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’…
Russia seeks to arrest, prosecute, fine, and restrict 13 exiled journalists
Berlin, July 25, 2024—Russian authorities have targeted more than a dozen exiled journalists over the last month as part of their escalating campaign of transnational repression of independent voices. Authorities sought the arrest of one exiled journalist and added two to their wanted list of suspects sought on criminal charges. More than 95,000 people are…
Exiled Russian journalist Denis Kamalyagin charged with violating foreign agent law
New York, February 6, 2024—Russian authorities must immediately drop all charges against journalist Denis Kamalyagin and stop harassing exiled members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Kamalyagin, editor-in-chief of the exiled Russian newspaper Pskovskaya Guberniya, was charged in December with failing to comply with the country’s foreign agent law, according to…
Russia brings new charges against jailed journalists Alsu Kurmasheva and Maria Ponomarenko, targets exiled journalist Masha Gessen
Paris, December 14, 2023—Russian authorities must immediately release journalists Alsu Kurmasheva and Maria Ponomarenko, drop all charges against them, and stop harassing exiled members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Tuesday, the Telegram channel Baza and state news agency Tatar-Inform reported that Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian national and an editor…
Russian newspaper Pskovskaya Guberniya searched; journalists flee amid home raids
Paris, March 23, 2022 — Russian authorities should stop harassing independent journalists and let all members of the press work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On March 5, officers with the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Center for Combating Extremism and the OMON special riot police raided the office of Pskovskaya Guberniya, an…
Russia-Ukraine watch
How the war is affecting press freedom in the region Updated June 16, 2022 Russia’s February 24 full-scale invasion of Ukraine marked a sharp escalation in threats to press freedom in the region and beyond. Journalists in Ukraine have been killed covering the war, while many of their Russian counterparts have fled or faced persecution….
Russian regulator announces fines for RFE/RL outlets under expanded ‘foreign agent’ law
New York, January 14, 2021 – Russian authorities should repeal the country’s foreign agents law to ensure that local and foreign news outlets can work freely, and in the meantime refrain from fining media organizations over alleged violations of the law, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 12, Roskomnadzor, the country’s media…