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Since Russians invasian in 2022 many journalists emigrated to keep independently reporting about the war to Russians, many outlets have launched English-language versions of their publications in order to find new revenue streams to support their work, as the Russian authorities have introduced increasingly restrictive legal measures targeting support for independent media.
Amu TV was born out of the collapse of Afghanistan’s media landscape, and is one of the most influential exiled media outlets serving Afghanistan today. By broadcasting via satellite from the US, the channel has bypassed Taliban censorship and reached millions of viewers inside the country, offering a rare space for uncensored news, political debate, entertainment, and more.
Information control has long been central to the Kremlin. Since Vladimir Putin took power, independent journalism has faced growing repression, accelerated after the Kursk submarine disaster (2000), the Moscow theater siege (2002), and the Beslan school hostage crisis (2004). Critical outlets were punished, steadily eroding Russia’s independent media.
After growing up stateless in Iran, Haideh Faghiry finally found a sense of home in Kabul—until the Taliban takeover forced her to flee again. In this Tagesspiegel essay, the Afghan journalist reflects on exile, belonging and the pain of losing a homeland twice.
“People of Baikal” is an online media outlet that has been operating since 2019 in regions that other independent media outlets rarely reach – the Irkutsk and Buryatia region. The female journalists working for “People of Baikal” report on the life in small cities and villages, in which poverty and hopelessness coexist.
Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Afghan women have been pushed out of schools, workplaces, and public life with a speed that shocked the world. In a matter of days, freedoms that had taken years to build disappeared. Yet in those early weeks, before fear could fully take hold, some women stepped outside and raised their voices.
Thomas Erdbrink’s documentary series Onze man bij de vijand about Russia primarily features Russians who support president Putin and the war in Ukraine, says journalist Pavel Kanygin, who fled his country and now lives in Amsterdam. That’s certainly not the whole story, he emphasizes in this op-ed.
GIJN’s Global Academy is a unique hub dedicated to connect, expand, and support the journalism community around the world through key training, networking, and knowledge-sharing opportunities, such as webinars or mentorship programs. The Academy helps journalists at every stage strengthen their investigative skills, connect with peers, and continue learning.
Exiled Afghan journalists are keeping critical reporting alive through Amu TV and its flagship show Jan-e-Gap, broadcasting from studios in the U.S., Canada, France, and Turkey. Host Sadaf Rahimi and co-founders Lotfullah Najafizada and Sami Mahdi connect millions of Afghan viewers to open debate, exposing abuses and giving a voice to those silenced under the Taliban.
Alexander Udikov’s Medium blog offers personal insights into life as a Russian journalist forced into exile after persecution for anti‑war articles. Since receiving political asylum in France in 2024, Udikov chronicles daily life, bureaucratic hurdles, creative workarounds and the ongoing challenge of staying true to independent journalism beyond Russia’s censorship.
Since Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, almost every independent journalist has been exiled from Russia. For more than three years, journalists in exile have tried to continue their work from afar in a concerted effort to preserve the service of truth. Ten days ago, the Kremlin added Kostyuchenko to its list of foreign agents.
Ivan Kolpakov is the editor-in-chief at Meduza, the largest independent media outlet focusing on Russia. The organization has been in exile since Kolpakov co-founded the organization in 2014 with Galina Timchenko. DW Akademie spoke to the journalist and editor about what it is like to spend more than a decade reporting on his country from abroad.
Nasir Andisha, Acting Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations, said at the International Symposium on Freedom of Expression that the international community must continue supporting Afghan media and free expression and should not allow the Taliban to silence these freedoms. The symposium opened today (Friday, November 21) in Berlin.
The two-day “Exiled Media Forum 2025” concluded in Hamburg, Germany, reaffirming international support for independent media operating outside their home countries. The event convened journalists, media executives, and freedom-of-expression advocates from Afghanistan, Belarus, Sudan, and other nations confronting repressive regimes.
A mission can mean many things: a diplomatic post, a military assignment, or spreading the gospel to convert nonbelievers. But journalist Ekaterina Fomina also calls her work a mission. The independent Russian reporter fled to Berlin shortly after Vladimir Putin escalated his war in February 2022. Since then, she has been reporting on Russia and Ukraine from exile.
Her investigations took her to the most dangerous places in Russia: A conversation with journalist Elena Kostyuchenko about responsibility, guilt, and her toxic relationship with her country.
A new cooperation agreement between Amu TV and Deutsche Welle was announced on October 1, 2025, to expand access to independent journalism for Afghan audiences inside the country and abroad. The partnership will allow Amu TV, an Afghan broadcaster in the diaspora, to rebroadcast DW’s flagship program Aashiti on its free-to-air satellite channel, while also sharing DW’s news, analysis, and multimedia content across its website and social media platforms.
Said Najib Asil, founder of the Free Speech Centre and former head of Current Affairs at TOLOnews, shares his journey from leading Afghan media to supporting exiled journalists worldwide. In this interview, he discusses advocacy, training, and the urgent needs of displaced media workers facing professional, economic, and mental health challenges.