IFEX’s Post

No body is safe in Gaza

On #WorldPressFreedomDay, we resoundingly condemn antidemocratic attacks against free and independent media and call for the immediate release of all media workers unjustly behind bars. Reporters Without Borders reports that over 500 journalists were arbitrarily imprisoned at the end of 2023. Leaders like Vladimir Kara-Murza, truth seekers like Evan Gershkovich, documentarians like Tsi Conrad, anticorruption advocates like José Rubén Zamora, & many others who speak truth to power deserve their freedom. Data from the International Federation of Journalists further shows that 120 media workers were killed in 2023, marking the deadliest year on record for journalists since 1992. 75% of these deaths were a result of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. But efforts to silence independent voices go beyond jail cells and battlefields. Foreign agents laws, state capture of public media, and disinformation all take aim at journalists’ democratic duties and have had a chilling effect on press freedom worldwide. #WPFD2024 is a prime opportunity for all of democracy’s advocates to redouble our efforts to create a world where free and independent media can safely report the truth.

HOW DO WE DEAL WITH A TERROR STATE THAT IMPRISONS AND ARBITRARILY DETAINS OUR CITIZENS WITHOUT CAUSE? AS WITH BRITTNEY GRINER, THIS IS LITERALLY AN ACT OF KIDNAPPING FOR PURPOSES OF LEVERAGE AND PRISONER EXCHANGE. IT IS PLAINLY AN ACT OF WAR AGAINST THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES. THOSE WHO ARGUE AGAINST THIS COUNTRY’S FUNDING OF UKRAINE’S JUST WAR OF DEFENSE AGAINST RUSSIA, SHOULD GIVE PAUSE FOR THOUGHT… “A Russian court on Tuesday extended the unjust detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich through at least Jan. 30. That would extend his imprisonment to 10 months on false charges of espionage since his arrest in March. We can’t think of anything that would discomfit Vladimir Putin, who is responsible for Mr. Gershkovich’s arrest. The dictator has been denounced around the world, but the bomber of Ukrainian civilians hardly cares about that. No real Russian spies have been arrested in the U.S., nor any Russian journalists or diplomats even expelled, in response. The White House seems to be focusing on some kind of prisoner exchange for Mr. Gershkovich, as it has for others such as basketball celebrity Brittney Griner. The problem is that Mr. Putin doesn’t seem interested in anyone currently in U.S. custody, and Russia’s official position is that Mr. Gershkovich must go on trial first. Russia could finish its Potemkin trial in days if it wanted to. The harsh reality of Mr. Gershkovich’s detention for all American journalists working abroad is that the failure to impose costs on Russia will encourage the Kremlin and other rogue states to grab others. Negotiating with rogue states after an American has been grabbed is difficult, but that puts all the more importance on deterrence. And that means making clear that hostage-taking states will pay a price“ #evangershkovich #russiaterroriststate

This article was written on 19 July and events have changed. However, I post it for the footnote. It would be a shame to lose this source of objective reporting in Russia. #russia #pressfreedom <A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.> https://lnkd.in/gR2nME9G

Today, on World Press Freedom Day (May 3rd), we celebrate the courageous journalists and media workers who hold the powerful accountable and shed light on the truth. 𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙮. #WorldPressFreedomDay #PressFreedom #Journalism #TruthMatters #StandWithJournalists #AaliJah #ArshadSharif #ImranRiazKhan #AALIMINATI 

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐚𝐲: 𝘾𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙑𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 Today, on World Press Freedom Day (May 3rd), we celebrate the courageous journalists and media workers who hold the powerful accountable and shed light on the truth. A free press is the cornerstone of any healthy democracy. It allows citizens to be informed, engaged, and hold their governments to account. Yet, journalists around the world face increasing threats: violence, intimidation, censorship, and imprisonment. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝗹𝗲𝘁'𝘀: ● 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 made by journalists who risk their lives for the truth. ● 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 by subscribing to news outlets and sharing their work. ● 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 and attacks on press freedom. ● 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 from those in power. 𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙮. #WorldPressFreedomDay #PressFreedom #Journalism #TruthMatters #StandWithJournalists #AaliJah #ArshadSharif #ImranRiazKhan #AALIMINATI 

🚨 Journalists and civil society sound the alarm: the Foreign Interference Directive poses a risk to media freedom in the EU. With Civil Society Europe (CSE) and ARTICLE 19, we urge the withdrawal of the controversial proposed Directive, part of the #DefenseOfDemocracy Package. Read our full statement 👉 https://bit.ly/3AMfhQf  #ProtectMediaFreedom

More and more networks of russian-paid politicians, journalists, opinion leaders, and spies are being uncovered and investigated by law enforcement in the West. It's time to acknowledge that russia's ultimate goal is not just to halt aid to Ukraine in order to accelerate conquering us. russia aims to hijack your democracy and institutions, undermining the very foundation of your security and well-being. Denying that russia, supported by other tyrannies, is waging this crusade to dismantle democracy globally won't make the threat disappear; it will only allow it to grow stronger and faster. Either democracies finally grow their teeth to stand to their values and defend them, or they will be destroyed by autocracies—highly likely even without a single conventional battle. Recognizing and naming the problem is the first step on the way.

Attacks on independent media are on the rise. Freedom House’s new report details how authoritarian regimes are targeting journalists abroad with transnational repression at alarming rates. Learn more about the perils RFA journalists and many others are facing: https://t.co/RmwDOX0Wey.