Release Bahraini human rights activists now, say international groups August 17, 2012 IPI joined members of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) and other human rights groups in condemning the three year prison term handed down to human rights defender Nabeel Rajab on Thursday, and calling for the release of all activists jailed for exercising their right to free expression. Nabeel heads the Bahrain Centre for […] Read more »
Experts discuss role of free press in promoting human rights, democracy and development July 4, 2012 Media play a vital role in promoting human rights, democracy and development. A free press holds those in power to account. Especially in conflict situations, media bear powerful responsibility for informing the public and raising awareness in a fair and balanced way at the national and international levels. But the media can also be misused […] Read more »
SEEMO invites submission of entries for Human Rights Photo Award March 19, 2012 As part of the BETA Photograph of the Year competition, the Vienna-based South and East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), calls for the submission of entries for its 2012 SEEMO Human Rights Photo Award. All professional photojournalists working and taking photographs in South East and Central Europe are […] Read more »
SEEMO welcomes police action against attackers of journalists in Montenegro, and European Court of Human Rights decision December 2, 2011 The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), welcomes the prompt police action against three men who physically attacked a TV crew from TV Vijesti. The incident occurred on 18 November 2011 in Niksic, a town 55 kilometers from the Montenegrin capital Podgorica. The TV crew was […] Read more »
Veton Surroi wins 2011 SEEMO Human Rights Award November 21, 2011 Kosovo journalist, publisher, politician and human rights activist Veton Surroi has won the 2011 SEEMO Human Rights Award. The SEEMO board praised Surroi’s non-violent methods and consistent “commitment to human rights” in all of his professional activities. The 2011 SEEMO Human Rights award will be presented to Veton Surroi on 24 November 2011 at 18.30 […] Read more »
European Court of Human Rights postpones hearing on Italian TV station May 31, 2011 Mina Nacheva The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has postponed a hearing on a complaint by an Italian TV broadcaster which argued that the Italian government had breached its rights by not allowing the station to take to the airwaves. The Court announced on 12 May that a public hearing in Centro Europa 7 S.R.L. v. […] Read more »
Iranian human rights lawyer and journalist continues hunger strike December 27, 2010 Alicia Versteegh Nasrin Sotoudeh is a leading human rights lawyer and journalist respected for her defense of the rights of women and children in Iran. She defended political activists and protesters arrested following the disputed presidential elections in June 2009. Sotoudeh was detained on September 4 2010 and charged with “propaganda against the state,” and “acting against […] Read more »
SEEMO/IPI Press Release: SEEMO Human Rights Award 2010 To Christo Komarnitski from Bulgaria December 9, 2010 SEEMO Staff The South and East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East and Central Europe and an affiliate of the International Press institute (IPI), is pleased to announce that after careful deliberation the SEEMO Jury – composed of SEEMO Board members – has awarded the “SEEMO Human […] Read more »
European court of human rights raps Spain over editor conviction June 2, 2010 Elisabeth Garrett The European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday ruled that Spain’s sentencing of a Spanish editor over an article in his newspaper linking Morocco’s now-deceased King Hassan II to drug-dealers was a violation of Article 10 of the European Convention, which protects the rights of freedom of expression and of the press. The case dates […] Read more »
European court of human rights orders release of imprisoned Azeri journalist April 23, 2010 Nayana Jayarajan The International Press Institute (IPI) welcomes a decision by the European Court of Human Rights ordering the immediate release of Eynulla Fatullayev, an Azeri journalist who was sentenced in 2007 to eight-and-a-half years in prison for defamation and “fomenting terrorism” through his articles. The Court yesterday voted six to one that Azerbaijan had violated Fatullayev’s […] Read more »
Tunisian authorities ban human rights organisation from holding press conference March 24, 2010 Louise Hallman International human rights organisation, Human Rights Watch, was prohibited by government officials from holding a press conference in Tunisia on Wednesday, 24 March. The organisation was due to launch its report “A Larger Prison: Repression of Former Political Prisoners in Tunisia.” In a statement sent to the Tunisia Monitoring Group – a coalition of 20 […] Read more »
European Court of Human Rights orders Turkey to pay compensation to journalists January 28, 2010 Barbara Trionfi, Press Freedom Advisor The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Turkey to pay a total of over 40,000 Euros to 20 Turkish journalists as compensation for having violated their rights. In two separate cases, the Court ruled on 26 January that Turkey had violated freedom of speech laws when it suspended five newspapers and sentenced a magazine […] Read more »
