JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

Ahead of the COP29 U.N. climate summit in Azerbaijan, the government has escalated its attacks on press freedom, jailing six journalists from the independent outlet Abzas Media on dubious charges since last November. Speaking from exile in Berlin, acting editor-in-chief Leyla Mustafayeva calls it a “total crackdown on Azerbaijani media.”

The Kyrgyz state is increasingly cracking down on press freedom: One example is the case of an investigative journalist who was expelled from Kyrgyzstan due to his work against corruption. The journalist in exile calls on the international community to take action against the suppression of press freedom in Kyrgyzstan.

Iran stands as one of the most dangerous places for reporters, ranked among the top ten jailers of journalists globally. The government targets those who report on human rights violations, protests, or any government abuses, subjecting them to intimidation, arbitrary arrest, and violence.

In the lead up to the Georgian national elections on 26 October 2024, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and nine partner organisations in the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists published the following report and recommendations to ensure the safety of journalists and the right to reliable information.

Local press freedom organizations in Sri Lanka have documented 44 cases of murdered and disappeared journalists and media workers between 2004 and 2010. To date, no one has been convicted for the crimes committed against individual journalists or entire newsrooms.

Social media platform X has blocked access to over 100 accounts belonging to Turkish journalists, activists and media organizations run by journalists living in exile, in another example of its compliance with censorship requests from the Turkish government.

A general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has been charged in New York in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate a dissident Iranian American journalist. The target of the alleged assassination plot was not named in unsealed court documents, but she has been widely identified as Masih Alinejad, who lives in New York.

Press freedom is severely restricted in many countries, prompting journalists like Amir Aman Kiyaro from Ethiopia and Vania Pigeonutt from Mexico to seek refuge in Germany. Facing threats, violence, and imprisonment, they now focus on raising awareness about the crises in their home countries and the psychological impacts of their work.

At least 278 journalists have been forced to leave Nicaragua over the past six years to escape persecution by Daniel Ortega’s government, according to a report released this Monday by the Foundation for Freedom of Expression and Democracy (FLED).

Recent reports reveal an alarming wave of repression against independent journalists in Cuba. With state agents conducting lengthy interrogations and confiscating salaries, many media professionals face severe threats to their livelihoods. This crackdown echoes previous government tactics aimed at stifling dissent and controlling narratives, forcing many to resign or flee the country.

Following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation after 15 years in power, Bangladesh is witnessing a troubling rise in digital transnational repression. The government is leveraging advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, to monitor, intimidate, and silence dissenting voices both domestically and abroad.

To ensure the safety of journalists in exile „Voices in Exile“ is now offering multi-dimensional support to journalists in exile who wish to continue their professional activities in France. „Voices in Exile“ was founded to support these journalists in their careers and help them to achieve their projects, including the creation of new media.

Journalists are allegedly suffering exploitation and abuse at exiled news outlets, but there’s debate over whether the responsibility to respond falls on donors or a media industry that is taking gradual steps to self-regulate.

In Bangladesh, the safety of journalists remains precarious, with reporters frequently facing violent attacks under challenging conditions. The harrowing experiences faced by journalists highlights the ongoing crisis facing Bangladeshi media, and the steps that must be taken to ensure their safety, writes Khairuzzaman Kamal of Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum.

Ahmet Dönmez, a Turkish journalist living in exile in Sweden, said in an interview with the Journalisten news website that he left the country for the United States some two years after surviving a brutal attack in Stockholm. Dönmez had narrowly escaped death after being severely beaten in a suburb of Stockholm in March 2022.

Reports by the media in exile played a crucial role in documenting the atrocities of the Hasina regime in Bangladesh, even in the face of sedition charges. Three of the exiled journalists shared their experiences with The Business Standard.

Thousands of journalists fled the junta-controlled zones to the resistance areas or foreign lands, where they remain dedicated to reporting despite the many challenges of life in exile. Hailun Li has collected the stories of three exiled journalists for The Diplomat.

Discrediting journalists involves various tactics such as false copyright claims, social media harassment, and misinformation. Powerful individuals and entities often lead these campaigns, leveraging their influence to silence dissent. The goal is not just to attack the journalist’s character but to undermine the credibility of their stories.