Home Europe and Central Asia Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia

Reports - Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia

This is available in:

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.

26 March 2012

Azerbaijan

Freedom of expression situation is "alarming", say international rights organisations

Azerbaijan's appalling free-expression record is of international concern because the country is hosting the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest and the Internet Governance Forum.

14 February 2012

Turkey

A year of struggle for journalists

In 2011, journalism and rights organisations in Turkey and worldwide urged for the release of imprisoned journalists, called for the abrogation of the Anti-Terror Law, observed trial hearings and requested amendments to lengthy detention periods, says a new BIANET report.

31 January 2012

Turkey

BIANET releases media monitoring results for 2011

A total of 104 journalists and 30 media workers were imprisoned in 2011, says BIANET, a large jump from 30 journalists in 2010.

5 January 2012

Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia

Press freedom overview reveals ongoing violations in South East Europe

SEEMO registered 684 violations in 2011 and noted that the source of threats and pressures was diverse, including politicians; business groups, often linked to mafia-style business dealings and others.

2 January 2012

Turkey

BIANET releases third quarter media monitoring report

BIANET outlines the press freedom violations that took place from July to September 2011.

13 December 2011

Uzbekistan

Human Rights Watch report provides evidence of wide-scale rights abuses

Torture is a chronic problem, rights activists are languishing in prison and the government has disbarred some of the country's most outspoken lawyers, says the organisation.

5 December 2011

Turkey

BIANET releases second quarter media monitoring report

BIANET outlines the press freedom violations that took place from April to July 2011.

30 November 2011

Russia

ARTICLE 19 outlines six reasons why defamation reform fails to protect free expression

While a reform of the country's defamation legislation was necessary, the organisation says the new amendments will not improve the right to freedom of expression or media freedom.

28 November 2011

Russia

CJES report highlights ongoing impunity in attacks against journalists

In honour of the International Day to End Impunity, CJES has published a report outlining the challenges faced by journalists in Russia.

27 October 2011

Russia

Impunity reigns in province killings, says CPJ report

The murders in Togliatti of journalists Valery Ivanov and Aleksei Sidorov illustrate systemic problems that afflict another 15 unsolved murders, nearly 70 percent of them in the Russian provinces.

26 October 2011

Turkey

Journalists under pressure as government pursues military offensive against PKK

Nese Düzel and Adnan Demir are being prosecuted for two April 2010 reports containing interviews with former PKK leaders Zübeyir Aydar and Remzi Kartal.

23 September 2011

Belarus

Freedom House and Center for European Policy Analysis release working group report on democratic transition

The report includes recommendations for breaking the information blockade in the country and galvanising the links between civil society organisations and the population.

13 September 2011

Ukraine

ARTICLE 19 policy paper on transparency of media ownership by off-shore companies

States have an obligation to set out a legal regime for transparency of media ownership by off-shore companies in order to avoid media concentration, says ARTICLE 19.

22 July 2011

Azerbaijan

IRFS press freedom report for first six months of 2011

On a positive note, Eynulla Fatullayev, the former editor-in-chief of the "Realniy Azerbaidjan" and "Gundelik Azerbaijan" newspapers, was released after spending 4 years in prison, following the signing of a pardon decree by the president of Azerbaijan.

6 May 2011

Turkey

BIANET 2011 1st Quarter Media Monitoring Report

According to the report, by 31 March 2011, five journalists were in prison for their writings, and another 42 press members were imprisoned for involvement in operations like "Ergenekon" and other major trials and investigations.

4 May 2011

Turkey

BIANET 2010 Media Monitoring Report

According to BIANET's 2010 report, 220 people, including 104 journalists, were tried in court on free expression related charges in 2010.

30 March 2011

Turkey

Legal landscape dominated by Anti-Terror Law in 2010, says BIANET media monitoring report

According to the report, 220 people, 104 of whom are journalists, stood trial in 2010 in cases linked to freedom of thought or expression.

25 March 2011

Hungary

New media law substantially curtails press freedom, says SEENPM

Click below to read the SEENPM report:

14 March 2011

Belarus

Authorities carrying out campaign to stifle free expression, says Human Rights Watch report

"Shattering Hopes: Post-Election Crackdown in Belarus" documents the human rights violations that have occurred since the re-election of President Lukashenka.

9 February 2011

Turkey

BIANET July - September 2010 media monitoring report

According to the report by the Independent Communication Network (BIA) Media Monitoring Desk, the judiciary persecutes independent media and media that voice different opinions on the "Kurdish Problem". Its justification is: "fighting against terrorism."

18 January 2011

Russia

Cases documented by GDF in Russia in 2010

Journalists and the media remained under intense pressure in 2010, according to GDF, being subjected to attacks, criminal prosecution, threats, censorship and detention.

