Europe & Central Asia

  
Journalist Hakan Tosun, 50, was beaten unconscious and left in the street in the Esenyurt District of Istanbul.

Turkish reporter Hakan Tosun dies in hospital after attack     

Istanbul, October 14, 2025—CPJ demands that Turkish authorities conduct a comprehensive investigation into the death of freelance reporter and documentary filmmaker Hakan Tosun to determine whether his killing was in retaliation for his journalism. Istanbul police have arrested two suspects, who have not yet been charged. “The death of filmmaker Hakan Tosun is tragic and must be…

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Journalist Evren Demirdaş said he believes he was attacked in retaliation for his reporting.

Men assault Turkish reporter Evren Demirdaş in public

Istanbul, October 6, 2025—Turkish authorities in the eastern province of Elazığ must investigate the recent assault of journalist Evren Demirdaş and ensure his attackers and anyone behind the assault are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On October 1, three men beat the journalist and broke his nose. Demirdaş, the Elazığ reporter for the…

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French photojournalist Antoni Lallican had covered the war in Ukraine since March 2022.

Russian drone kills French journalist Antoni Lallican in Ukraine

New York, October 3, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the killing of French photojournalist Antoni Lallican in a Russian drone attack on Friday.  “CPJ is deeply alarmed by the Russian drone strike that killed French journalist Antoni Lallican and injured Ukrainian photojournalist Heorhii Ivanchenko, and calls on Russian and Ukrainian authorities to immediately investigate…

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Restrictive laws on foreign funding are part of a sharp decline in press freedom under the Georgian Dream party, whose flags are seen here.

Georgian authorities probe press organizations under foreign funding laws

New York, October 3, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Georgian authorities to repeal restrictive new laws covering foreign donor grants as Georgian authorities open investigations into the funding of at least five independent news outlets and a leading press association. Earlier this year, the Georgian Dream party overhauled legislation governing the foreign donor funding on which many independent…

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Russian journalist Svetlana Khustik, seen here being detained, faces up to 10 years on charges of spreading “fake” information about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia detains journalist Svetlana Khustik for ‘fake’ news about Ukraine war

New York, October 1, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Russian authorities to end the prosecution of Russian journalist Svetlana Khustik, who faces up to 10 years on charges of spreading “fake” information about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and to release her immediately. On September 30, a court in the east-central city of Krasnoyarsk placed her under arrest for two months,…

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Serbians protest what they say is an increasing police brutality, in Novi Sad in September.

Serbia police target journalists as anti-government protests escalate

Berlin, September 25, 2025—Serbian journalists have increasingly reported being deliberately targeted by police, especially when covering police violence, as President Aleksandar Vučić’s authoritarian government toughens its stance against anti-government protests that began 10 months ago with a deadly railway station collapse. Journalists caught up in the unrest report that police not only fail to protect them from protesters but also deliberately harass, beat,…

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8 Turkish journalists face jail for ‘insult’ and ‘false news’ over talk show comments 

Istanbul, September 23, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Turkish authorities to stop prosecuting broadcasters for commentary after five journalists were charged and three were placed under investigation, accused of either spreading false information or insulting the president in three political debate shows.  “These cases against broadcast journalists are only the most recent in…

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Assailants pepper-sprayed and beat Spanish journalist Román Cuesta outside his home in Salamanca, Spain on August 27, 2025. They filmed the attack and later shared it on social media. (Screenshot: Canal Red/YouTube)

Spanish journalist Román Cuesta uses video of his assault to identify his assailants

Berlin, September 18, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Spanish authorities to bring those responsible for assaulting journalist Román Cuesta to justice after the veteran investigative reporter identified his suspected assailants using a video of the attack posted online. “The assault on Román Cuesta is a stark reminder of the growing threats facing journalists covering far-right networks in…

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Montenegrin journalist Danica Nikolić, editor-in-chief of the news site Mportal, has received violent email threats for over three years. She said authorities have failed to prosecute the perpetrators. (Screenshot: TV7/YouTube)

Montenegro journalist Danica Nikolić receives new death threat

Berlin, September 18, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Montenegrin authorities to thoroughly investigate death threats against journalist Danica Nikolić, editor-in-chief of the independent news site M Portal, and to take all necessary steps to guarantee her safety. “The ongoing death threats against journalist Danica Nikolić are increasingly alarming and have gone on for far too long,”…

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Rinat Tuhvatshin, the founder of Kloop, called the conviction of Joomart Duulatov and Aleksandr Aleksandrov “cannibalistic, senseless, and illogical.”

Kyrgyzstan sentences 2 Kloop journalists to 5 years in jail on bogus charges

New York, September 17, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns today’s sentencing of journalists Joomart Duulatov and Aleksandr Aleksandrov to five-year prison terms in Kyrgyzstan and calls for their immediate release.  Duulatov and Aleksandrov, who worked as camera operators for investigative outlet Kloop, were detained on May 28 on charges of calling for mass unrest over videos produced by…

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