Russia bans Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as ‘undesirable’
New York, February 21, 2024—Russian authorities must stop harassing U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and cease obstructing the work of media outlets by labeling them as “undesirable,” the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Justice added RFE/RL to its register of “undesirable” organizations after the Russian general…
CPJ calls on Kazakh authorities to accredit 36 RFE/RL journalists
Stockholm, February 2, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned a recent decision by Kazakh authorities to block accreditation to dozens of journalists working for Radio Azattyq, the local U.S. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty service, and called on authorities to allow the outlet to work freely. “RFE/RL’s Kazakh service is well known for its…
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…
Azerbaijani journalist Rufat Muradli sentenced to 30 days in jail
Stockholm, December 4, 2023—Azerbaijani authorities must release journalist Rufat Muradli and end their crackdown on the independent press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On Saturday, police in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, arrested Muradli, a presenter for the popular online broadcaster Kanal 13, on charges of minor hooliganism and disobeying police orders. Later the same…
Russia extends detention of RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva by 2 months
New York, December 1, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a Russian court’s decision in a closed-door hearing on Friday to extend the pretrial detention of U.S.-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva until February 5, 2024. “Each day Alsu Kurmasheva spends in Russian detention on absurd criminal charges is another blow to press freedom and journalists’ rights…
CPJ and partners call on Blinken to designate RFE/RL’s Alsu Kurmasheva ‘wrongfully detained’ by Russia
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 13 other press freedom and freedom of expression groups on Tuesday in calling on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to declare Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen and an editor with the Tatar-Bashkir service of the U.S. Congress-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), as “wrongfully detained” by the…
Kyrgyzstan freezes Radio Azattyk bank account under money laundering laws
Stockholm, November 4, 2022—Kyrgyz authorities should immediately restore access to the bank account and website of Radio Azattyk, U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s local service, and cease all attempts to obstruct the outlet’s work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Monday, October 31, staff at the local offices of Turkey-based DemirBank…