18 January 2011

Hungary

ARTICLE 19 issues statement on controversial new media laws

Changes to the legal framework include very restrictive content requirements for broadcasting, print and online media, says ARTICLE 19.

30 December 2010

Turkey

BIANET 2010 third quarter media monitoring report

In the third quarter of 2010, six journalists were in jail because of their writings, the number of people tried under the Anti-Terror Law rose and Turkey was found guilty by the European Court of Human Rights of violating freedom of expression and the right to life in relation to the trial for the murder of journalist Hrant Dink.

1 November 2010

Turkey

Human Rights Watch report shows terrorism laws used to jail Kurdish protesters

"Allowing laws clearly aimed at terrorism to be used against demonstrators inflicts immense damage on free expression, assembly, and association in Turkey," says Human Rights Watch.

26 October 2010

Azerbaijan

Journalists facing violence and prosecution

The Azerbaijani government is using criminal laws and violent attacks to silence dissenting journalists, Human Rights Watch said in its report.

16 September 2010

Kazakhstan

CPJ special report: Disdaining press freedom, Kazakhstan undermines OSCE

The Nazarbayev government has reneged on its promises and intensified its repressive practices, CPJ said in a new report.

15 September 2010

Azerbaijan

ARTICLE 19 releases freedom of expression report

The report concludes that the freedom of expression situation has deteriorated over the past five years and is one of the most pressing human rights concerns in the country.

20 August 2010

Turkey

BIANET 2010 second quarter media monitoring report

In the second quarter of 2010, the number of people charged with crimes for freedom of expression has doubled compared to the same period last year. The number of suspects under the anti-terrorism law have increased fivefold. As the war intensifies, freedom of expression weakens.

13 May 2010

Turkey

BIANET Media Monitoring Report documents 216 free expression legal cases

The government and the higher judiciary seem to be allies, as far as the undermining of press freedom and freedom of expression are concerned, says the report.

1 April 2010

Azerbaijan

IRFS releases 2009 annual report

Problems related to Azerbaijan's press and independent mass media remained unsolved during 2009.

10 February 2010

Moldova

IJC report on the situation of the press in 2009

The Independent Journalism Center has issued its fifth annual report on the situation of the press in Moldova.

10 February 2010

Ukraine

Report on Ukrainian presidential elections

29 January 2010

Russia

Media representatives urge interior minister to end police arbitrariness

GDF points to a worrying trend of police officers who detain journalists reporting on protests.

14 January 2010

Russia

Attacks on freedom of expression registered by GDF's Monitoring Service in 2009

In 2009, journalists and the media remained under pressure.

4 November 2009

Azerbaijan

ARTICLE 19 launches report on the right to access information

The report concludes that the government must put in place a comprehensive action plan in order to effectively implement the Law on the Right to Obtain Information.

15 October 2009

Czech Republic

IPI publishes Press Freedom Audit report

Czech Human Rights and Ethnic Minorities Minister Michael Kocab admits to IPI that gag law contributes to "rise of self-censorship", says it should be "amended".

1 October 2009

Turkey

BIANET releases its second quarter media monitoring report

29 September 2009

Azerbaijan

WAN-IFRA calls for greater media freedom in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan will not be able to take its place among the world's modern, democratic and free nations without profound change in the media landscape, says WAN-IFRA in mission report.

17 September 2009

Russia

CPJ special report: The Unsolved Killings of Journalists in Russia

The 72-page report, released by CPJ, examines the killings of 17 journalists and documents the government's inability to solve the cases.

21 August 2009

Turkey

BIANET 2009 second quarterly Media Monitoring Report

According to the second quarterly BIA Media Monitoring Report, 125 people, 57 of them journalists, were on trial between April and June 2009.

31 July 2009

Turkey

BIANET 2009 first quarterly Media Monitoring Report

23 June 2009

Russia

CJES, GDF and IFJ launch report on journalists killed

A report titled "Partial Justice: An Investigation into the Deaths of Journalists in Russia, 1993-2009" was presented at the Marble Hall of Moscow’s House of Journalists by IFJ, GDF and CJES.

16 June 2009

Russia

IFJ report finds "Partial Justice" in hunt for killers of journalists

On 15 June 2009, IFJ launched its 'Partial Justice' report, a review into the deaths of more than 300 Russian journalists since 1993.

22 May 2009

Kazakhstan

Human Rights Watch calls on Kazakhstan to improve its human rights record

Changes needed for upcoming OSCE leadership role

15 May 2009

Moldova

IJC - Memorandum on the Freedom of the Press in Moldova

16 April 2009

Slovakia

IPI report uncovers worrying trends

Targeting of the Slovak press through civil defamation lawsuits is causing widespread concern among journalists that they cannot do their jobs without fear of reprisal, the International Press Institute warns in a report

12 March 2009