Two years after Politkovskaya’s murder, three suspects will go to trial
New York, October 6, 2008–Three men will soon go to trial in the October 2006 assassination of Novaya Gazeta journalist Anna Politkovskaya, according to local news reports. Russia’s Prosecutor-General’s Office approved the indictments on Wednesday, and sent the case to court on Thursday.
One journalist killed, another beaten in North Caucasus
New York, September 3, 2008–Authorities must thoroughly investigate the murder in Dagestan of Telman Alishayev, a reporter and host for the Islamic television channel TV-Chirkei, and the severe attack in Kabardino-Balkariya against Miloslav Bitokov, editor-in-chief of the independent weekly Gazeta Yuga. Alishayev died today of gunshot wounds sustained in an attack on Tuesday in Dagestan’s…
Web site owner killed in police custody in Ingushetia
New York, September 2, 2008–Russian federal authorities must undertake a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into Sunday’s shocking death of Magomed Yevloyev, owner of the popular news Web site Ingushetiya, who was killed in the custody of police in Ingushetia, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Putin and the tiger
This Monday, the fourth anniversary of the Beslan school hostage crisis, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sedated a Siberian tiger to save–or so legend has it–a state television crew. As survivors of the Beslan tragedy gathered at the graveyard outside the North Ossetian town to mourn the more than 330 victims–mostly children–killed in the massacre,…
Press freedom in the news 9/3/08
The news of the arrest American filmmaker Andrew Berends in Nigeria is the focus of stories in The New York Times and the African Press Agency this morning. According to CPJ’s research, Berends and his Nigerian translator, Samuel Geroge, were both arrested by Nigerian authorities on August 31. Violence in Russia continues to be in…
Press freedom in the news 9/2/08
Both the BBC and The International Herald Tribune have coverage of protests at the funeral of slain Russian journalist Magomed Yevloyev. We released a statement yesterday about the death of Yevloyev, the owner of Ingushetiya Web site, who was found dead after being taken into police custody. Roza Malsagova, the editor of the site, fled…
Moscow must investigate killing in Ingushetia
We released the following statement today after journalist Mogamed Yevloyev died in police custody. Yevloyev was detained by police as he arrived at Ingushetia’s airport and was later found dead from a gunshot wound to the head. “We mourn the death of our colleague Magomed Yevloyev and send our sympathies to his family, colleagues, and…
Moscow court orders closure of North Caucasus news Web site
New York, June 17, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces repeated efforts by authorities in the southern Russian republic of Ingushetia to shut down the regional news Web site Ingushetiya—one of the few remaining independent news outlets covering the volatile North Caucasus—for alleged extremism. On June 6, Kuntsevo district court in Moscow ordered the closure…