Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh on hunger strike in Evin Prison
Paris, June 9, 2025—Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh, who is serving a 10-year sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison, launched a hunger strike on June 7 to protest the seizure of his essential documents, including his birth certificate, which he needs to manage his legal affairs and protect his assets abroad. Valizadeh, a former Radio Farda reporter, returned to…
CPJ supports legal efforts to protect RFE/RL, VOA after Trump executive order
New York, April 2, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) filed three amicus briefs on Friday, March 28, responding to the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and freeze congressionally-appropriated funds to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice…
7 Azerbaijani journalists with anti-corruption outlet, RFE/RL go on trial
New York, December 17, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Azerbaijani authorities to drop charges against six members of the anti-corruption investigative outlet Abzas Media and freelance journalist Farid Mehralizada, with U.S. Congress-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Azerbaijani service, as a trial began Tuesday in the Serious Crimes Court of the capital, Baku. “The…
CPJ condemns police brutality against journalists covering Georgian protests
New York, December 4, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Georgian authorities to hold police officers accountable and ensure journalists’ safety following multiple reports of least 50 journalists injured during violent police dispersals of pro-European Union demonstrations between November 28 and December 3. “The protection of journalists is a hallmark of democratic…
Azerbaijan to try RFE/RL’s Farid Mehralizada, 14 other journalists as it prepares to host COP29
New York, November 6, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Azerbaijani authorities to immediately release Farid Mehralizada, an economist and journalist with U.S. Congress-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Azerbaijani service, known locally as Radio Azadliq, who has been detained on currency smuggling charges since May. On October 30, RFE/RL issued a statement calling for…
Bulgarian journalists beaten, threatened on election day
New York, November 4, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Bulgarian authorities to swiftly investigate and prosecute those who attacked or threatened at least four journalists while they were reporting on Sunday’s parliamentary elections. “Harassment and threats against journalists covering Bulgaria’s elections are deeply concerning,” said Attila Mong, CPJ’s Europe representative. “Bulgarian authorities must…
CPJ: Release of Gershkovich, Kurmasheva welcome, but Russia must stop stifling reporting
New York, August 1, 2024–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) editor Alsu Kurmasheva as part of a prisoner exchange, and calls on Russia to release other jailed journalists and stop harassing those in exile. “Evan and Alsu have been apart from their families for far…
US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva sentenced to 6½ years in secret trial
New York, July 22, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemns Friday’s sentencing of U.S.-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to 6½ years in prison on charges of spreading “fake” news about the Russian army. “Russia’s appalling assault on the media continues to escalate with the secret sentencing of Alsu Kurmasheva,” said CPJ Director of Advocacy and Communications Gypsy…
CPJ joins call to President Biden to designate RFE/RL’s Alsu Kurmasheva ‘wrongfully detained’ by Russia
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 17 press freedom organizations, journalists associations and rights groups on Wednesday in calling on U.S. President Joe Biden to act immediately 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…
CPJ calls on Taliban to drop plans to restrict Facebook access in Afghanistan
New York, April 8, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that the Taliban plans to restrict or block access to Facebook in Afghanistan and calls on authorities not to move ahead on a measure that would further impede the free flow of information in the country. On April 6, Najibullah Haqqani, the Taliban’s acting…