Russian authorities raid Arkticheskiy Obozrevatel office, 2 journalists’ homes
Paris, April 25, 2023—Russian authorities should immediately return all equipment confiscated from the independent news website Arkticheskiy Obozrevatel and two of its journalists and stop harassing members of the press for their reporting, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On April 20, police in the northwestern port city of Murmansk searched the editorial office…
Belarus prosecutor requests lengthy prison terms for journalists Raman Pratasevich, Stsypan Putsila, and Yan Rudzik
Paris, April 21, 2023–A Belarusian prosecutor requested a 10-year prison sentence for detained journalist Raman Pratasevich, a 19-year prison sentence in absentia for journalist Yan Rudzik, and a 20-year prison sentence in absentia for journalist Stsypan Putsila during a hearing on Friday, April 21, in Minsk, the capital, news reports said. “The lengthy prison terms…
Russia detains Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges
Paris, March 30, 2023—Russian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Wall Street Journal reporter and U.S. citizen Evan Gershkovich, drop all charges against him, and allow the media to work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Thursday, March 30, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) stated that it had detained Gershkovich, a…
Belarus orders Russian journalist Yekaterina Yanshina detained for 15 days
Paris, January 10, 2023 — Belarusian authorities should immediately release Russian journalist Yekaterina Yanshina and let all members of the press work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On January 5, authorities at a court in Minsk, the capital, detained Yanshina, a journalist and human rights activist with the Russian human rights center…
SOTA, one of the last independent news outlets in Russia, doubles down on coverage
Since the outset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, Russia has sought to stamp out independent reporting on the war, prompting journalists to flee and newsrooms to shut down or to self-censor under threat of criminal prosecution. Remarkably, one local outlet has continued to produce robust reporting despite the repressive environment. SOTA, which counts a staff of 40 journalists and support workers,…
Russian government expands law banning ‘fakes’
New York, March 22, 2022 – In response to the newly proposed legislation penalizing the distribution of “fakes” concerning the Russian government’s activities abroad, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Russian legislators and President Vladimir Putin should drop new amendments banning so-called ‘fakes’ and allow free reporting about the war in Ukraine,”…
New Russian immigration laws require regular medical tests, fingerprinting
New York, February 2, 2022 – Russian authorities should ensure that international journalists can work freely and safely and are not singled-out by new medical regulations, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On December 29, 2021, new amendments to two laws – “On legal status of foreign citizens in the Russian Federation” and “On…
Alla Gutnikova
On April 14, 2021, law enforcement officers in Moscow arrested Alla Gutnikova, an editor at the student-run online magazine DOXA, after raiding the outlet’s office and its editors’ apartments. She is being held in pretrial detention under house arrest. During the raids, officers confiscated laptops, phones, and filming equipment from DOXA’s office, and laptops and phones from…
Armen Aramyan
On April 14, 2021, law enforcement officers in Moscow arrested Armen Aramyan, an editor at the independent online student-run magazine DOXA, after raiding the outlet’s office and the apartments of Aramyan and three other editors. He is being held in pretrial detention under house arrest. DOXA is an online magazine covering higher education issues; it was originally…
Natalia Tyshkevich
On April 14, 2021, law enforcement officers in Moscow arrested Natalia Tyshkevich, an editor at the student-run online magazine DOXA, after raiding the outlet’s office and its editors’ apartments. She is being held in pretrial detention under house arrest. During the raids, officers confiscated laptops, phones, and filming equipment from DOXA’s office, and laptops and phones from…