Russian police investigate journalist Ilya Ber over fact-check on Ukraine deaths
Paris, May 6, 2022 – Russian authorities should drop their investigation into journalist Ilya Ber and let the press freely cover the war in Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Thursday, May 5, local media reported that the Ministry of Internal Affairs department in Moscow’s Preobrazhenskoye district had launched a probe into…
Belarusian journalist Denis Staji found severely beaten in Ukraine
Paris, May 6, 2022 — Ukrainian authorities should thoroughly investigate the recent attack on journalist Denis Staji, find those responsible, and hold them to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Staji’s wife, Viktoryia Lavnikevich, told CPJ via messaging app that she lost contact with him on April 9 while she was in western…
Armenian law enforcement obstruct journalists covering protest in Yerevan
New York, May 5, 2022 – Armenian authorities should thoroughly investigate recent attacks on members of the press by police and government officials, and ensure that those responsible are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Monday, May 2, at a protest in the capital, Yerevan, against the country’s policy concerning…
Iryna Danylovych missing in Crimea, unidentified men search family’s home
Paris, May 3, 2022 – Russian authorities in Crimea must immediately disclose any information concerning the whereabouts of journalist Iryna Danylovych, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On the morning of April 29, Danylovychfailed to return home from her work at a medical center in the village of Vladyslavivka, in Russian-occupied Crimea, according to…
Serbian journalist Dinko Gruhonjić receives death threats online
Berlin, May 3, 2022 — Serbian authorities should conduct a swift and thorough investigation into threats made to journalist Dinko Gruhonjić and his family, and ensure their safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On April 25, a Facebook user named “Ante Pavlovic” sent a number of threatening messages to Gruhonjić, deputy editor-in-chief of…
Russia charges journalists with disseminating ‘fakes’ about the military; reporter Maria Ponomarenko detained
Paris, April 27, 2022 — Russian authorities should immediately drop all charges against journalists Maria Ponomarenko and Ilya Krasilshchik, release Ponomarenko from custody, and stop persecuting members of the press for allegedly spreading so-called “fakes” about Russia’s war on Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On March 4, President Vladimir Putin enacted amendments…
CPJ welcomes European Union’s anti-SLAPP initiative
Brussels, April 27, 2022 – The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday welcomed the European Commission’s move to pass an initiative seeking to address the abuse of SLAPP lawsuits in Europe. SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation) are abusive lawsuits filed by powerful officials, businesspeople, or corporations against individuals, including critical journalists or news outlets,…
Council of Europe publishes annual report on press freedom
On April 27, 2022, the Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists, a body comprising 15 international media and free expression groups including the Committee to Protect Journalists, published its annual report on the status of press freedom in Europe. The report, “Defending Press Freedom in Times of…
Serbian broadcaster N1TV and newspaper Danas receive death threats
Berlin, April 25, 2022 – Serbian authorities should conduct swift and thorough investigations into death threats made to employees of the broadcaster N1TV and newspaper Danas, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On April 18, the independent broadcaster N1TV received an anonymous email threatening that the outlet’s employees…
CPJ joins call for Greek authorities to investigate surveillance of journalist Thanasis Koukakis
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined six other international press freedom organizations in an open letter on April 22, 2022, calling on Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and other government officials to conduct a full and transparent investigation into the surveillance of journalist Thanasis Koukakis. From July to September 2021, Koukakis, a financial editor for…