Russia’s repression record

TLDR

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country has intensified its crackdown on media, leading to numerous journalists being imprisoned, exiled, or branded as 'foreign agents'. Over 25,000 websites related to war reporting have been blocked, and 23 media outlets have been banned. Journalists face severe penalties for 'fake news' and 'LGBT propaganda', with some sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

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 by laws criminalizing independent coverage. Since February 24, 2022, CPJ has documented: - 27 journalists imprisoned on criminal charges: 15 Russian, 10 Ukrainian, and 2 American. Of these, 4 released, 2 exiled, and 1 killed. - Charges against those jailed: 9 for “fake” news; 14 for terrorism, extremism, and other anti-state crimes; 4 were undisclosed. - 17 exiled journalists sentenced to jail in absentia. - 327 journalists and media outlets branded “foreign agents.” - 23 media outlets banned as “undesirable.” - More than 25,000 websites blocked in connection with war reporting. ...