JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile

When Russia imposed harsh laws on reporters covering its invasion of Ukraine, dozens fled. But physical distance doesn’t always keep exiled journalists safe. The American journalist Liam Scott met some of them in Berlin. Watch his full video report on security for Russian journalists in exile here.

In the first two months of 2024, the Russian parliament has approved new laws ramping up pressure on journalists and public figures critical of the war on Ukraine. The new laws were adopted two years after the enactment of wartime censorship in Russia, which forced many independent journalists to flee.

Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, unanimously approved a bill banning advertising on publications by “foreign agents”, a designation authorities have given to anti-Kremlin politicians, activists and media.

In an interview with Le Monde, the Russian exiled journalist and opponent of the Putin regime talks about her work in Ukraine documenting the abuses committed by Russian forces and her hopes for the future of her country

With 29 journalists currently imprisoned, and 280 journalists and media organisations proclaimed “foreign agents”, Russia sits almost at the bottom of the Press Freedom Index. Even for those in exile, the danger remains.

The death of Aleksei A. Navalny in a Russian prison has been a blow to an opposition movement in which he was the figurehead. But it has also raised hopes of a united front against President Vladimir V. Putin.

Publications like The Insider are caught between state censorship and hostile platform dynamics.

In exile, once-profitable independent Russian media outlets have been severed from what had been their main base of subscribers and advertisers, who are forbidden from supporting them. Their business models are no longer viable.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, there have been numerous scandals related to the surveillance of Russians abroad by Moscow’s intelligence services and alleged Russian spies working in foreign countries.

Exiled Russian journalists, countering Kremlin control abroad, face a lot of risks and funding challenges. Navigating exile, they strive to keep Russian journalism alive.

In an interview, Kyrill Martynov talks about Russian news media in exile, operating out of Riga, Latvia, and the challenges that working in exile poses for news gathering and press freedom.

OWEP editor-in-chief Gemma Pörzgen travelled to Riga, which has become the most important refuge, as Russian journalists and editorial teams increasingly choose exile for independent reporting.

Amid Russia’s suppression, exiled independent journalists turn to NGOs for financial support. Facing challenges in adapting to a new sector, media-NGOs navigate fundraising and accountability.

An estimated 1,000 Russian journalists have gone into exile to escape the threat of prosecution in their home country. In Europe, many believe they are safe. But in April, the suspected poison attacks on two journalists and an opposition activist became known. One of them is Elena Kostyuchenko, a well-known Russian journalist with great resonance.

Many Russian journalists in exile face persecution, media bans, and the ‘foreign agent’ stigma. Recent poisonings, including that of prominent journalist Elena Kostjutschenko, raise safety concerns.

Journalist Marina Sedneva highlights the daily fear Russian opposition leaders, civil rights activists, and independent journalists face under the threat of police searches and arrests.

This film documents Dmitry Muratov and Nowaja Gazeta team’s fearless pursuit of truth. Facing challenges in Russia, Muratov continues the fight, launching Nowaja Gazeta Europa in exile.