Russia fines 11 journalists, restricts 2 outlets with anti-state laws
Berlin, September 20, 2024—Russian authorities have deployed laws penalizing “foreign agents,” “undesirable” organizations, and those who “discredit” the army to issue fines against 11 journalists, at least five of whom live in exile, and to retaliate against two media outlets in the last two months. The latest figures show that Russia’s crackdown has continued apace…
Azerbaijani columnist Bahruz Samadov detained on treason charges
New York, September 20, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalist calls on Azerbaijani authorities to immediately release researcher and freelance journalist Bahruz Samadov, detained since August 21 on treason charges. “As Azerbaijan’s crackdown widens to envelop ever more journalists, activists, and academics, Bahruz Samadov’s penetrating critiques of Azerbaijani authoritarianism and militarism amid the ongoing…
CPJ concerned by Russia’s arrest in absentia of exiled journalist
Berlin, September 19, 2024—The Basmanny District Court in Moscow issued an arrest warrant in absentia for journalist Armen Aramyan on Wednesday, September 18, on charges of justifying terrorism online and spreading false information about the Russian army in unspecified publications. Aramyan, the co-founder of the student publication DOXA, is currently in exile alongside three DOXA…
Georgian authorities deny entry to Belarusian, Armenian journalists
New York, September 19, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Georgian authorities to allow Belarusian journalist Andrei Mialeshka and Armenian journalist Arsen Kharatyan, who were denied entry into Georgia in recent days, to enter the country and work safely. “By refusing Andrei Mialeshka and Arsen Kharatyan entry to Georgia on obscure grounds, the Georgian…
Belarusian journalist Andrei Tolchyn released following presidential pardon
New York, September 18, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the September 17 release of Belarusian journalist Andrei Tolchyn, who received a presidential pardon after serving almost a year of a two-and-a-half year prison sentence. “While we welcome the release of journalist Andrei Tolchyn, he should not have spent a single day in prison,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe…
Belarus’ dangerous push for Serbia to extradite journalist Andrey Gnyot
(Update: On October 31, the Belgrade Higher Court released Gnyot from house arrest after the expiration of the one-year legal term for detention. Gnyot left for an unspecified European country on the same day, RFE/RL reported.) New York, September 17, 2024—Belarusian filmmaker Andrey Gnyot is stuck in a legal limbo after a Serbian appeals court announced on September 11 that it had…
Crimean journalist faces continued harassment in jail, rights group, attorney say
Berlin, September 13, 2024—Ahead of Crimean journalist Remzi Bekirov’s next expected hearing on October 2, CPJ expressed concern at reports that Russian prison authorities are harassing him with strict scrutiny and placements in solitary confinement. Bekirov, who is an ethnic Crimean Tatar from Ukraine’s Russian-occupied region of Crimea, was a correspondent for independent Russian news…
Turkmen journalist Ruslan Myatiev banned from entering Turkey
New York, September 12, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Turkey’s July 25 denial of entry to Ruslan Myatiev, director and chief editor of Turkmen.news, a Netherlands-based independent Turkmen news website. “Journalist Ruslan Myatiev’s account that Turkey acceded to Turkmenistan’s request to ban him is a startling suggestion of Turkey’s complicity in transnational repression with…
CPJ joins call to release over a dozen journalists jailed in Azerbaijan ahead of COP29
The Committee to Protect Journalists called on the Azerbaijani government to release over a dozen jailed journalists and reform the country’s deeply restrictive media laws in a letter signed by 25 organizations ahead of the United Nations Climate Conference on November 11-22, 2024, in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani authorities have charged 13 journalists over the past year for alleged violations…
CPJ joins call for Turkey to ensure safety of threatened journalist Murat Ağırel
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 22 press freedom and freedom of expression groups on Wednesday in a joint statement calling on the authorities in Turkey to ensure that journalist Murat Ağırel, who has been receiving death threats because of his reporting, remains safe. The statement listed a number of incidents in which Ağırel, a…