Poland / Europe & Central Asia

  

CPJ condemns acquittal of suspected organizer of 1992 murder of Polish journalist Jarosław Ziętara

Berlin, January 26, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a recent Polish court ruling that, in a final, non-appealable verdict, acquitted former member of the Polish Senate and entrepreneur Aleksander Gawronik, who has been accused of being the initiator of the 1992 murder of investigative journalist Jarosław Ziętara. “We are deeply disappointed that the long…

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CPJ urges swift probe into Polish police over forcible removal of journalist from protest

Berlin, July 21, 2023 — Polish authorities should investigate the forcible removal by police of freelance photojournalist Maciej Piasecki from a recent climate protest, and allow journalists to work without interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. During a climate protest in Warsaw on Friday, July 14, as police attempted to subdue and detain…

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David Kaye: Here’s what world leaders must do about spyware

In late June, the general counsel of NSO Group, the Israeli company responsible for the deeply intrusive spyware tool, Pegasus, appeared before a committee established by members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Called the PEGA Committee colloquially, the Parliament established it to investigate allegations that EU member states and others have used “Pegasus and equivalent…

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Exiled Belarusian journalists face terrorism charges; former journalist detained

Paris, May 27, 2022 – Belarus authorities should drop all charges against journalists Stsypan Putsila and Yan Rudzik, immediately release detained former journalist Aliaksandr Lyubyanchuk, and stop labeling media outlets as terrorists or extremists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Thursday, May 26, law enforcement officers in the western Belarusian village of Krivichy…

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As Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on, Ukrainian journalists get help from Polish colleagues 

On a recent April morning in Warsaw, Joanna Krawczyk was sitting inside a café in the city center, her phone pinging nonstop. The head of Wyborcza Foundation, a Polish media support initiative, Krawczyk was fielding messages from colleagues coordinating the passage of a truckload of reporting equipment from Poland to Ukraine.  “It’s like a rotating menu…

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Poland charges Spanish freelance reporter with spying for Russia

Berlin, March 4, 2022 – In response to multiple reports that Polish authorities charged Spanish freelance reporter Pablo González with spying for Russia on Tuesday, March 1, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement expressing concern: “We are concerned by Poland’s indictment of Spanish freelance reporter Pablo González on charges of spying for…

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Spanish journalist covering Ukraine refugees detained in Poland

Berlin, March 1, 2021 — Polish authorities must immediately release Spanish freelance reporter Pablo González, explain the reasons for his arrest, and ensure that all members of the press can cover refugee movements without interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. In the early hours of Monday, February 28, agents with Poland’s Internal Security…

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EU must urge Polish leaders to respect press freedom

Brussels February 17, 2022 – European Union ministers should prioritize press freedom reform in Poland when the EU General Affairs Council meets to discuss rule of law concerns in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. “When Poland attacks press freedom, it makes a mockery of European Union values,” said Tom Gibson, CPJ’s…

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Polish journalists’ children targeted with death threats, phone harassment

Berlin, February 7, 2022 — Polish authorities should swiftly and thoroughly investigate death threats received by family members of journalists Wojciech Czuchnowski and Tomasz Lis, and ensure the journalists’ and their families’ safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On January 20, several police stations in different cities throughout Poland called Czuchnowski’s son Mateusz…

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CPJ joins call urging Polish president to veto media bill

The Committee to Protect Journalists today joined 16 other media and press freedom organizations in a letter calling on Polish President Andrzej Duda to veto an amendment to the country’s broadcast media law. The letter states that the amendment “poses a fundamental threat to media freedom and pluralism in Poland,” and calls it a “direct…

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