Attacks on the Press 2001: Yugoslavia
The revolutionary political changes of late 2000 and early 2001 that ousted former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic ended a decade of repression for Yugoslavia’s independent journalists. But after a year in power, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS), which replaced Milosevic, failed to enact needed reforms in media-related laws. And while the DOS proved far…
Attacks on the Press 2001: Journalists in Prison
There were 118 journalists in prison around the world at the end of 2001 who were jailed for practicing their profession. The number is up significantly from the previous year, when 81 journalists were in jail, and represents a return to the level of 1998, when 118 were also imprisoned.
CPJ protests court rulings against satirical weekly
New York, March 19, 2002—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is very concerned about two recent crippling libel judgments against the satirical weekly Feral Tribune. The judgments were issued in two separate libel suits filed by Marica Mestrovic, the daughter of a famous Croatian sculptor, and Zeljko Olujic, an attorney and former ally of the…
Lawsuits, assassination attempt threaten survival of independent newspaper
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is extremely concerned that crippling damage awards in two recent libel suits threaten the survival of the independent, twice-weekly newspaper Novaya Gazeta. We also condemn a recent attempt to assassinate one of the paper’s reporters.
CPJ condemns murder of journalist in Rostov region
New York, March 13, 2002—Natalya Skryl, a business reporter working for the Nashe Vremya newspaper in the city of Rostov-on-Don in southwestern Russia, died on March 9 from head injuries sustained during an attack the night before, according to local press reports. Skryl, 29, reported on local business issues for a newspaper owned by Rostov…
CPJ Delegation in Moscow Calls for the Release of Grigory Pasko
Moscow, March 7, 2002—Three representatives of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) today completed a four-day mission to Russia with an urgent call for the release of jailed Russian journalist Grigory Pasko. “We are here to support our Russian colleagues in attempting to free Grigory Pasko, and to halt what seems to be an increasingly…
Terry Anderson’s Statement
Vladivostok, March 4, 2002 —Three representatives from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called for the release of jailed Russian journalist Grigory Pasko at a press conference in Vladivostok today. A CPJ request to meet with Pasko in prison was turned down by a local military official, who said the request would be given a…
SUPREME COURT ANNULS SECOND DECREE USED TO JAIL PASKO
New York, February 13, 2002—CPJ commends today’s decision by the Military Collegium of the Russian Supreme Court to nullify a clause in a 1990 Defense Ministry decree used to convict military journalist Grigory Pasko. Pasko was convicted of treason in December 2001, based on the charge that he intended to leak classified information to Japanese…
SUPREME COURT ANNULS DECREE USED TO JAIL PASKO
New York, February 12, 2002—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) welcomes today’s decision by the Military Collegium of the Russian Supreme Court to nullify a controversial Ministry of Defense decree used to convict and jail Russian journalist Grigory Pasko. Pasko was convicted of treason in December 2001 for allegedly leaking information to Japanese news outlets…