Sentenced

Miami, January 27, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the sentencing of Cuban journalist José Gabriel Barrenechea to six years in prison on January 15 after he was found guilty of protesting and calls on Cuban authorities to free him, and allow the free flow of information in the country. The Provincial Court of Villa…

New York, August 26, 2025—A Belarusian court convicted freelance journalist Aleh Supruniuk on charges of participating in an “extremist” group” and sentenced him to three years imprisonment on August 8. His sentencing was made public August 25 by the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), an advocacy and trade group operating from exile. “The sentencing of journalist Aleh Supruniuk to three years in…

Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, August 20, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Kurdish authorities to immediately release freelance Iraqi Kurdish journalist Sherwan Sherwani after an Erbil court handed him an additional four years and five months in prison.  “Sentencing Sherwani for a third time on dubious charges and imposing the maximum penalty shows the authorities’ determination to silence his critical voice and keep him behind…

New York, July 9, 2025—CPJ urges Tunisian authorities to cease the prosecution of family members of journalists advocating for their release after a Tunis court on July 1 sentenced in absentia Ramla Dahmani, the sister of imprisoned lawyer and political commentator Sonia Dahmani, to two years in prison on false news charges.  “Tunisian authorities are…

Bangkok, June 10, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes justice for Cambodian journalist Chhoeung Chheng, whose killer, Sy Loeuy, was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison by a Siem Reap provincial court on May 28, according to multiple press reports. The ruling was made public June 5, the reports said. Described as a local farmer and…

New York, April 17, 2025—A court in the southern city of Almaty sentenced Temirlan Yensebek, the founder of the Instagram-based satirical outlet Qaznews24, on Friday, April 11, to five years of restricted freedom on charges of inciting ethnic and religious hatred. The court prohibited Yensebek from engaging in public activities, including working as a journalist, participating in…

New York, April 15, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Russian authorities to immediately release Russian journalists Antonina Favorskaya, Artyom Krieger, Konstantin Gabov, and Sergey Karelin, who were sentenced by a Moscow court on Tuesday to 5 ½ years in prison on extremism charges. The journalists were all accused of association with the anti-corruption…

New York, February 28, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns an Azerbaijani court decision on February 26 sentencing Aziz Orujov, director of independent broadcaster Kanal 13, to two years in prison on illegal construction charges. “Amid an unprecedented crackdown that has seen dozens of journalists incarcerated, Azerbaijan authorities’ singling out of Aziz Orujov from among…

New York, February 7, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for the immediate release of journalist Chadha Hadj Mbarek after a Tunisian court sentenced her to five years in prison on Wednesday. Another journalist, freelancer Chahrazad Akacha, was sentenced to 27 years in absentia. “The sentencing of journalists Chadha Hadj Mbarek and Chahrazad Akacha is a clear example of how the Tunisian…

Washington, D.C., February 3, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a January 21 ruling by the Ataq Primary Court in Shabwa province, southern Yemen, sentencing journalist Aziz Al-Ahmadi to four months in prison with a suspended sentence over a social media post questioning a solar energy project in the province. “The sentence against Al-Ahmadi is yet another…