Prominent Serbian minority newspaper receives threatening letter with white powder
Berlin, February 11, 2025—Croatian authorities must swiftly investigate the recent threat to the staff of weekly newspaper Novosti, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday, after the country’s most prominent Serbian minority newspaper received a letter containing a suspicious powder and referencing a deadly nerve agent. “Croatian authorities must spare no effort in bringing all…
Azerbaijani journalist given 3-month pretrial detention in foreign funding case
New York, February 10, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a February 6 Azerbaijani court decision remanding Toplum TV presenter Shahnaz Baylargizi to 3 ½ months in pretrial detention over foreign funding allegations and calls for her immediate release. “Veteran journalist Shahnaz Baylargizi’s arrest underscores how Azerbaijani authorities are exploiting allegations of Western funding to silence leading independent…
Italian investigative journalist Francesco Cancellato targeted with Paragon spyware
Berlin, February 10, 2025 — Italian authorities should thoroughly investigate the targeting of the editor-in-chief of the news site Fanpage.it Francesco Cancellato’s cell phone with spyware via the WhatsApp messaging app and punish the perpetrators, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. “The attack on investigative journalist Francesco Cancellato with Paragon spyware is a serious…
Georgian journalists assaulted, obstructed while covering renewed protests
New York, February 7, 2025 – In Georgia, resurgent protests demanding new elections have been met with a violent police crackdown in which authorities forcefully obstructed or assaulted more than a dozen journalists covering the demonstrations. Protests against the Georgian Dream party’s disputed October election victory and the November suspension of European Union accession talks…
Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Borysko injured while reporting on war
New York, February 7, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Russia’s latest attack on Ukraine, which injured camera operator Pavlo Borysko, with TSN, a daily news program with the Ukrainian privately owned broadcaster 1+1, and calls on Russian and Ukrainian authorities to ensure the safety of journalists covering the war. “Three years since the beginning of Russia’s…
Swedish public broadcaster SVT’s building vandalized
Berlin, February 6, 2025—Swedish authorities should quickly investigate the recent vandalistic attack on Sveriges Television’s (SVT) building in Stockholm and ensure the broadcaster’s journalists’ safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. “CPJ is concerned by the repeated attacks on SVT, Sweden’s public broadcaster,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “This fourth attack of vandalism…
Azerbaijan jails 21st journalist in 15 months amid intensifying media crackdown
New York, February 5, 2025 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arrest of Shamshad Agha, chief editor of the independent news site Arqument.az, and calls on Azerbaijani authorities to release him and other jailed journalists. “Shamshad Agha’s arrest underscores a grim intent by Azerbaijani authorities to silence and further restrict the country’s small…
Kazakh political satirist Temirlan Yensebek arrested on incitement charges
New York, February 4, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the two-month pretrial detention of Temirlan Yensebek, founder of the Instagram-based satirical outlet Qaznews24, on charges of inciting ethnic hatred, for which he could face seven years in jail. “The incitement charges against Temirlan Yensebek raise concerns that he’s being targeted for his biting political…
Ukraine’s security service opens criminal case after Ukrainska Pravda report
New York, February 3, 2025—Ukraine’s domestic security service (SBU) opened a criminal case on January 28 for “disclosure of state secrets” after independent news outlet Ukrainska Pravda published statements by Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, at a closed-door parliamentary meeting. According to an unnamed source cited in the report, Budanov said that…
Hungarian authorities detain, charge 2 journalists seeking to question PM Orbán
Berlin, February 3, 2025—Hungarian authorities should immediately drop misdemeanor charges against two journalists who were arrested in a parking lot as they waited to question Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and detained for three hours, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On January 30, police removed the independent online outlet Telex’s reporter Dániel Simor and…