The Diplomat’s Post

In my latest for The Guardian on #WorldPressFreedomDay2024 we focus on journalists facing repression even in exile. From Iran to Haiti, hostile states continue to attack press freedom. #IranInternational

Closing our 2024 'War in #Ukraine' series, colleagues at Justice for Journalists Foundation share with us new practical recommendations for journalists working on the frontline, developed with the National Union of Journalists in Ukraine. Read more about their research & challenges facing journalists in Ukraine ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eMMkAAN3

All over the world journalists face death and detention. According to CPJ’s research, the world’s worst jailers of journalists are (in order): China, Myanmar, Belarus, Russia, Vietnam, Israel, Iran, Eritrea, Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia And the most deadly countries for journalists in 2023 were Israel and Gaza, Lebanon, Cameroon, Mexico, Philippines, and Ukraine. Journalists are civilians, and must not be targeted for their work. ➡️ Read more in our 2023 prison census: https://lnkd.in/ekT5Nx8X ➡️ And our report on journalists killed in 2023: https://lnkd.in/eeyTzv4Y

CPJ calls on the international community to act. Failing to protect journalists in the #Israel #Gaza war would be a resounding failure to protect press freedom and our collective right to be informed. 🛑 Media credentials and press insignia must be respected by all warring parties. 🛑 Allow humanitarian and and personal protective equipment to journalists in Gaza and the West Bank. 🛑 Israel must break its pattern of impunity in journalist killings. 🛑 Grant media access to Gaza. 🛑 No more communications blackouts in Gaza. 🛑 Allow media to operate freely, no more media censorship. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e-m5r7Pq

📢 Reporters sans frontières (RSF) ranking : #pressfreedom in serious free-fall in #Kosova. In the space of a year, Kosova has dropped 19 PLACES in the #worldpress freedom index, according to the latest alarming data. Politicised regulation, censorship, violence against #journalists... The country is experiencing a worrying #deterioration in conditions for independent journalism. It is above all the serious infringements of #fundamentalfreedoms that are causing outrage: #censorship procedures, restricted access to #information, and worse still, an upsurge in physical attacks aimed at silencing dissident voices. Kosova's overall score has plummeted by nearly 8 points in one year, taking it from 56th to 75th place in the world !! While all indicators are deteriorating, the fall is particularly steep when it comes to the safety of journalists and the legislative framework. The authorities and civil society must make an urgent commitment to restoring an environment conducive to the free exercise of the press, an essential #guarantor of #democracy. The freedom to inform without fear must no longer be a utopia in Kosova.

The safety of journalists is essential, even amidst wartime and active hostilities, and it is a principle embedded in many international regulations. Despite this, Russia has repeatedly endangered the lives of both Ukrainian and international journalists. It was recently reported that Viktoriia Roshchyna, a Ukrainian journalist held captive by Russia, has died. Roshchyna had covered Russia's full-scale invasion for various Ukrainian news outlets, including Hromadske, Ukrainska Pravda, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She disappeared in August 2023 while reporting on temporarily occupied territories. The circumstances of her death in Russian detention are still being confirmed. The criminal proceedings on the journalist's disappearance have now been reclassified as a war crime combined with intentional murder. This is yet another brutal assault Russia committed against Ukraine and a Ukrainian. Yet another proof that Russia has no respect for any international laws and regulations. Yet another reason to hold Russia accountable for all its crimes.

What a loss

CPJ calls on the international community to act. Failing to protect journalists in the #Israel #Gaza war would be a resounding failure to protect press freedom and our collective right to be informed. 🛑 Media credentials and press insignia must be respected by all warring parties. 🛑 Allow humanitarian and and personal protective equipment to journalists in Gaza and the West Bank. 🛑 Israel must break its pattern of impunity in journalist killings. 🛑 Grant media access to Gaza. 🛑 No more communications blackouts in Gaza. 🛑 Allow media to operate freely, no more media censorship. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e-m5r7Pq

🛑 Israel to be held accountable- to be stopped immediately. With the enormous evidence about the genocidal crimes and atrocities in Gaza, world journalists are raising and putting increasing demands to held Israel accountable and to stop immediately. Journalist Abby Martin among many other journalists that are organizing and coordinating efforts to push forward worldwide actions to stop the escalation of the ongoing slaughter and destruction in Gaza. Abby Martin is explaining why she considers Israel’s actions in Gaza is constituting genocide while appearing on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Tuesday. This is also including highlighting comments from top Israeli government officials and the humanitarian crisis that Israel has created on the ground in the Gaza Strip. Organized and coordinated immediate actions are now imperative to assist the UN and ICJ in their mission to end the unending war against the Palestinians. In the last call from the UNSG he directed his message specifically to the media. The US, UK and EU are not willing to act seriously to stop the aggression in Gaza and the rest of the OPT. We, the people, are most likely with the support of internal media and world opinion to turn the tides to raise and promote effective sanctions against mass slaughter in Gaza and criminal aggression of the settlers in the OPT. For all of us who are following mainstream media journalists that are manipulated by propaganda and (mis)information rhetorics in support of Israel’s acts and crimes, Abby Martin takes independent route based on validated observations and facts taking place in realtime. There were major changes and shifts in rhetoric from “Do you Condemn Hamas” to “Do you believe in what is happening in Gaza constitute genocide”. This 180 degrees twist in the journalistic and media-landscape was made possible by free speech and the wide-spread transfer and reporting of the reality on ground in Gaza and the rest of the OPT. Thanks 🙏 for Al Jazeera and other credible open source data and information which Israel has now shutted it down. This demonstrates clearly the fear of exposing the reality of what is going on and happening in Gaza and the rest of the OPT as result of Israel’s far-right extremist crimes and lies.