Latest news with #OneFreePressCoalition
Boston Globe
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Hong Kong publisher tops '10 Most Urgent' list of imprisoned journalists
Related : Advertisement Given the increasing number of journalists detained for simply doing their jobs and seeking to tell the truth, and given the successful 2024 campaign to free Gershkovich and Kurmasheva, the One Free Press Coalition unites our collective voices in support of the following individuals and their urgent cases of press persecution. . Lai Family 1. Jimmy Lai (Hong Kong) Since December 2020, Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has been jailed in solitary confinement in a Hong Kong maximum security prison. The 77-year-old media entrepreneur and British citizen founded the newspaper Apple Daily, which has since been shuttered in China's crackdown on pro-democracy advocacy and journalism. Lai's son Sebastien Advertisement 2. Shin Daewe (Myanmar) Award-winning documentary filmmaker 3. Frenchie Mae Cumpio (Philippines) Tacloban-based journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, 26, Advertisement 4. Pham Doan Trang (Vietnam) Vietnamese author, journalist, and activist Pham Doan Trang, 45, was arrested in 2020 and Ihar Losik RFE/RL 5. Ihar Losik (Belarus) A freelance journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Belarus Service, Ihar Losik was detained in June 2020 in advance of Belarus's rigged election in August. He was tried on Advertisement 6. Sevinj Vagifgizi (Azerbaijan) Since 2023, Azerbaijan has implemented a major Vladyslav Yesypenko RFE/RL 7. Vladyslav Yesypenko (Russia) One of at least 18 Ukrainian journalists from Russian-occupied Crimea being Advertisement Li Yanhe RTI 8. Li Yanhe (China) China is the world's leading jailer of journalists, holding at least 50 behind bars, according to the Advertisement 9. Makhabat Tajibek kyzy, Azamat Ishenbekov, and Aike Beishekeyeva (Kyrgyzstan) In February, Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court 10. Joakim Medin (Turkey) Joakim Medin, a special correspondent for the Swedish newspaper ETC, has been
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
List Of ‘10 Most Urgent' Press Freedom Cases In 2025 Focuses On Imprisoned Journalists
Coinciding with World Press Freedom Day (May 3rd), global media outlets unite as One Free Press Coalition to publish this annual '10 Most Urgent' list, bringing attention to fellow journalists who are being imprisoned for seeking to tell the truth. These ten cases illuminate governments' efforts at criminalizing journalism, silencing the media, and withholding information from the public. The list is compiled in collaboration with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). According to CPJ data, 361 journalists were behind bars worldwide at the end of 2024 (up from 320 in 2023). In August 2024, the One Free Press Coalition celebrated the release of two American journalists—Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva—from Russian detention after their cases topped the May 2024 list of '10 Most Urgent' press freedom cases. Given the increasing number of journalists detained for simply doing their jobs and seeking to tell the truth, and given the successful 2024 campaign to free Gershkovich and Kurmasheva, the One Free Press Coalition crucially and emphatically unites our collective voices in support of the following individuals and their urgent cases of press persecution. Jimmy Lai Since December 2020, Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has been jailed in solitary confinement in a Hong Kong maximum-security prison. The 77-year-old media entrepreneur and British citizen founded the newspaper Apple Daily which has since been shuttered in China's crackdown on pro-democracy advocacy and journalism. Lai's son Sebastien told CPJ in late 2024, 'For his dedication to freedom, they have taken his away. For his bravery in standing in defense of others, they have denied him human contact.' Beijing has repeatedly delayed Lai's trial on charges of sedition and conspiring to collude with foreign forces, while Lai is currently serving a sentence of 5 years and 9 months. Lai denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty. His legal team told PBS in 2024 that Lai has been 'prosecuted for being a journalist and for his writing, raising human rights concerns with international human rights organizations, and speaking to politicians internationally to raise concern about these issues.' Shin Daewe Award-winning documentary filmmaker Shin Daewe was ordered a life sentence in 2024 (since reduced to 15 years) on charges of illegal possession of an unregistered drone, after being arrested and interrogated by police in 2023 when she was receiving the drone that she had ordered online. According to a VOA report, Daewe was denied legal representation and convicted of financing terrorist activities. Her husband noted that Daewe appeared to have been beaten during police interrogations, based on visible stitches on her head and welts on her arms. Daewe reported for local media group Democratic Voice of Burma and regularly freelanced for Radio Free Asia, contributing documentary coverage about environmental issues and the toll of armed conflict on the country's civilians. CPJ reports Myanmar as the world's second-worst jailer of journalists. Frenchie Mae Cumpio Tacloban-based journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, 26, has been held in pre-trial detention for five years. Authorities raided her home in February 2020 and arrested her—along with colleagues Marielle Domequil and Alexander Abinguna—on charges of illegal firearms possession and terrorism financing, which she denies. Cumpio testified to having been subjected to months of surveillance and harassment prior to the raid, and an outside investigation found that a firearm and grenade were planted by military members in her home to incriminate the then-21-year-old. Her reporting included local radio coverage of military and police abuse and independent media stories about marginalized people in the Philippines. If convicted, she faces up to 40 years in prison. Vietnamese author, journalist and activist Pham Doan Trang, 45, was arrested in 2020 and accused of 'anti-state propaganda.' She was held incommunicado for more than one year before her one-day trial and conviction in 2021, sentencing her to nine years in prison. For years prior to her arrest, she endured threats, police brutality, self-imposed exile and interrogations over her writings about democracy, freedom of expression, human rights, environmental degradation and women's empowerment. Her work had appeared in Luat Khoa legal magazine which she founded, independent English-language website The Vietnamese, state media, and exile-run