In Russia, legislation on ‘extremism’ poses new press freedom threat
New York, July 11, 2007—The upper house of the Russian parliament today approved a package of amendments that would expand the definition of extremism to include public discussion of such activity, and give law enforcement officials broad authority to suspend media outlets that do not comply with the new restrictions. The package, proposed by deputies…
Appellate court ratifies prison sentence of Senet journalists
New York, July 9, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Friday’s decision by an Azerbaijani appellate court in Baku to uphold the convictions of two independent journalists on charges of insulting Islam in a November commentary. On May 4, Judge Yusif Kerimov of Sabail District Court in Baku convicted Editor-in-Chief Samir Sadagatoglu and writer Rafiq…
Prosecutors say no foul play in Ivan Safronov’s death
New York, July 6, 2007—The independent business daily Kommersant reported that Moscow prosecutors have ruled out foul play in the March death of its reporter, Ivan Safronov. Prosecutors have not found any link between the military correspondent’s recent work and his fall from a window in his apartment building, the newspaper said. Investigators continue to…
Security ministry hits opposition editor with new charges
New York, July 5, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists deplores the continued persecution of Eynulla Fatullayev, imprisoned editor of the Russian-language weekly Realny Azerbaijan and the Azeri-language daily Gündalik Azarbaycan, and that of his staff. The Ministry of National Security (MNB) brought a new criminal charge of incitement to ethnic and religious hatred against Fatullayev…
CPJ concerned about health of jailed editor
New York, July 3, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern today about the health and well-being of Boris Stomakhin, editor of the small Moscow monthly Radikalnaya Politika (Radical Politics), who has been imprisoned for the past 15 months. On June 25, Stomakhin was transferred from a Moscow prison to a prison in the city…
Russian officers assault journalist in Georgia
New York, June 29, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalist is concerned about an attack reported by Nukri Kacharava, a camera operator for the independent Georgian television station Mze, who said Russian military officers assaulted him and confiscated his equipment as he was filming their move out of a Russian military base in Batumi, capital of…
Reporters, CPJ brief Congressional caucus on dangers facing Russian journalists
Washington, June 28, 2007—Two exiled Russian journalists and a CPJ representative told the Congressional Human Rights Caucus today about widespread impunity in journalist murders in Russia and the perils facing independent journalists who cover the volatile North Caucasus.
Independent journalist beaten in southern Russia
New York, June 25, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalist is concerned about a recent assault against Mikhail Afanasyev, editor of the online magazine Novy Focus, in the southern city of Abakan, capital of the Russian republic of Khakasiya. Afanasyev was attacked on June 16 by at least two men who identified themselves as police officers…
Investigative journalist severely beaten in Hungarian capital
New York, June 25, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Friday’s brutal attack on Iren Karman, an investigative journalist who had published a book and made a documentary film on illegal oil sales in 1990s Hungary. Unknown assailants assaulted Karman in the outskirts of the capital, Budapest, on Friday evening, pushed her into a car,…