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When an autocracy persecutes, scilences, intimidates its critics outside the country, it is referred to as transnational repression. The topic has gained prominance in recent years, as dissidents from russia and belarus have increasingly sought refuge in the EU. But regimes suppress not only activities inside their own borders, but also try to pressure ones in exile.
“China is one of the biggest and most complex stories in the world. That’s why The New York Times has always tried to have correspondents on the ground who can get under the surface and report out the nuances. But the Chinese authorities have long been wary of foreign journalists. They restrict their access, surveil their movements and sometimes expel them outright.”
CIVICUS discusses the repression of press freedom in Djibouti with Zineb Haddaji, an exiled independent journalist who covers Djibouti and the Horn of Africa for international outlets and documents freedom of expression violations. Zineb is the founder of ZoomIn, a weekly TikTok series on daily life and systemic issues in Djibouti.
Websites of at least six exiled Belarusian news outlets and one journalists’ association, including Zerkalo and Reform.news, have been targeted since March by DDoS attacks, which aim to overwhelm websites with floods of internet traffic. The targeted media sites were all effectively banned from operating in Belarus after authorities labeled them “extremist” groups.
ANEM announced that four journalists were forced to leave Serbia due to, as it states, repression by the authorities, targeting campaigns and threatened security. The reason for ANEM’s new warning was the departure of military analyst and Nedeljnik contributor Radić, who left the country after pro-government media published footage of him being tracked.
RELPEX supports 457 professionals in exile or forced displacement and reports that 60% of the network’s journalists no longer work in journalism due to legal barriers or a lack of employment. A report by RSF indicates that the number of countries from which journalists go into exile has doubled in five years.
Nearly 1,500 journalists from at least 65 countries have received emergency support from Reporters Without Borders after being forced into exile between 2021 and 2025, due to threats of imprisonment and to their lives. This is shown by the data released June 19 ahead of World Refugee Day. Afghanistan accounted for almost half the cases.
In the “newsroom-house” where journalists from the CJ Platform live and work, Min Thu Win Htut, the outlet’s founder, often finds it impossible to sleep. “Around 23:00, when I stop working, it feels like the future goes dark,” Min Thu said. “It’s like I’ve arrived at a future where I don’t know what to do next. This happens almost every night.”
World Refugee Day draws attention to journalists who have been forced to flee their home countries due to threats, conflict, or repression. While exile is now recognized as a growing reality for journalists worldwide, the experiences of journalists CPJ supported last year reflect the reality that relocation does not necessarily bring safety.
The CPJ newletter sent out on the June 17, 2026 talks about current media developments in Latin America, such as threats and intimidations stopping Peruvian journalists from working, imprisonment of two Mexican Journalists in San Luis Potosí on allegations of deliberately and illegally manipulating a person’s digital identity and more.
As the media battle expands between independent media and the Myanmar junta’s heavily funded and well-organized “disinformation” and “propaganda” campaign, by coup maker Min Aung Hlaing’ aimed at further cementing their grip with elections coming up. The independent media houses are arguably winning but struggling due to lack of funds.
Azerbaijani authorities are prosecuting critics in exile, often based on social media posts and online commentary, Human Rights Watch said today. Those targeted, often convicted in absentia with long sentences, are at risk of extradition, detention during travel, and other forms of cross-border pressure.
A UK court’s conviction of two Chinese spies who tracked Hong Kong exiles shows how far China is prepared to go to suppress criticism beyond its borders. Transnational repression against the Hong Kong diaspora encompasses bounties on exiled activists, surveillance, financial harassment and criminalisation of families in Hong Kong.
RSF condemns the jamming of the radio frequency 15.5 MHz, which is used to broadcast independent news content in Persian to Iran. Launched with RFPI, this shortwave service allows the Iranian population to access reliable information — its broadcasting content is produced by the news platform IranWire — despite severe restrictions on the media and communications.
A Tunisian court has sentenced the prominent, exiled journalist Khaoula Boukrim in absentia to four years in prison under the 2022 cybercrime Decree‑Law 54, part of a broader crackdown on dissent and independent media under President Kais Saied. This shows a clear crackdown on journalists and free speech in Tunisia. You can find more about the case here.
Research has long told us that journalists covering conflict experience rates of PTSD comparable to frontline soldiers. What it hasn’t been addressed as much is what happens to the people who manage them – making the calls, absorbing the consequences – the editors. That conversation finally took centre stage at the World News Media Congress last week.
Iran has introduced new restrictions on international news organizations operating inside the country, requiring local content providers and media partners to limit redistribution of material to foreign Persian-language broadcasters. The directive reportedly targets the flow of news content between domestic sources and Persian-language media outlets operating from abroad.
Journalists working in exile have to cope with a complex and unique mix of trauma and stress that needs resilience and support in order to manage and overcome.
Every category of trauma identified in journalism practice—primary, secondary, operational, and cultural—can also appear in exile journalism. However, that is not everything…