JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

Press freedom experts and a UN special rapporteur have warned that authoritarian governments continue to misuse Interpol mechanisms to target journalists living in exile, despite reforms aimed at preventing politically motivated cases. Several experts point to alleged abuses of Interpol mechanisms, particularly Red Notices and travel document alerts, which they said can severely restrict journalists’ movement and daily lives.

Freedom for Eurasia strongly condemns the defamation lawsuit brought by Gadzhi Gadzhiev against Natalia Sadykova before the courts of Ukraine — the country where Sadykova lives in exile and where her husband was assassinated.

The Association of Tibetan Journalists (ATJ), an organisation of Tibetan journalists living in exile, marked World Press Freedom Day on Saturday with the theme, “We are the custodians of our language. Let us learn, use, and promote the Tibetan language,” according to a report by Phayul.

Exiled journalist Rana Rahimpour writes on contacting her parents in Iran during the war. She argues that for many Iranians, this war has not brought clarity but deepened uncertainty, especially about what any postwar settlement might look like. While some once believed that external pressure might weaken the regime, something Trump had promised, there is now a growing fear that the opposite could happen.

In this article, some of the hundreds of journalists and defenders of human and land rights have told Open Democracy how their lives have changed since the state of emergency was introduced. Some remain in El Salvador, defiant in their resistance despite fearing for their and their families’ lives amid state-led persecution.

Authoritarian repression is forcing civic actors out of their countries, yet the support available to continue their work from abroad remains limited and inconsistent. This analysis argues for a comprehensive, systematic framework to help relocated civil society leaders maintain influence, access funding and navigate digital and legal barriers as they work overseas.

Nicaragua’s historic paper La Prensa celebrates its centenary amid ongoing repression, marking 100 years of reporting that now includes operating its newsroom in exile. The anniversary reflects its long struggle for press freedom, the impact of state pressure on independent media and the resilience of journalists continuing to publish from abroad.

Myanmar‑focused outlet People’s Spring – launched in exile after the 2021 coup – has found that digital platforms can be a viable revenue source even under challenging conditions. By mid‑2025, income from Facebook, YouTube and audience membership helped cover about half its operating costs, offering a rare model of financial resilience for independent media in exile.

Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) has confirmed in its 2025 activity report that it conducted overseas surveillance and disruption targeting opponents living abroad – including dissidents, exiled journalists and independent media outlets — framing these as national security measures despite concerns about intimidation, monitoring and interference in host countries.

An Interpol data leak, examined by Disclose and BBC, reveals how repressive regimes misuse the organization to pursue dissidents, journalists and activists living abroad. The investigation shows fabricated red notices, politicized arrest requests and cross‑border pressure that put independent voices and exiled media practitioners at risk.

This comprehensive guide from Deutsche Welle Akademie explores strategies for exiled media outlets to remain financially viable, true to their mission and influential. Drawing on examples and expert advice, it covers sustainability models, audience engagement, digital tools, safety and collaboration – offering a practical roadmap for independent journalism operating from abroad.

A new survey by jinn is examining how exiled media outlets are adapting their business models and monetization strategies amid recent funding challenges. Founders and managers of displaced newsrooms are invited to share their experiences.

Exiled Journalist Li Bai’an writes about the inner conflict of journalists in China, who are forced to ignore the truth under state pressure but still remember why they became journalists. She urges them to recognize that their conscience is not gone, only suppressed by fear under Xi Jinping’s rule.

The rollback of press freedom programs, as well as the loss of some funding from European nations refocused on security closer to home, has left exiled media outlets from Myanmar, Belarus, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and other countries that lack a free press facing the same question: When decades-long donors pull out, what comes next?

Transnational repression (TNR), the cross-border targeting, intimidation, and harassment of journalists and human rights defenders, is increasingly undermining press freedom and human rights in Europe and beyond. Journalists in exile often remain subjects of sustained threats, surveillance, cyber-attacks, psychological pressure, and harassment long after reaching presumed safety.

The EU’s new return policy risks jeopardising the lives of vulnerable journalists and human rights defenders living in exile. As such, it undermines the very principles of press freedom and human rights it aims to uphold and the safe haven the EU seeks to provide for journalists from all over the world threatened for reporting on the truth. ECPMF and undersigning organisations urge the EU to immediately reconsider these adverse effects and prioritise the protection of those who have already fled persecution.

This episode of the mediares podcast takes a closer look at the case in which the Vietnamese government is suing Berlin-based exile journalists. Sebastian Engelbrecht discusses the political background, the implications for press freedom, and what this cross-border legal action means for journalists living in exile.

Law and Democracy Support Foundation (LDSF) strongly condemns the sexual and physical assaults, threats, and surveillance targeting the exiled journalist Sophia Tekwani and her family in Sweden, as part of a dangerous pattern of transnational repression by Zimbabwean authorities.