Russian Duma committee OKs legislation to label individual journalists ‘foreign agents’
New York, July 3, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Russian authorities to refrain from labeling individual bloggers and journalists as foreign agents. The State Duma’s information and communication committee today approved legislation that would allow authorities to label private persons as foreign agents if they work for organizations the Justice Ministry labels…
Russia charges independent journalist with terrorism offenses
Russian journalist Viktor Korb on May 16 was charged by authorities in the Russian town of Omsk, in southwestern Siberia, for transcribing and publishing a 2015 speech that a Kremlin critic gave at his trial. Korb on June 26 told the Committee to Protect Journalists that he remains unable to work and access money, and…
CPJ condemns attacks on outlets in the Netherlands
New York, June 26, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned an attack on De Telegraaf, one of the Netherlands’ biggest national newspapers, which came five days after an anti-tank rocket was fired at the offices of the publisher of the weeklies Panorama and Nieuwe Revu, according to news reports.
Serbian government accuses journalist of false reporting abduction
On June 15, 2018–Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced on June 15 that freelance journalist Stefan Cvetković was found unharmed. Local news outlets had reported, citing police and witnesses, that he went missing on the evening of June 13 in the town of Bela Crkva, some 100 kilometers east of the capital, Belgrade.
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of June 17
Ahead of election, OSCE highlights restrictive media environment In a report on Turkey’s elections this month, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said, “The media landscape is dominated by outlets whose owners are considered affiliated with the government or depend on public contracts.” The report added that Turkey’s constitution “Contains a general…
CPJ calls on Turkey’s presidential candidates to prioritize press freedom
Ahead of June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey, the Committee to Protect Journalists today joined 18 other international press freedom and freedom of expression organizations in calling on to the future leader of Turkey to prioritize press freedom and safety of journalists in the country.
Imprisoned Russian editor wounded, hospitalized
New York, June 19, 2018–Russian authorities should immediately release jailed journalist Aleksandr Valov and ensure that he receives necessary medical care, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The editor-in-chief and founder of local news website BlogSochi, who has been in detention since January on extortion charges, was hospitalized with abdominal wounds on June 14,…
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of June 10
Journalist arrested A court on June 11 ordered Berzan Güneş, a reporter for the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya news agency, to be arrested pending trial, his employer reported. The indictment accused Güneş of “making propaganda for a [terrorist] organisation” and presented as evidence the journalist’s social media posts, going back to 2014, according to the report. The…
Police search for missing journalist in Serbia
Berlin, June 14, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on authorities in Vojvodina, the northern province of Serbia, to take all necessary measures to locate Stefan Cvetković, a prominent freelance journalist who went missing last night, according to local news reports.