Europe & Central Asia

  

Remembering Daphne

International civil society coalition marks fourth anniversary of the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia with renewed call for justice 16 October 2021 Today marks four years since the brutal murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in a car bomb attack in Malta that shook the world. Our thoughts are with Caruana Galizia’s family, friends,…

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Protesters hold pictures of murdered Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia as they gather outside the prime minister's office in Valletta, Malta, on November 20, 2019. (AFP/Matthew Mirabelli)

Statement of the joint press freedom mission to Malta

October 15, 2021 On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, our five organizations have undertaken a joint press freedom mission to Malta, in follow-up to our initial joint mission at the one-year mark in 2018. We have come together once again to mark the occasion and remember…

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Russia labels Bellingcat, other independent outlets and journalists as ‘foreign agents’

Vilnius, Lithuania, October 12, 2021 – Russian authorities should stop labeling journalists and media outlets as “foreign agents” and should allow the press to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 8, following the announcement that Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the Russian Ministry of…

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Branch of Bangladesh ruling party files complaint against Sweden-based journalist Tasneem Khalil

Washington, D.C., October 12, 2021 — The All European Awami League should immediately withdraw its complaint to the Swedish police against Bangladeshi journalist Tasneem Khalil, and Bangladesh authorities must cease harassing Khalil and his family, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 7, members of the All European Awami League, a Europe-focused branch…

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Polish authorities question reporter covering Belarus border area

On September 27, 2021, police in Michałowo, a Polish town near the border with Belarus, questioned Agnieszka Kaszuba, a reporter for daily newspaper Fakt, for about an hour, according to news reports, her employer, and the journalist, who communicated with CPJ via email.  Kaszuba told CPJ that the officers stopped her car while she was…

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Croatian court injunction blocks news website H-alter from reporting on public childcare clinic

Berlin, October 8, 2021 — Croatian authorities should lift the gag order on the news website H-alter, and ensure that court actions do not silence the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 21, the Zagreb Municipal Civil Court, the capital, issued an injunction to H-alter, barring the outlet from reporting on…

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Polish police search journalist’s home, seize equipment over alleged threats to legislator

Berlin, October 6, 2021 — Polish authorities should stop harassing journalist Piotr Bakselerowicz, return his equipment, and respect the confidentiality of his sources, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 2, four officers from the Warsaw Police Department, two of whom carried guns, searched the apartment of Bakselerowicz, a reporter for the independent…

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Ukrainian state bank personnel seize journalists’ equipment, delete footage

Vilnius, Lithuania, October 5, 2021 — Ukrainian authorities should conduct a thorough investigation into an assault on two journalists working for investigative project Skhemy and ensure that all journalists can operate in a safe environment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, security personnel of state-owned bank Ukreksimbank forcibly seized recording equipment from journalists of…

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Russian journalist Igor Kuznetsov was recently detained for allegedly organizing protests.

Russian journalist Igor Kuznetsov detained, charged with inciting mass disturbances in Telegram chats

Stockholm, October 4, 2021 – Russian authorities should immediately release journalist Igor Kuznetsov and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 16, police in Tomsk, in western Siberia, arrested Kuznetsov, a local freelance correspondent for the independent news outlet RusNews, and searched his home, where they confiscated three…

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‘It is becoming unbearable:’ Journalists say they have become ‘scapegoats’ at anti-vaccine protests

Journalists covering demonstrations against COVID-19 countermeasures have been called “terrorists,” “pedophiles,” “murderers,” and “scumbags.” Protesters have harassed and assaulted members of the press, and told them that “the nooses are ready.” Threats like these have become increasingly familiar for reporters in Europe and the United States, where the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, a CPJ partner,…

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