amaglobeli is emblematic of Georgia’s increasing use…
CPJ submission to UN shows significant media repression in Georgia
New York, July 31, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists and the Media Advocacy Coalition of Georgia have submitted a report on the state of press freedom and journalist safety in Georgia to the United Nations Human Rights Council ahead of January’s 51st Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session. The submission details a sharp decline in media…
CPJ, partners call on Georgia to free Mzia Amaglobeli ahead of verdict
New York, July 31, 2025—Ahead of Friday’s expected verdict in the trial of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, the Committee to Protect Journalists and 13 other media and human rights groups called on Georgian authorities to drop the charge against her and release her. Amaglobeli, founder and director of award-winning independent news outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, has…
CPJ calls for Kyrgyzstan probe into 2020 death of CPJ award winner Askarov
New York, July 24, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Kyrgyz authorities to conduct a thorough, independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding journalist Azimjon Askarov’s death, ahead of the fifth anniversary of his passing on Friday. Authorities have stated that Askarov died in prison on July 25, 2020, from complications related to COVID-19. But they have failed…
Georgia seizes 2 media outlets’ accounts amid trial of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli
New York, July 22, 2025—Georgian authorities seized the financial accounts of independent news outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti over tax arrears, days ahead of an expected verdict in the trial of the outlets’ director, Mzia Amaglobeli, who has been jailed since January on charges widely viewed as politically motivated. “The unwarranted seizure of Batumelebi and Netgazeti’s…
Russia gearing up to prosecute internet users for searching ‘extremist’ content
Berlin, July 18, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by a bill under consideration in the Russian State Duma that would introduce fines for accessing or searching for “extremist” online content, threatening to further restrict press freedom and access to information. The bill, which passed its second reading on July 17, 2025, is the “most serious step in censorship and…