Jordan: Authorities must investigate Pegasus surveillance of journalists February 8, 2024 Veera Nikkila, Helsingin Sanomat Journalism Fellow at IPI IPI is deeply alarmed by a new report finding that at least 35 journalists, human rights advocates, and political activists have been targeted with Pegasus spyware since 2019. The report, by Access Now and Citizen Lab, said that some of the targets’ devices had been infected multiple times. It also suggested that the findings may […] Read more »
Call for nominations: IPI/IMS 2024 press freedom awards February 7, 2024 It’s time again to honour exceptional courage and innovation in journalism. The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) are proud to announce the call for nominations for this year’s World Press Freedom Hero Award and Free Media Pioneer Award. Both awards will be presented during a special ceremony at IPI’s 2024 World […] Read more »
Amid airstrikes and comms blackouts, Palestinian journalists risk their lives to tell the story of war February 6, 2024 Guest article for IPI by Najlaa Alskafi [Note: Najlaa Alskafi is the managing editor of independent media organization Last Story, which is based in Gaza. Since the start of the Israel-Gaza war, Alskafi has been displaced four times and is currently living in a tent near the Rafah border crossing.] Journalists in Gaza have been reporting since October 7 in extremely dangerous […] Read more »
Greece: Rule of law threatened – IPI joins letter to European Commission President von der Leyen February 6, 2024 The IPI global network today joins 16 other press freedom and human rights groups in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling on the Commission to take urgent action to address the deterioration of media freedom and the rule of law in Greece and its impact on fundamental rights. Threats to […] Read more »
Azerbaijan aims to “completely silence” media ahead of presidential election February 1, 2024 Independent media in Azerbaijan are under unprecedented attack since a campaign of politically motivated arrests launched by authorities at the end of November. In the space of a few weeks, authorities have put more journalists behind bars than over the past decade. On January 15, police in Baku detained independent journalist Shahin Rzayev, the latest […] Read more »
IPI and partners in Africa raise concerns in a joint letter about the proposed UN Cybercrime Treaty January 29, 2024 The International Press Institute today joins with 48 partner organizations from across Africa calling for sweeping revisions to the pending UN Cybercrime Treaty, as final negotiations for the convention begin this week in New York. The coalition submitted a letter to a UN committee leading these negotiations, highlighting the need to narrow the scope of […] Read more »
IPI joins letter to top EU diplomat urging stronger stance on killing of journalists amidst Israel-Gaza war January 24, 2024 The International Press Institute (IPI) today joined 17 other media freedom and journalist organisations in writing to the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, the High Representative for the European Union on Foreign and Security Policy, urging him to call for the protection of journalists and respect for the freedom of the press amidst the Israel-Gaza […] Read more »
IPI joins more than 100 organisations demanding sweeping changes to global cybercrime treaty January 23, 2024 IPI today joined more than 100 civil society organizations around the world calling for sweeping revisions to the pending UN Cybercrime Treaty, as final negotiations for the convention begin next week in New York. Without such reforms, the treaty risks becoming a powerful global surveillance tool that will be abused by governments around the world […] Read more » Taggedcybercrimes
IPI call to action: The international community must act urgently to protect journalists, civilians in Gaza and the region January 11, 2024 The IPI global network calls on the international community to take urgent and immediate action to ensure the safety of all journalists in Gaza and the region. We urge all states, including allies of Israel and Media Freedom Coalition members, to use all possible diplomatic means to hold Israel to its obligation to respect the […] Read more » TaggedGaza impunity safety of journalists
Albania: SPAK must respect source protection in case of journalist Elton Qyno January 10, 2024 Read in Albanian below. Lexoni në shqip më poshtë The International Press Institute (IPI) today joined media freedom partners in the Safe Journalist Network, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in writing to the head of the Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) to raise concerns over the recent […] Read more »
Greece: The erosion of media freedom in the birthplace of democracy January 10, 2024 By IPI Europe Advocacy Officer Jamie Wiseman All is not well for press freedom in the birthplace of democracy. Over the last few years, media freedom in Greece has undergone a clear erosion, seeing the Mediterranean country tumble down press freedom rankings to the lowest in the European Union, setting alarm bells ringing in Brussels and beyond. During this time, the country […] Read more »
