CPJ to brief media on press freedom in Belarus
New York, June 7, 2021–The crackdown on press freedom in Belarus has dominated headlines in recent weeks following the shocking detention of Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich. But stepped-up repression and censorship of local media intended to eliminate critical and independent reporting—including arrests, legal restrictions, and internet disruptions—has been ongoing for nearly a year. Ahead of…
New York Times freelancer Jeffrey Moyo detained in Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe, authorities arrested New York Times freelancer Jeffrey Moyo and charged him over allegedly misrepresenting the accreditation status of two of his Times colleagues. Authorities denied Moyo’s bail request, and ordered him to remain in custody until June 10. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in jail. In Myanmar, authorities’ crackdown…
Belarus sentences reporter Hlafira Zhuk to jail, authorities continue to harass journalists
Vilnius, Lithuania, June 2, 2021 — Belarusian authorities should release journalist Hlafira Zhuk immediately and cease harassing members of the press over their news coverage, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 31, the Maskouski District Court in Minsk, the capital, sentenced Zhuk, a correspondent for the independent news website Narodnaya Volya, to 30…
Belarus makes it clear they will cross any red line to censor independent voices
In a shocking move, even for Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, authorities in Belarus forcibly diverted a jet to Minsk to arrest journalist Raman Pratasevich. The next day, Pratasevich appeared in a government video apparently confessing to “organizing mass riots.” In an op-ed for CNN, CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Gulnoza Said stressed how…
Belarus authorities arrest journalists, issue jail sentences, launch investigation
Vilnius, Lithuania, November 6, 2020 – Belarusian authorities should stop arresting and prosecuting journalists and allow news media to report on the country’s political situation freely and safely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, police in the capital Minsk detained Nasta Zacharevich of internet news portal Zeleny, according to the Belarusian Association of…