Turkey must release journalist Ahmet Polad following his transfer from Syria after months of captivity
New York, September 18, 2026–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Turkish authorities to immediately release Ahmet Polad, a Kurdish-Turkish journalist who was transferred to Turkey this month after nearly eight months of enforced disappearance in Syria and is reported to be in extremely poor health. Polad’s lawyer, Özlem Gümüştaş, told CPJ on Friday that…
Turkey must drop charges against 3 ETHA journalists, including jailed editor Nadiye Gürbüz
Istanbul, September 17, 2026—Journalist Nadiye Gürbüz, who went on trial in Istanbul this week after spending more than seven months behind bars, must be freed immediately and Turkish authorities must stop abusing anti-terrorism laws to prevent journalists from doing their jobs, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Thursday. Gürbüz, an editor at the socialist…
CPJ, partners call on Rubio to press for release of imprisoned Vietnamese journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists and nine partner organizations sent a joint letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to press for the immediate release of imprisoned journalists during upcoming high-level meetings with senior Vietnamese officials. The public letter, released September 16, urges Rubio to prioritize the humanitarian release of Vietnamese journalists Le…
CPJ urges US Congress, Trump to press for Jimmy Lai’s release ahead of Xi visit
The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration to “resolutely demand” for the release of jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, ahead of a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. U.S. authorities must use “all available diplomatic means and opportunities” to secure Lai’s freedom,…
CPJ welcomes release of 3 journalists in Belarus
Berlin, September 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of journalists Andrei Aliaksandrau, Dzmitry Navazhylau, and Kyril Pazniak, who were among 25 prisoners freed on Wednesday by Belarus following months of U.S. diplomatic efforts. The releases followed a meeting between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and John Coale, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy…
Journalist Tuğba Tekerek arrested in Turkey for ‘obscenity’ during LGBTQ+ crackdown
Istanbul, September 16, 2026—Turkish authorities must immediately release freelance journalist Tuğba Tekerek and stop jailing, detaining and intimidating reporters for simply doing their jobs, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Police in Istanbul took Tekerek into custody late on September 13 during a sweeping crackdown against the LGBTQ+ community, which saw dozens of activists…
Imprisoned Tunisian journalist Zied el-Heni faces new terrorism charges
New York, September 16, 2026—Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release and drop all charges against journalist Zied el-Heni, who is serving a one-year prison sentence and faces two separate other criminal cases, including a new case where he is facing four terrorism-related charges that his family says could expose him to life imprisonment, the…
CPJ, partners urge China to ensure #MeToo journalist Sophia Huang’s freedom as jail term nears end
New York, September 15, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists and partner organizations call on the Chinese authorities to ensure journalist Sophia Huang Xueqin is freed without any arbitrary restrictions, as she approaches the end of a five-year prison sentence. Huang, whose reporting on human rights and sexual abuse helped spark China’s #MeToo movement, is due…
Turkey arrests journalist Selahattin Günday over 2011 report
Istanbul, September 15, 2026—Turkish authorities must release arrested journalist Selahattin Günday without delay and stop abusing the country’s laws to harass journalists and prevent them from doing their jobs, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Günday, a former broadcast reporter for the now closed Doğan News Agency (DHA), was taken into custody by Istanbul…
CPJ condemns 15-year prison sentence handed down by Russian authorities to retired Ukrainian journalist Iryna Levchenko
Berlin, September 8, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the harsh 15-year prison sentence handed down by Russian occupation authorities to retired Ukrainian journalist Iryna Levchenko on charges of “espionage,” and calls for her immediate and unconditional release. The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Regional Court said on September 4 it had sentenced Levchenko, who is 64 and…