Zambia: IPI welcomes enactment of the access to information law January 9, 2024 The IPI global network welcomes the enactment of an access to information (ATI) law by the Zambian government. This follows the adoption by the Zambian parliament of the law in early December 2023 after over two decades of tireless advocacy by civil society, as was highlighted by the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) in […] Read more »
IJ4EU rebooted: €2M in grants for cross-border journalism in Europe January 9, 2024 IJ4EU returns for a fifth edition with €2 million in grants for cross-border investigations in Europe Open to journalists in more countries than ever Grants of up to €50,000 plus training, mentoring and legal help New tools to help reporters collaborate across borders First call for applications opens on February 1, 2024 The IJ4EU fund […] Read more » Taggedfunding grants ij4eu investigative journalism journalism grants
Greece: Media and journalists targeted in second lawsuit by PM’s nephew over spyware revelations December 21, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) today condemns the multi-million-euro legal action taken against media and journalists by the nephew of the country’s prime minister over their revelations about his connections to the ‘Predatorgate’ spyware scandal and renews its calls for measures to combat vexatious lawsuits against the press in Greece. On 24 November, Grigoris Dimitriadis, […] Read more »
Mozambique: Authorities must thoroughly investigate murder of journalist João Chamusse December 20, 2023 The IPI global network condemns the killing in Mozambique of prominent journalist João Chamusse, the editor-in-chief of the weekly online newspaper Ponto por Ponto. We call on the authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation to determine the motive and hold the killers to account. On December 14, 2023, the body of Chamusse was […] Read more »
IJ4EU Interview: Uncovering sexualised violence at EU frontiers December 20, 2023 Among reports of human rights violations at the European Union’s external borders, cases of sexualised violence intended to humiliate and deter irregular migrants and asylum seekers have received little attention. Until now. Supported by a grant from IPI’s IJ4EU fund, a team of freelance journalists has investigated abuse by border authorities and their accomplices during […] Read more » Taggedij4eu investigative journalism
UDHR75: States must urgently recommit to protecting freedom of the press and journalists’ safety December 13, 2023 As UN member states gather in Geneva this week to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the IPI global network calls on states and the international community to take urgent and concrete action to protect freedom of the press and journalists’ safety — and to recommit to upholding the […] Read more »
Hungary: IPI joins condemnation of passing of Sovereignty Protection Act December 13, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) today condemns the passing of the Sovereignty Protection Act by the Orbán government in Hungary without proper public consultation and calls for an EU challenge against the law. After the bill was passed in the parliament on 12 December after just two weeks of debate, IPI renews our previous concerns […] Read more »
North Macedonia: Ruling against Investigative Reporting Lab and its editor must be overturned November 24, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) joins the organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) in expressing dismay at a recent defamation verdict by a judge in North Macedonia which recommends shutting down one of the country’s leading investigative media outlets and expects this damaging ruling to be swiftly overturned […] Read more »
Gaza war: As killings of journalists continue, IPI reiterates call to protect safety of the press and civilians November 21, 2023 The IPI global network is horrified by the continually growing death toll suffered by journalists and civilians amid the Israel-Gaza war. We strongly urge Israel to uphold journalists’ rights to cover the conflict in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law, and to protect the safety of reporters, media workers, and their families. As […] Read more »
Azerbaijan: IPI demands immediate release of Abzas Media director Ulvi Hasanli November 20, 2023 The IPI global network demands the immediate release from custody of Ulvi Hasanli, the director of Abzas Media, an independent news outlet in Azerbaijan. On Monday, searches were carried out at the Baku office of Abzas media, soon after Hasanli was detained. According to the media outlet, Hasanli has already been beaten while under police […] Read more »
Russia: IPI condemns release of convicted organizer of Anna Politkovskaya murderer November 16, 2023 On Tuesday, November 14, Russian media quoted Khadzhikurbanov’s lawyer, Alexey Mikhalchik, who explained that his client was recruited into the Russian army as a prisoner, was later pardoned and now participates in the war as a contracted fighter. According to the lawyer, Khadzhikurbanov was pardoned by President Vladimir Putin six months after joining the army, […] Read more »
