24 JOURNALISTS KILLED FOR THEIR WORK IN 2000 Highest Tolls in Colombia, Russia, and Sierra Leone
New York, January 4, 2001 — Of the 24 journalists killed for their work in 2000, according to CPJ research, at least 16 were murdered, most of those in countries where assassins have learned they can kill journalists with impunity. This figure is down from 1999, when CPJ found that 34 journalists were killed for…
Press freedom groups warn President Putin of “threatening and dangerous” trends
1. The issuing under your signature of the new “Doctrine on Information Security of the Russian Federation,” a Cold War-style text whose broad, ambiguous language can be used to justify severe repression of press freedom. 2. Your own statement — despite what you yourself have characterized as governmental mishandling of communication with the public over…
Attacks on the Press 1999: Belarus
President Aleksander Lukashenko, facing international condemnation for his boldfaced attempts to cling to power, resorted to increasingly crude tactics to rein in his media opponents. On July 20, President Lukashenko lost what little democratic legitimacy he still had when he refused to step down after his five-year term ended. Western countries, including the United States,…
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…
US journalist Evan Gershkovich faces 20-year sentence as trial begins in Russia
New York, June 26, 2024—As the closed-door trial of U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich opened in a Russian court on Wednesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists denounced it as a travesty of justice and renewed its call for the journalist’s immediate release. “U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich goes on trial today after nearly 15 months of unjust…
Spanish journalist Xavier Colás denied visa renewal, expelled from Russia
New York, March 22, 2024—Russian authorities must reconsider their decision to not renew the visa of Spanish journalist Xavier Colás and allow him to work freely in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Wednesday, Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo reported that Russian authorities refused to renew Colás’ visa, the outlet’s longtime correspondent in…
Mercenary leader’s death sparks hope for new leads in 3 Russian journalist murders
The August 2023 death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group, made headlines around the world amid speculation that President Vladimir Putin was behind it. But to press freedom observers, the death was notable for another reason: It may have signaled a new era in long-stalled efforts for justice for three Russian…
At least 3 journalists injured while covering Ukraine war
New York, July 26, 2023—Russian and Ukrainian authorities should swiftly investigate the recent attacks on journalists reporting in Ukraine and ensure that members of the press are not targeted while covering the war, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Monday, July 24, Dylan Collins, a U.S. video journalist with the French news agency…
Russian authorities search journalist Nailya Mullayeva’s apartment, seize equipment
Paris, May 17, 2023—Russian authorities should immediately return all equipment confiscated from journalist Nailya Mullayeva and stop efforts to intimidate and harass members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Tuesday, May 16, police searched the apartment of Mullayeva, a freelance reporter, in Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Tatarstan republic, according…