How Russia silences critical coverage of its war in Ukraine
Russia’s months-long jailing of journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva —released on August 1 as part of a prisoner exchange — was one of the most blatant illustrations of Russia’s muzzling of the press in the wake of its February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war has precipitated what a representative of the now-shuttered Russian Journalists’ and Media Workers’…
Moscow court detains journalist Artyom Krieger on extremism charges
Berlin, June 21, 2024—Russian authorities must release journalist Artyom Krieger, drop all charges against him, and stop persecuting the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On June 18, the Basmanny district court in the capital Moscow placed Krieger, a journalist with the independent news outlet SOTAvision, under pretrial detention for two months, news…
Pegasus spyware targeted exiled journalists from Russia, Latvia, Belarus, report finds
New York, May 30, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply troubled by a Thursday report by rights group Access Now and research organization Citizen Lab alleging that Pegasus spyware was used to surveil at least five journalists. The report, “Exiled, then spied on: Civil society in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland targeted with Pegasus spyware,”…
Russia bans news site SOTA, penalizes 3 ‘foreign agent’ journalists
Berlin, May 22, 2024—Russian authorities must immediately halt their criminalization of journalists and independent media outlets by labeling them as “undesirable” and by issuing punitive sanctions against those they deem “foreign agents,” the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On May 16, the prosecutor general’s office banned SOTA, one of Russia’s last independent news outlets,…
At least 4 journalists briefly detained in Russia over memorials to Navalny
New York, February 21, 2024—Russian authorities should refrain from detaining journalists who cover gatherings in memory of opposition leader Alexey Navalny and let members of the press report freely on events of public interest, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. At least four journalists were briefly detained last Friday and Saturday while reporting on gatherings to…
Russia bans Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as ‘undesirable’
New York, February 21, 2024—Russian authorities must stop harassing U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and cease obstructing the work of media outlets by labeling them as “undesirable,” the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Justice added RFE/RL to its register of “undesirable” organizations after the Russian general…
Russia bans freedom of expression group Article 19 as ‘undesirable’
New York, February 16, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Russian authorities to reconsider designating international freedom of expression group Article 19 as “undesirable” and cease using the country’s “undesirable” law to intimidate organizations that report on press freedom violations in the country. On January 23, the Russian general prosecutor’s office outlawed Article 19 by…
Apple warns Latvia-based journalists about possible hacker attacks
New York, September 15, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday issued an urgent call for authorities to investigate allegations that journalists working in Latvia were targeted by state-sponsored hackers. CPJ’s call follows reports on Thursday—a day after the disclosure that the phone of exiled Russian journalist Galina Timchenko had been infected by Pegasus spyware—that…
Russia labels 3 more journalists – including Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov – as ‘foreign agents’
New York, September 8, 2023—Russian authorities should stop intimidating outlets and journalists by labeling them as “foreign agents” and let them work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On September 1, the Russian Ministry of Justice added three journalists—including Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov—to its list of so-called “foreign agents,” accusing them of helping…
CPJ calls for investigation into alleged poisoning of exiled Russian journalists Elena Kostyuchenko and Irina Babloyan
New York, August 16, 2023 — German and Georgian authorities should thoroughly and transparently investigate allegations that exiled Russian journalists Elena Kostyuchenko and Irina Babloyan were poisoned in 2022, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Tuesday, an investigation by the independent news website The Insider stated that both journalists had experienced unexplained health…