Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia
Behind the Eurovision glitz is an "alarming" free expression situation, says a coalition of international rights groups. Plus:- Take action! Support human rights in Azerbaijan- Video petition: Sing for Democracy - Human Rights Watch Azerbaijan Eurovision page- Amnesty International Azerbaijan Running Scared campaign
A Russian gay rights activist is believed to have become the first person to be punished under a municipal law for distributing "gay propaganda", report Index on Censorship and news reports.
See all articles: Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia
See all campaign news: Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia
See all reports: Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia
From the Communiqué
16 May 2012
Azerbaijan
Eurovision 2012: Five things the hosts don't want you to know
Behind the Eurovision glitz is an "alarming" free expression situation, says a coalition of international rights groups. Plus:- Take action! Support human rights in Azerbaijan- Video petition: Sing for Democracy - Human Rights Watch Azerbaijan Eurovision page- Amnesty International Azerbaijan Running Scared campaign
9 May 2012
Russia
Activist fined for speaking out in support of gay community
A Russian gay rights activist is believed to have become the first person to be punished under a municipal law for distributing "gay propaganda", report Index on Censorship and news reports.
See all articles: Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia
Campaigns and Advocacy
16 May 2012
Azerbaijan
A visit with journalist Idrak Abbasov
On 18 April, journalist Idrak Abbasov was brutally attacked while he reported on the demolition of houses in his village. Rebecca Vincent recently visited him at his home outside Baku.
16 May 2012
Russia
Punk collective Pussy Riot gives exclusive interview to IFEX member Index on Censorship
Members of the band who have not yet been arrested are now in hiding, but they responded to interview questions by email.
7 May 2012
Azerbaijan
European Broadcasting Union should speak out on government's appalling record on freedom of expression, says Human Rights Watch
On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, the EBU held a workshop in Geneva on media freedom in Azerbaijan but failed to use the opportunity to call the government to task and to speak out about Azerbaijan’s abysmal record on freedom of expression.See all campaign news: Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia
Reports
9 May 2012
Turkey
One hundred journalists in prison on World Press Freedom Day
BIANET laments the poor state of press freedom in the country and says that recent judicial reforms that label some press crimes as "terrorism" will make the situation worse.
10 April 2012
Turkey
OSCE study confirms nearly 100 journalists currently in prison
The updated figure appears to confirm Turkey, an OSCE member state and candidate for membership in the European Union, as one of the world’s leading jailers of journalists – by some accounts ahead even of notorious press-freedom offenders Iran and China.See all reports: Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia
Take action!
BELARUS: Action on Belarus! Watch video of conference in Norway on 22 March If you missed the conference Action on Belarus in Norway, you can watch clips from the event on 22 March online here. The conference is part of a broader campaign strategy on Belarus.18 March 2012
AZERBAIJAN: Sign the petition to support threatened anti-corruption reporter Khadija Ismayilova
Show your support for anti-corruption journalist Khadija Ismayilova, who has received graphic threats warning her to stop "behaving improperly." The Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) calls it "a low and ugly act seeking to silence a journalist." Sign the petition here.
9 March 2012
Alerts
AZERBAIJAN: Opposition activist released from prison 17 May 2012 RUSSIA: Putin's new mandate starts inauspiciously for media 11 May 2012 MOLDOVA: Reporter injured in vicious attack 9 May 2012 AZERBAIJAN: Journalist says he was tortured in prison 25 April 2012 ARMENIA: Author facing jail for army criticism in fiction 25 April 2012 KAZAKHSTAN: Journalist seriously injured in assassination attempt 20 April 2012 BELARUS: Journalist and political activist Dimitry Bondarenko released 19 April 2012 AZERBAIJAN: International NGOs call on president to investigate brutal attack on prominent journalist 19 April 2012 UZBEKISTAN: Activist freed but crackdown widening 13 April 2012 MOLDOVA: Broadcaster's equipment destroyed 12 April 2012 BELARUS: Serious concern over health of political prisoner 12 April 2012 TURKEY: Publisher Ragip Zarakolu released pending trial 10 April 2012 RUSSIA: Prominent journalist attacked 5 April 2012 UZBEKISTAN: Growing concern over targeting of independent journalists 4 April 2012 TURKMENISTAN: Damning UN report shows need for urgent action on human rights 2 April 2012 TURKEY: Politician sentenced to 15 years in prison for campaign speeches 2 April 2012 LATVIA: Investigative journalist badly injured in targeted attack 30 March 2012 UKRAINE: Editor reported missing in Lvov region 29 March 2012 AZERBAIJAN: Three journalists detained for 12 hours 28 March 2012 AZERBAIJAN: Ensure detained journalists access to lawyer, family, says Human Rights Watch 28 March 2012 RUSSIA: Apparent arson attempt at activists' office 27 March 2012 TURKEY: Human Rights Foundation threatened, its website hacked 27 March 2012 TURKEY: Academic, publisher formally indicted 27 March 2012 TURKEY: One-month suspension for daily newspaper 26 March 2012 TURKEY: Journalist recently released from prison is under investigation again 23 March 2012 See all alerts: Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia
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