Moscow court orders arrest in absentia of exiled journalist, 2 others face administrative charges
Berlin, June 7, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists decries Russian authorities’ crackdown on independent media outlets and exiled journalists, and urges them to cease their harassment immediately. On Wednesday, June 5, the Basmanny district court in the capital, Moscow, ordered the arrest in absentia of exiled journalist Dmitry Kolezev, saying that he distributed false information…
Russian authorities prosecute, fine Meduza journalists
Berlin, May 30, 2024—Russian authorities must end the prosecution and harassment of journalists connected with the Latvia-based independent news site Meduza and those who share its content, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On May 2, the Cheryomushki district court in the Russian capital Moscow initiated administrative proceedings against Galina Timchenko, head of Meduza,…
Pegasus spyware targeted exiled journalists from Russia, Latvia, Belarus, report finds
New York, May 30, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply troubled by a Thursday report by rights group Access Now and research organization Citizen Lab alleging that Pegasus spyware was used to surveil at least five journalists. The report, “Exiled, then spied on: Civil society in Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland targeted with Pegasus spyware,”…
Russia puts Forbes journalist under house arrest, detains 2 others
Berlin, May 1, 2024—Russian authorities must drop legal proceedings against Sergey Mingazov, a journalist for the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, and detained journalists Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin and ensure that members of the press are not imprisoned for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On April 27, a court in the city of Khabarovsk…
Two Prague-based Russian journalists threatened, fear surveillance
New York, September 21, 2023—Czech authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into recent threats received by journalists at the independent investigative news website IStories and ensure the journalists’ safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Between March and September 2023, IStories received four threatening messages via the feedback form on the outlet’s…
Apple warns Latvia-based journalists about possible hacker attacks
New York, September 15, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday issued an urgent call for authorities to investigate allegations that journalists working in Latvia were targeted by state-sponsored hackers. CPJ’s call follows reports on Thursday—a day after the disclosure that the phone of exiled Russian journalist Galina Timchenko had been infected by Pegasus spyware—that…
Investigation finds Russian journalist Galina Timchenko targeted by Pegasus spyware
New York, September 13, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists said that it is deeply disturbed by the findings of an investigation released Wednesday by rights organizations that the phone of Galina Timchenko, head of the independent Russian news website Meduza, was infected by Pegasus surveillance spyware while she was in Germany earlier this year. “CPJ…
Two exiled Russian journalists sentenced to 11 years for disseminating ‘fake’ news on Ukraine war
New York, August 31, 2023—Russian authorities should not contest the appeals of exiled journalists Ruslan Leviev and Michael Nacke and drop all charges against them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Tuesday, August 29, the Basmanny Court in Moscow sentenced Leviev, founder of the Russian independent investigative project Conflict Intelligence Team, and Nacke,…
CPJ calls for investigation into alleged poisoning of exiled Russian journalists Elena Kostyuchenko and Irina Babloyan
New York, August 16, 2023 — German and Georgian authorities should thoroughly and transparently investigate allegations that exiled Russian journalists Elena Kostyuchenko and Irina Babloyan were poisoned in 2022, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Tuesday, an investigation by the independent news website The Insider stated that both journalists had experienced unexplained health…
Russia bans independent outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe, adds to ‘undesirable’ list
New York, June 29, 2023—Russian authorities should stop silencing outlets by labeling them as “undesirable,” and let the independent news outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Wednesday, June 28, the Russian general prosecutor’s office declared the activity of the outlet’s legal entity, BDR Novaja Gazeta-Europe, “undesirable” and…