Russia / Europe & Central Asia

Paris, August 25, 2022—Russian authorities in Crimea must drop all charges against journalist Vilen Temeryanov, release him immediately, and stop prosecuting members of the press in retaliation for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On August 11, officers with the Russian FSB security agency in the village of Vilne, in Russian-occupied Crimea,…

Paris, August 23, 2022—Russian authorities should immediately release journalists and media workers recently arrested on extortion and fraud charges and ensure that the country’s judicial system is not used to silence critical voices, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Between August 1, and August 16, Russian authorities raided the homes of and detained at…

Paris, August 8, 2022 — Russian authorities should immediately drop all charges against Isabella Yevloyeva, and stop using laws on “fake” information about the Russian military and government to intimidate journalists and censor any reporting on the war in Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On July 27, authorities opened a criminal case…

A guide for journalists and newsrooms prepared by TrustLaw and the Committee to Protect Journalists Since the outset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, CPJ Emergencies has been responding to the needs of journalists in Russia as they sought to navigate—or in some cases escape—an increasingly hostile environment.  For journalists and media outlets operating in…

Paris, July 11, 2022 — In response to news reports that the Moscow prosecutor’s office has requested the closure of the independent Russian Journalists’ and Media Workers’ Union (JMWU) trade group, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement calling for authorities to cease harassing the union and to let it work freely: “Russian…

Paris, June 28, 2022 — Russian legislators should not pass a new bill to expand the country’s regulations concerning so-called “foreign agents,” and should let the press operate freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. The country’s current foreign agent legislation requires the Ministry of Justice to prove that a person or organization has…

Paris, June 23, 2022 – Russian legislators should not enact newly proposed legislation that threatens to further restrict the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On June 14, the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s legislature, passed a bill amending the country’s criminal code to impose prison terms for vague actions against…

Stockholm, June 17, 2022 – Georgian authorities should allow Russian journalist Insa Lander to enter the country and work safely and freely, and should accept the asylum applications of journalists seeking refuge, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Lander, whose legal name is Insa Oguz, had been held under house arrest in the Russian…

New York, June 8, 2022 – Russian authorities must stop their efforts to silence reporting on the country’s invasion of Ukraine, and drop all fines and penalties issued to outlets covering the conflict, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On June 3, the Kirovsky District Court in the central city of Yekaterinburg fined the…

New York, June 3, 2022 – In response to reports about the Friday incident that killed a driver and injured two Reuters correspondents after the vehicle they were traveling in came under fire near the eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “We are saddened by the death…