Journalist Aleksey Seregin detained in Russia’s Mari El Republic
New York, June 5, 2026—Russian authorities must immediately release journalist Aleksey Seregin and stop silencing independent voices in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Friday. On June 4, law enforcement officers in Yoshkar-Ola, the capital of Mari El Republic in western Russia, detained Seregin after beating him, confiscating his phone, and searching his…
Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko sentenced to third prison term
Berlin, June 5, 2026—A court in Russia’s southern Altai Krai on Wednesday convicted Maria Ponomarenko, an imprisoned correspondent for the independent news outlet RusNews, of using violence against prison staff and sentenced her to an additional 22 months behind bars. The ruling marks the third prison sentence given to Ponomarenko, who has been detained since April 2022…
Russia adds CPJ to its list of ‘undesirable organizations’
New York, May 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists has been included on a Russian government list of “undesirable organizations” — a label used to suppress media outlets, NGOs, and other independent voices that the Kremlin deems a threat to its narrative control. CPJ, which was not notified of the decision or the reasons behind…
Moscow police raid Novaya Gazeta, detain journalist Oleg Roldugin
Update: On April 10, a court in Moscow placed Roldugin under arrest until May 10, pending investigation. Berlin, April 9, 2026—Russian authorities must immediately release journalist Oleg Roldugin and stop the targeted persecution of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose office was searched on Thursday in Moscow, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. On April 9, law…
CPJ, partners condemn Russia’s labeling of IWMF as ‘undesirable organization’
Washington, D.C., April 2, 2026— The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and partners in the Journalist Assistance Network (JAN) condemn Russia’s unabashed attempt to silence independent journalism and the civil society that supports their critical work by designating the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) an “undesirable organization.” In response, the JAN issued the following statement…
Russia’s repression record
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, its media has experienced an unprecedented crackdown. Hundreds of journalists have been forced into exile, where they continue to face transnational legal persecution, and their families have been harassed back home. Meanwhile, reporting from inside Russia has become increasingly difficult, with journalists and media outlets often silenced…
CPJ: Russia’s Telegram throttling another step toward total information control
Berlin, February 11, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Russian authorities to immediately stop throttling the messaging service Telegram, warning that the restrictions represent a deliberate escalation in the Kremlin’s campaign to curtail access to independent information. Users across Russia have reported widespread disruptions on February 9 and 10, according to data from internet…
Russia’s State Duma advances bill allowing FSB to shut down internet
Berlin, January 28, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Russia to drop proposed legislation advanced in the country’s parliament that would significantly expand the Federal Security Service’s (FSB) authority to shut down communications, further restricting internet access across the country. On January 27, Russia’s State Duma passed the first read of government-backed amendments to the country’s…
Russian journalist Nika Novak missing from prison
Berlin, December 2, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is calling on Russian authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of journalist Nika Novak, who has gone missing from a prison in Bozoy, in the Siberian region of Irkutsk. Novak is serving a four-year prison sentence after being convicted in November 2024 on charges of “confidential cooperation with a foreign organization,”…
‘Life goes on without you’: Q&A with Ukrainian journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko
Captured by Russian security services and sentenced on false charges, Ukrainian journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko spent over four years in a Russian prison, enduring torture while trying to maintain his sanity and physical strength. Yesypenko, who covered Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Crimea for the U.S. Congress-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), was released in June. He was first detained by Russian authorities…