Criminalizing Reporting – Europe

Marina Zolotova is the editor-in-chief of the largest independent online news portal in Belarus, a country dominated by state and state-affiliated media. She was convicted after two weeks, and several elements of Ms. Zolotova’s prosecution raise concerns that the case was politically motivated.

Cansu Pişkin, a journalist for a Turkey newspaper, was criminally charged with “ma[king] a public servant into a target for terrorist organizations” after she published an online news on April 5, 2018 criticizing the government for its prosecution of student protesters.

The Clooney Foundation for Justice's TrialWatch initiative monitored the criminal trial of journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva in Russia. On July 6, 2020, Prokopyeva was convicted of “justifying terrorism” for a radio broadcast that commented critically on Russia’s repressive political climate.

Journalist and editor Alexander Pichugin was convicted under vague fake news laws implemented by Russia during COVID-19 for his sarcastic commentary saying churches stayed open despite otherwise strict quarantine measures.

The entirety of the case, as evinced by the absolute lack of evidence against Ms. Andreyeva and Ms. Chultsova, was geared towards suppressing independent journalism and sending a warning signal to other media outlets reporting on mass demonstrations in Belarus.