SEEMO Human Rights Award 2009 to Pavol Demes from Slovakia December 8, 2009 The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East and Central Europe and an affiliate of the International Press institute (IPI), is pleased to announce that after careful deliberation the SEEMO Board has awarded the ”SEEMO Human Rights Award 2009” to Pavol Demes, an internationally […] Read more »
PRESS FREEDOM UPDATE: United States President touches upon human rights concerns during official visit to China November 17, 2009 United States President Barack Obama today said discussions with China about human rights will resume early next year, following international calls for the president to address specific concerns on the issues of press freedom and human rights violations. At a press conference today with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Obama, Hu said both sides had […] Read more »
IPI joins other press freedom and human rights groups in condemning harsh crackdown on press freedom in Morocco October 23, 2009 23 October 2009 – We, the undersigned organisations defending freedom of expression, call on the Moroccan government to stop the current crackdown against press freedom, which has become the most serious since King Mohamed VI was crowned in 1999. Repression of free expression rights has been escalating for the last three months. After publishing a […] Read more »
IPI delegation raises issues of impunity and self-censorship with human rights ombudsman, holds discussions with media outlets in first leg of Russia advocacy mission October 2, 2009 Colin Peters The International Press Institute (IPI), a media freedom organisation with an almost 60-year history of defending liberty of the press, on Wednesday began a five day advocacy mission to Russia, one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists. The mission began with an investigation into the events surrounding the brutal attack on a Khimki-based […] Read more »
Finnish journalist to take case to European Court of Human Rights September 7, 2009 Finnish photojournalist Markus Pentikäinen, convicted in 2007 for ignoring a police order to stop reporting at the scene of a 2006 demonstration in Helsinki, is to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights after a Finnish Supreme Court decision of 1 September gave him “no leave to appeal,” according to weekly current […] Read more »
Russian editor-in-chief fears killers of human rights activist and journalist won’t face justice July 16, 2009 A Russian editor-in-chief has expressed concern that the killers of a prominent human rights activist and journalist brutally slain on 15 July will never face justice. “Unfortunately the Russian authorities, although using hard wording to condemn such crimes, do almost nothing to find their organisers, bring the cases to court and punish the killers,” Galina […] Read more »
IPI deeply concerned over defamation charges filed against Syrian journalist and human rights activist April 2, 2008 The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, is deeply concerned about the Syrian government’s decision to file defamation charges against Mazen Darwich, prominent Syrian journalist and director of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM). According to information before IPI, […] Read more »
IPI shares concern over lowering of human rights standards for admission of new member states to the Council of Europe June 26, 1997 The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors and media executives from newspapers, magazines, broadcasting organisations and news agencies in over 100 countries, expressed its support today for the position taken by Peter Leuprecht, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, who has resigned over the lowering of human rights standards for […] Read more »
Advocacy Greece: IPI joins open letter to PM Mitsotakis outlining urgent need for further media freedom reforms July 17, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) joins the undersigned media freedom and journalist organisations in publishing an open letter sent to the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis outlining a number of reforms required to improve the worrying climate for media freedom in the country, as part of the Council of Europe’s Journalists Matter Campaign. Read the […] Read more »
Advocacy Georgia: Following hearing, IPI and partners reiterate call for release of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli July 14, 2025 Monday’s court hearing in the case of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli shows the disproportionate and politicized nature of the charges against her and she must be released immediately, the International Press Institute (IPI) said along with international press freedom organizations whose representatives monitored the proceedings. In response to the hearing, IPI, the Committee to Protect […] Read more »
Advocacy Serbia: Media freedom continues to decline at alarming speed, EU must take action July 11, 2025 IPI joins the undersigned journalists and media freedom organisations in condemning the new attacks against journalists across Serbia, many of which are perpetrated by state representatives and law enforcement authorities. The situation of emergency of media freedom in Serbia – as assessed by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) during its April solidarity mission – has […] Read more »