Mali: IPI condemns killing of journalist, abduction of two others by insurgent group November 15, 2023 The IPI global network condemns the killing of journalist Abdoul Aziz Djibrilla, and the abduction of two others, on November 7, by an insurgency group in northern Mali. Djibrilla was working for the local media outlet Naata de Labbezanga in Mali’s Kidal region, the epicenter of violence wrought by two main insurgency groups the Islamic […] Read more »
Case Study How Armenia’s EVN Report is elevating public discourse amid crisis and transformation November 14, 2023 Teona Sekhniashvili Stay up to date with IPI’s work on media innovation and sustainability by subscribing to our newsletter The Outlook. Sign up here. “When you are a country in conflict, you tend to become very insularized. We wanted to do something against that,” the founder and editor-in-chief of the Yerevan-based weekly magazine EVN Report, Maria Titizian, […] Read more »
Ternopil city council refuses to provide information on civil servant salaries ‘until end of martial law’ On 10 November 2023, journalists at RIA+ / 20 minutes, a local online media outlet in the city of Ternopil, western Ukraine, said that officials at the Ternopil city council had refused to provide them with information on salaries of civil servants employed by the council, claiming that this could only be done after the […] Read more »
EU: Anti-SLAPP Directive cannot be a missed opportunity November 9, 2023 The International Press Institute (IPI) has joined 74 civil society organisations in writing to the European Commission, the European Parliament’s rapporteur, the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council and the Ministers of Justice of all EU Member States to reiterate our shared concerns regarding the trilogue process of the anti-SLAPP Directive. The CASE Coalition, of […] Read more »
Ukraine: Alarm over journalists missing or detained in Russian-occupied territory November 8, 2023 The IPI global network demands more efforts by the international community to locate and help secure the release of Ukrainian journalists missing or detained in unclear circumstances while reporting in territories occupied by Russia. Such cases have become increasingly frequent over the past months, according to IPI monitoring. On October 30, Russian occupying authorities communicated […] Read more »
Turkey: Repeal the “disinformation offence” and overreaching legal amendments November 8, 2023 As the Turkish Constitutional Court reviews the constitutionality of the “disinformation offence”, today on 8 November, the International Press Institute (IPI) and Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partner organisations reiterate their call for the annulment of Article 217/A of the Turkish Penal Code and related legal amendments passed in October 2022 that undermine international standards on the […] Read more »
Iran: Journalists who covered Mahsa Amini’s death sentenced to prison November 7, 2023 IPI Contributor Katherine Dailey and IPI staff The IPI global network strongly condemns the sentencing of Iranian journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, two of the first journalists to report on the death of Masha Amini at the hands of the morality police in September 2022, and calls for their immediate release. On October 22, Hamedi was sentenced to a total of […] Read more »
Russia: IPI demands end to violence against journalists in North Caucasus November 6, 2023 The IPI global network demands an end to violence against journalists in Russia’s North Caucasus region, following a recent attack in Ingushetia on journalists Lilian Rubtsova and Alena Sadovskaya. The attack took place after a violent assault in Chechnya earlier this year in which Novaya Gazeta correspondent Elena Milashina was seriously wounded. According to Rubtsova, […] Read more »
Turkey: International groups condemn arrest of journalist Tolga Şardan November 2, 2023 The undersigned media freedom, freedom of expression, human rights and journalists’ organizations strongly condemn the arrest of seasoned journalist Tolga Şardan in Ankara. On the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI), the undersigned groups demand that instead of punishing journalists for informing the public, Turkey’s judiciary should hold […] Read more »
IPI calls on states to take concrete action to end impunity for crimes against the press November 1, 2023 Amid spiraling violence and attacks on the press, states must urgently uphold their commitments and obligations to protect the safety of journalists – including in conflict zones – and take concrete action to end impunity for these crimes, the International Press Institute (IPI) said to mark International Day to End Impunity on November 2, 2023. […] Read more » Taggedimpunity
Analysis: Backsliding in Bosnia and Herzegovina as media freedom faces myriad challenges October 31, 2023 IPI Europe Advocacy Officer Jamie Wiseman Media freedom in Bosnia and Herzegovina is undergoing a worrying period of backsliding amidst a string of restrictive new legislative efforts, hostile rhetoric and denigration of journalists by public officials, and ongoing systemic challenges facing the independence of public service media. These were the initial findings of a coalition of international journalists and media freedom […] Read more »
