CPJ says Kazakhstan’s new parliament should scrap rules restricting journalists’ access
London, September 7, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Kazakhstan’s newly inaugurated parliament, or Kurultai, to scrap new rules that restrict journalists’ movements in the parliament building and limit their ability to question politicians. The unicameral parliament, established by a new constitution passed earlier this year, was inaugurated on August 28. The new rules,…
Malta: The fight for justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia must continue
Valletta, September 3, 2026—Almost nine years after investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in a car bomb, Malta has still not convicted the person or people who orchestrated her horrific murder, setting a terrible precedent that will resonate across Europe. On Wednesday, following an emotional trial that lasted 55 days and gripped the nation,…
Journalist İrem Delice arrested in Turkey on suspicion of ‘spreading disinformation’
Istanbul, September 2, 2026—Turkish authorities should immediately release journalist İrem Delice, who was arrested on August 28 on suspicion of “spreading disinformation,” and repeal the disinformation law, which is being used all too often to criminalise journalism and silence reporting in Turkey, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Delice and three other staff members from…
CPJ renews call for Kyrgyzstan to drop charges against journalist Makhabat Tajibek kyzy as retrial begins
London, August 24, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists reiterates its call for authorities in Kyrgyzstan to withdraw criminal charges against Makhabat Tajibek kyzy, director of anti-corruption investigative outlets Temirov Live and Ait Ait Dese, ahead of her retrial, which is scheduled to begin in Bishkek on Tuesday. Tajibek kyzy spent more than two years in…
From prosecutions to bans and spurious copyright claims: how Kazakhstan’s journalists are being silenced
Ahead of this month’s parliamentary election, independent journalists in Kazakhstan have faced “unprecedented” pressure, ranging from criminal prosecutions to professional bans, and this crackdown warrants heightened international scrutiny to ensure the country upholds its obligations on media freedom. Voters go to the polls on August 23 to elect a unicameral parliament established under a new…
Kazakhstan sentences journalist Gulnara Bazhkenova to eight years in prison as pre-election press crackdown intensifies
New York, August 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists is shocked by the eight-year prison sentence handed down to Gulnara Bazhkenova, former editor-in-chief of independent outlet Orda, in Kazakhstan on August 18, and warns that this latest prosecution appears to be part of an escalating crackdown on the media ahead of elections this month. An Almaty…
CPJ, partners sound alarm over pre-election media crackdown in Kazakhstan
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined eight local and international press freedom and human rights groups on Friday in expressing deep concern over escalating pressure on independent journalists in Kazakhstan ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for August 23. The groups’ joint statement details how, in the weeks leading up to the vote – the first…
Russia sentences journalist Vasilisa Shishkina to 12 years in jail on treason charges
Berlin, August 12, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Russian authorities to swiftly clarify the circumstances surrounding the prosecution of journalist Vasilisa Shishkina on treason charges and her subsequent sentencing in May to 12 years in prison amid reports that she was targeted because of her work. Shishkina, an editor at the regional outlet Nomer…
CPJ calls on Kazakhstan to overturn travel ban, end harassment of journalist Lukpan Akhmedyarov
New York, August 5, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Kazakhstan to stop harassing prominent journalist Lukpan Akhmedyarov after he was barred from leaving the country for a holiday on August 3. “Amid a worrying surge in criminal prosecutions of leading independent journalists in Kazakhstan, the unexplained travel ban on Lukpan Akhmedyarov is deeply concerning,”…
Photojournalist injured by police while covering protest in Spain’s Mallorca
Berlin, July 29, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Spanish authorities to ensure that police forces guarantee the safety of journalists covering protests after freelance journalist Xavi Hurtado was hit by a police officer while covering a demonstration in Palma, Mallorca and left needing hospital treatment for a head wound and bruising. On July…