Safety of journalists and human rights defenders

Journalists and human rights defenders around the world face major risks as a result of their work. Governments and other powerful actors, seeking to escape scrutiny and stifle dissent, often respond to critical reporting or activism with attempts to silence them.

Threats, surveillance, attacks, arbitrary arrest and detention, and, in the most grave cases, enforced disappearance or killings, are too often the cost of reporting the truth. The protection of journalists and human rights defenders, and ending impunity for attacks against them, is a global priority for safeguarding freedom of expression.

States are under an obligation to prevent, protect against, and prosecute attacks against journalists and human rights defenders. Creating a safe and enabling environment for their work necessitates legal reform, the creation of special protection mechanisms, and protocols to guide effective investigations and prosecutions where attacks occur. A free press and active civil society are essential to ensure the public’s right to know, so that governments and institutions can be held accountable.

Turkey: Stop attacks on free speech and civil society immediately
27.01.2022 6 min read

Turkey: Stop attacks on free speech and civil society immediately

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Lithuania: Stop harassment of the Karštos Pėdos journalist platform
27.01.2022 5 min read

Lithuania: Stop harassment of the Karštos Pėdos journalist platform

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Cambodia: Government must restore fundamental freedoms
27.01.2022 1 min read

Cambodia: Government must restore fundamental freedoms

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Ecuador: Swedish activist Ola Bini tried after a long wait
19.01.2022 3 min read

Ecuador: Swedish activist Ola Bini tried after a long wait

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Montenegro: Impunity must end for shooting of journalist Olivera Lakić
19.01.2022 9 min read

Montenegro: Impunity must end for shooting of journalist Olivera Lakić

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Tunisia: Security forces suppress peaceful demonstrations on Revolution Day
17.01.2022 3 min read

Tunisia: Security forces suppress peaceful demonstrations on Revolution Day

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EU: Protecting public watchdogs, a proposal for an anti-slapp law
15.01.2022 1 min read

EU: Protecting public watchdogs, a proposal for an anti-slapp law

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Egypt: Authorities force closure of prominent human rights organisation
12.01.2022 2 min read

Egypt: Authorities force closure of prominent human rights organisation

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Belarus: Access the toolkit to join the Andrei and Irina campaign
12.01.2022 4 min read

Belarus: Access the toolkit to join the Andrei and Irina campaign

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