Russia’s leading human rights lawyer joins list of prominent speakers Karinna Moskalenko, Russian human rights lawyer and international advisory board member of the UK-based Media Legal Defence Initiative, is the latest addition to an already strong line-up of speakers and panellists slated to take part in the annual IPI World Congress 2013 in Amman, Jordan. Moskalenko has taken numerous cases to the European Court of […] Read more »
SEEMO names winners of 2012 Human Rights Award December 4, 2012 The South and East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), has named Turkish cameraman Cüneyt Ünal and his missing colleague, Jordanian reporter of Palestinian origin Bashar Fahmi Kaddumi, the winners of the 2012 SEEMO Human Rights Award. The award is scheduled to be presented during a ceremony on Dec. […] Read more »
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 Guatemala: IPI welcomes release of World Press Freedom Hero José Rubén Zamora, calls for all remaining charges to be dropped February 13, 2026 The IPI global network welcomes the release of Guatemalan journalist and IPI World Press Freedom Hero José Rubén Zamora on house arrest. All remaining charges against him must now be dropped, and authorities must end their legal campaign against him. On February 12, a judge ordered Zamora, the founder and director of the now-closed independent […] Read more »
Advocacy Azerbaijan: IPI urges compliance with ECHR ruling on journalist Khadija Ismayilova February 2, 2026 The International Press Institute (IPI) welcomes the recent European Court of Human Rights’ verdict which ruled that the conviction of veteran Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova was baseless and a clear violation of her right to freedom of expression and a fair trial. IPI calls on authorities in Azerbaijan to immediately comply with the ruling, lift […] Read more »
Advocacy Georgia: Restrictive new funding law would further cut off media and journalists January 30, 2026 IPI is joined by MFRR partners in strongly condemning the proposals of the Georgian Dream (GD) ruling party to implement a series of legislative amendments that would impose additional restrictions and penalties on recipients of grants and foreign funding. If implemented, our organisations warn the amendments would strengthen an already restrictive web of legislation targeting […] Read more »
Advocacy Kyrgyzstan: IPI and partners demand retrial for imprisoned journalist January 30, 2026 Ahead of a February 2 decision by Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court on whether to consider reopening the case of imprisoned journalist Makhabat Tajibek kyzy, IPI and seven other international press freedom and human rights organizations urge Kyrgyz authorities to fully comply with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s favorable opinion and release Tajibek kyzy […] Read more »
Advocacy Ukraine: IPI demands release of journalist Hennadiy Osmak from Russian captivity January 30, 2026 The IPI global network demands the release from Russian captivity of Hennadiy Osmak, a journalist from Ukraine’s occupied Kherson region, who was initially detained by Russian authorities in March 2024 and recently sentenced on trumped-up charges. According to reports by Ukrainian human rights organizations, Osmak is currently imprisoned in a penal colony in Russia’s Vladimir […] Read more »
Advocacy Albania: Amendments to Criminal Code must be strengthened to ensure full decriminalisation of defamation January 26, 2026 The International Press Institute (IPI) today joined media freedom and journalist groups in stressing that recent amendments to Albania’s Criminal Code, though positive, must be strengthened to ensure full decriminalisation of defamation. IPI joins the undersigned organisations in welcoming the amendments to Albania’s Criminal Code approved on 21 January 2026 by the Parliamentary Committee on […] Read more »
Advocacy EU: Further protections for journalists and media freedom needed in Democracy Shield January 26, 2026 The International Press Institute (IPI) joins Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners in welcoming the European Commission’s EU Democracy Shield initiative and the European Parliament’s Special Committee’s Rapporteur’s draft report published on 21 January. While the Shield lays out critical political priorities and policy measures to defend democracy, these require further operationalisation. IPI and MFRR partners reiterate our call […] Read more »
Advocacy Philippines: IPI condemns guilty verdict in sham trial of Frenchie Mae Cumpio January 22, 2026 The IPI global network strongly condemns today’s conviction and sentencing of 26-year-old Philippine journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio to a maximum of 18 years in prison on spurious charges of financing terrorism and calls for her immediate release. The verdict was announced in a Tacloban city courtroom by Judge Georgina Perez. Cumpio and her former roommate […] Read more »
Advocacy Turkey: IPI condemns arrest of journalist Nedim Oruç, calls for his immediate release January 21, 2026 The International Press Institute (IPI) strongly condemns the arrest and arbitrary detention of journalist Nedim Oruç on terrorism-related charges and calls on Turkish authorities to release him immediately with all charges dropped. On January 14, 2026, Nedim Oruç, a reporter for Turkey-based Kurdish news agency Ajansa Welat, was detained by police in Şırnak’s Cizre neighborhood […] Read more »
Advocacy Burundi journalist Sandra Muhoza sentenced to four years in prison January 21, 2026 IPI is deeply alarmed by the conviction and four-year prison sentence handed down to Burundian journalist Sandra Muhoza. Muhoza, who worked with online publication La Nova, was arrested in April 2024 for sharing information in a private journalists’ WhatsApp group and has been incarcerated since then. She was charged with undermining the integrity of Burundi’s […] Read more » TaggedBurundi Conviction imprisoned journalists Imprisonment prison
Advocacy South Korea: IPI condemns passage of “anti-fake news” bill January 20, 2026 The IPI global network is gravely concerned by the passage of a new “anti-fake news” bill in South Korea that could infringe on media freedom and restrict the press’ ability to hold power to account. IPI calls on the South Korean government to pause the July implementation of the law in order to conduct a […] Read more »
