2023 prison census: Jailed journalist numbers near record high; Israel imprisonments spike
By Arlene Getz/CPJ Editorial Director Worst Jailers | New Developments | Regional Repression | Census Methodology Israel emerged as one of the world’s leading jailers of journalists following the October 7 start of the Israel-Gaza war, the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2023 prison census has found. Israel ranked sixth – tied with Iran – behind…
Iryna Levchenko
Former journalist Iryna Levchenko was allegedly abducted by Russian forces in Ukraine in early May 2023 and has reportedly been held by Russia ever since. Levchenko worked for years as a reporter for several news outlets but left journalism after Russian forces occupied the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol in late February 2022, according to…
Amet Suleymanov
Amet Suleymanov, a Crimean Tatar freelance journalist, is serving a 12-year prison sentence after being convicted on charges of terrorism and of “preparation for a violent seizure of power,” in connection with his reporting on alleged human rights abuses by Russian authorities in Crimea. Russian authorities detained him in March 2020 in Bakhchysarai in southern…
Iryna Levchenko
Former journalist Iryna Levchenko was allegedly abducted by Russian forces in Ukraine in early May 2023 and has reportedly been held by Russia ever since. Levchenko worked for years as a reporter for several news outlets but left journalism after Russian forces occupied the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol in late February 2022, according to…
Amet Suleymanov
Amet Suleymanov, a Crimean Tatar freelance journalist, is serving a 12-year prison sentence after being convicted on charges of terrorism and of “preparation for a violent seizure of power,” in connection with his reporting on alleged human rights abuses by Russian authorities in Crimea. Russian authorities detained him in March 2020 in Bakhchysarai in southern…
Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina missing since August 3
Riga, October 5, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the disappearance of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina and called on Russian authorities and anyone with information about her to disclose her location immediately. “We are deeply worried by the disappearance of Viktoria Roshchina, who has been missing for over two months after planning to…
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…
Covering Ukraine: When a Russian missile brought death to a popular pizza restaurant
British photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind and her Ukrainian producer Dmytro were planning their next day of reporting over dinner in Kramatorsk when a Russian missile crashed into the restaurant. The two journalists were among dozens injured; 13 were killed. The June 27 bombing of the Ria Lounge, a popular hangout for local journalists, was a stark…
Ukraine journalists say opaque accreditation process hampers war coverage
Paris, June 9, 2023—Ukrainian authorities should ensure that journalists covering the war are not pressured over their reporting and must set clear and transparent qualifications for press accreditation, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Since March, officers with Ukraine’s SBU security service have repeatedly questioned journalists seeking accreditation from the country’s military and others…
Russian soldiers detain former journalist Iryna Levchenko in southeastern Ukraine
Paris, June 2, 2023 – Russian authorities should immediately release Iryna Levchenko and stop detaining current and former members of the press in occupied areas of Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. In early May, Russian forces detained Levchenko and her husband, Oleksandr, in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, in southeast Ukraine, according…