Europe & Central Asia

  

Politkovskaya trial re-opened to media

After Judge Yevgeny Zubov overturned a ban on the press attending the trial of three suspects in the murder of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya, we released the following statement…

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Press freedom in the news 11/24/08

Various news outlets had coverage over the weekend of press freedom in Russian in light of last week’s brutal assault on Mikhail Beketov, a Moscow newspaper editor who still remains comatose in a local hospital. The Chicago Tribune as well as the UK-based newspapers The Guardian and The Sunday Herald are running stories about the dangers…

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Authorities rule out journalism in Saipov case

In response to Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Dmitry Fedorov’s announcement today about the progress of the official Kyrgyz investigation into the October 2007 murder of ethnic Uzbek journalist Alisher Saipov, we released the following statement…

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Politkovskaya trial should be re-opened

In response to news reports that a juror in Anna Politkovskaya’s murder trial disputed the Moscow District Court’s claim that the jury had asked for the closure of proceedings to the press, we issued the following statement…

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Press freedom in the news 11/20/08

There is more coverage of yesterday’s revelation that the Anna Politkovskaya murder trial will again be held behind closed doors. VOA News, The Sydney Morning Herald, and GulfNews are all running reports that say the proceedings were closed to reporters after jurors came forward to express fear for their safety. However, in an interesting twist,…

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Investigative journalist severely beaten

New York, November 19, 2008–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the brazen attack on Edik Baghdasarian, the editor of the Yerevan-based online newsmagazine Hetq. Three unidentified men ambushed Baghdasarian on Monday outside his office and badly beat him. 

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Court closes Politkovskaya murder trial to public

New York, November 19, 2008–The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply disappointed at today’s decision by the Moscow District Military Court to close the jury trial of three suspects in the October 2006 assassination of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya to the public, only two days after it declared it would be open.

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Press freedom in the news 11/19/08

A new turn in the Anna Politkovskaya murder trial is making news today across the wires. It was initially going to be held behind closed doors, but had been opened to the public on Monday. However, stories from AP, Reuters, AFP, and RFE/RL all report that the court has repealed that ruling and will now close the trial to outside observers. Reports claim…

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Editor sentenced to six-month jail term

New York, November 18, 2008–An Azerbaijani court convicted Ali Hasanov, editor-in-chief of the pro-government daily Ideal, on defamation charges and sentenced him to six months in jail, according to the head of the Baku-based Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS), Emin Huseynov. 

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Press freedom in the news 11/18/08

RIA Novosti has continued coverage of the Anna Politkovskaya murder trial, which began yesterday in Moscow.

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