Advocacy Finland: Appeal court verdict on Helsingin Sanomat state secrets case sends a chilling message July 2, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and its Finnish National Committee express alarm over the recent verdict by the Court of Appeal in Finland to uphold the suspended prison sentence and fine handed down to two journalists from leading daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat over their reporting on the country’s military intelligence services. IPI and its Finnish […] Read more »
Advocacy Georgia: Urgent action required as ruling party accelerates efforts to silence independent media June 30, 2025 The IPI global network today warns of the dire state of media freedom in Georgia amid the introduction of increasingly repressive laws and ongoing attacks on the press. Each day, Georgia moves closer to becoming a fully consolidated authoritarian regime, as the ruling Georgian Dream party intensifies its efforts to erode democracy and silence independent […] Read more »
Kenya: Media blackout, journalist attacks, and contempt of court mar 25 June anniversary protests IPI global network joins the Kenyan media and civil society community in condemning restrictions on access to information and violence against journalists during protests on June 25. Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets this Wednesday to commemorate the deadly 2024 anti-government protests, during which about 60 people were killed by the police. The demonstrations […] Read more »
Advocacy Philippines: IPI calls for the immediate release of journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio June 25, 2025 The IPI global network today calls for the immediate release of Philippine journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who has been unjustly held in pretrial detention for more than 5 years. We also demand that unfounded charges against Cumpio be dropped and that all legal proceedings against her be immediately concluded. Cumpio, executive director and investigative reporter […] Read more »
Advocacy IPI, partners express alarm over deterioration of press freedom in El Salvador June 23, 2025 The IPI global network today joins with more than 15 press freedom and human rights organizations expressing our alarm over the rapid deterioration of press freedom in El Salvador. The ongoing pattern of harassment, censorship, and intimidation of journalists has intensified in recent weeks, and the passage of a draconian foreign agents law, which poses […] Read more »
Guest Article Gender-based attacks on journalists in Mexico: Will Mexico’s first female president bring change? June 18, 2025 Eero Lassila, Helsingin Sanomat Foudation Journalism Fellow at IPI Physical and online violence against women journalists in Mexico has increased in recent years. Government preventive measures lack efficacy, and impunity for such violence is widespread. Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s newly elected president and the country’s first woman leader, has promised to change the course for the better. Attacks against journalists continue to rise in Mexico, […] Read more »
Advocacy Georgia: Independent media face new wave of repression as new laws come into effect June 17, 2025 As the ruling Georgian Dream party intensifies efforts to consolidate authoritarian rule, independent media face unprecedented pressure and are now on the brink of survival. Journalists are increasingly subjected to detentions, physical attacks, arbitrary fines, censorship, as well as financial and institutional repression. IPI joins international media freedom, journalists’, and human rights organisations, renew our […] Read more »
Advocacy Egypt: IPI demands immediate release of British-Egyptian blogger and activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah June 11, 2025 The IPI global network calls on Egyptian authorities to immediately release Alaa Abd el-Fattah, who remains unlawfully imprisoned nearly a year after completing his sentence. His mother, Laila Soueif, has been on hunger strike for more than 250 days in protest and was recently hospitalized. We urge the international community to use all diplomatic means […] Read more »
Webinar: Countering hate speech while respecting freedom of expression online in Kenya Moderator: Marystella Simiyu (International Press Institute) Panellists: Irene Mwendwa (Pollicy) Catherine Mbui (ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa) Peace Oliver Amuge (Association for Progressive Communications) Victor Kapiyo (KICTANet) Hate speech threatens dignity, equality, social cohesion, and peaceful coexistence in societies, and often corrodes our news and information environments, particularly on social media. In Kenya, negative ethnicity and […] Read more »
Advocacy World Environment Day: States must bolster support for climate and environmental journalism June 5, 2025 Climate and environmental journalism has never been more important in the face of the alarming state of the future of the planet – and yet covering these critical topics has never been more dangerous. As we celebrate World Environment Day this week, the IPI global network urges the international community to bolster support and protections […] Read more »
