Europe & Central Asia

  
Belarusian police detain a man at a March 25, 2017, protest in Minsk. (AFP/Vasily Maximov)

Journalists face trial for covering protests in Belarus

New York, April 12, 2017–Belarusian authorities should immediately drop all charges against journalists for covering protests and should allow the news media to work unobstructed, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Opposition politicians and press freedom advocates call for the release of journalists jailed in Turkey in an April 9, 2017, protest in Istanbul. (AFP/Yasin Akgul)

Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of April 9, 2017

Erdoğan vows jailed Die Welt correspondent will never return to Germany Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last night vowed that Die Welt Turkey correspondent Deniz Yücel, a dual citizen of Germany and Turkey would never be allowed to return to Germany so long as he was president, the online newspaper Diken reported.

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French outlets Mediapart, Le Canard enchaîné receive threatening letters

New York, April 7, 2017–The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned threats made against the Paris-based investigative news website Mediapart and satirical weekly Le Canard enchaîné (The Chained Duck), and called on French authorities to promptly bring the perpetrators to justice.

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Security forces stand guard atop a building in Istanbul as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gives a speech in favor of amendments to the constitution that would increase his powers, March 26, 2017. (Reuters/Murad Sezer)

Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of April 2, 2017

Cumhuriyet journalists respond to indictment Cumhuriyet journalists Kadri Gürsel and Murat Sabuncu, who were listed in an indictment against the Turkish daily earlier this week, reacted to the accusations presented to the court, online newspaper Demokrat Haber and Cumhuriyet reported yesterday.

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A Belarusian Interior Ministry official films journalists reporting on a police raid of one of Belsat TV's offices in Minsk, March 31, 2017. (AP/Sergei Grits)

Belarus police raid offices of TV station Belsat, detain cameraman

New York, March 31, 2017–Belarusian authorities should cease harassing Belsat TV and all news media in an effort to censor coverage of opposition protests and should immediately release all journalists detained for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police today raided two of the channel’s offices in the capital Minsk, confiscated the…

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Abdullah Kılıç (Courtesy of Kılıç family)

UPDATE: In Turkey, authorities rule to free journalists, then reverse decision

New York, March 31, 2017– Istanbul’s 25th Court for Serious Crimes ordered the release pending trial of at least 19 journalists jailed in the aftermath of the July 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey, but the decision was reversed after an appeal by the chief prosecutor, and none of the journalists were freed, according to…

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Belarusians protest against the government of President Aleksandr Lukashenko in the capital Minsk, March 15, 2017. The sign reads "Lukaeshenko, stop picking the raisins out of the bread." (Reuters/Vasily Fedosenko)

At least eight journalists still jailed for reporting on Belarus protests

New York, March 28, 2017–Belarusian authorities should immediately release all journalists jailed covering protests and should cease obstructing reporters in an effort to keep news of the protests out of media reports, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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President Almazbek Atambayev, pictured at a press conference in 2013. In recent weeks, the Kyrgyz leader verbally assaulted several critical journalists during a speech to foreign ambassadors. (AFP/Vyacheslav Oseldko)

In pivotal election year Kyrgyz media face verbal assaults from president and legal action

In Kyrgyzstan, once Central Asia’s most liberal country, President Almazbek Atambayev is tightening his grip on critical voices, including independent journalists and foreign media.

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Security forces arrest a protester in Moscow, March 26, 2017. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)

Journalists detained covering Russia protests

New York, March 27, 2017–Russian security forces should cease harassing and obstructing journalists covering protests and other events, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Russian media reported that at least 11 journalists were detained yesterday while reporting on nationwide protests. All have since been released.

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Abdullah Kılıç (Courtesy of Kılıç family)

Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of March 26, 2017

Istanbul court orders release, pending trial, of at least 19 journalists Istanbul’s 25th Court for Serious Crimes today ordered the release, pending trial, of at least 19 journalists imprisoned in direct relation for their work following the July 2016 failed military coup, according to news reports. The court did not drop any charges against the…

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