blog Danlambao. Former PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said in 2024, 'She has sacrificed her health and freedom in the pursuit of justice.' Ihar Losik A freelance journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Belarus Service, Ihar Losik was detained in June 2020 in advance of Belarus' rigged election in August. He was tried on charges including 'organization of mass riots' and 'incitement to hatred.' After a five-month closed-door trial in 2021 resulting in convictions for six journalists, Losik was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Reports suggest that Losik, 32, has endured hunger strikes, frequent cell transfers, denied mail privileges and self-inflicted injuries, and he is currently being held incommunicado. In 2025, RSF filed a complaint at the International Criminal Court on his behalf. President Alexander Lukashenko and his regime have cracked down on independent media, holding dozens of political prisoners, including having detained Losik's wife Darya for more than a year after she gave an interview to Poland-based news outlet Belsat. Sevinj Vagifgizi captures a video during a protest on October 7, 2017 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Since 2023, Azerbaijan has implemented a major crackdown on independent press, criminally charging at least 16 journalists including Sevinj Vagifgizi, the chief editor of anti-corruption investigative outlet Abzas Media. She and five colleagues have been arrested, and she continues to be detained in reportedly 'horrific conditions' on multiple financial crime charges in relation to allegedly illegally receiving funding from Western donors. Police claimed to have found more than $43,000 during a search of the outlet's offices. Vagifgizi and her colleagues deny the charges and claim they are retaliation for Abzas Media's published investigative series into the wealth of public figures. 'This case is not about smuggling, illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, or document forgery,' Vagifgizi, 35, said during a March 2025 hearing. 'It's about intolerance for the truth.' The journalists could face up to 12 years in detention. Vladyslav Yesypenko One of at least 18 Ukrainian journalists from Russian-occupied Crimea being held in Russia on politically motivated charges, Vladyslav Yesypenko has been in detention for more than four years. He is a 56-year-old Russian-Ukrainian dual citizen and a contributor to a unit of Radio Free Europe/RadioLiberty's Ukrainian Service who had been covering social and environmental issues in Crimea, including ecological crises and the impact of Russia's occupation on the region. He was arrested in 2021 and sentenced in 2022 to six years in prison (later reduced to five years). Initially detained on suspicion of spying for the Ukrainian government, those charges were dropped and replaced eight days later with charges relating to possession and transport of explosives. He, his employer and human rights groups have denounced the charges as fabricated. According to RFE/RL, Yesypenko testified that he was tortured with electric shocks to force him into a false confession. Li Yanhe China is the world's leading jailer of journalists, holding at least 150 behind bars according to RSF and CPJ reporting in December 2024. Among them, Taiwan-based radio host and publisher Li Yanhe was arrested two years ago during a trip to Shanghai, held incommunicado, and sentenced in February 2025 to a $6,900 fine and three years in prison on charges of inciting separatism. A government spokesperson said that Li—who was born in China in 1971 and goes by the name Fu Cha—pleaded guilty and did not appeal the verdict. Li had immigrated to Taiwan in 2009, where he founded Gusa Press, which has published books critical of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. He also hosts a program on Radio Taiwan International about Chinese politics and current affairs. A statement from Gusa Press said, 'We can't see the indictment, don't know what exactly Fu Cha was convicted for doing, don't know the sentence, and are even more uncertain about whether he can return home after serving his sentence.' In February, Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court confirmed sentences against three journalists from YouTube-based anti-corruption investigative outlet Temirov Live on charges of calling for mass unrest. The three individuals are the outlet's director Makhabat Tajibek kyzy (sentenced to six years), presenter Azamat Ishenbekov (five years), and reporter Aike Beishekeyeva (five years after a three-year probation period). Seven other colleagues had been arrested in January 2024 but were later acquitted into house arrest or released under travel bans. The decision also included sentencing for Aktilek Kaparov, a former reporter of Temirov Live which was founded by now exiled Bolot Temirov. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov dismissed the journalists as 'not real' in September 2024 and claimed they were 'spreading false information calling for riots,' according to Amnesty International. Joakim Medin Joakim Medin, a special correspondent for the Swedish newspaper ETC, has been held in a high-security prison in Silivri, Turkey since March 30. He was arrested three days earlier in Istanbul, while traveling to report on civil unrest in the city, and was accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and 'belonging to an armed terrorist organization' because he was present as a reporter at an anti-Erdoğan rally organized by individuals tied to the Kurdistan Workers' Party in Stockholm in 2023. Medin's reporting specializes, among other topics and regions, in Kurdish issues. Through his lawyer, Medin sent the handwritten message from prison: 'Journalism is not a crime in any country.' An RSF report with local partner Bianet published in August 2024 found that at least 77 journalists have been convicted of 'insulting the president' during Erdoğan's decade-long administration. See all #OneFreePress content by Forbes here.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A call for the release of imprisoned journalists for World Press Freedom Day
Saturday is World Press Freedom Day, a day designated by the UN General Assembly to underscore the vital role of the free press. Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, the One Free Press Coalition has released its yearly list of the 10 most urgent cases of imprisoned journalists. Forbes' Randall Lane joins Morning Joe to discuss.
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
One Free Press Coalition's '10 Most Urgent' List For 2025 Highlights Journalists In Detention And Governments' Current Efforts At Criminalizing Journalism
NEW YORK – May 1, 2025 – Coinciding with World Press Freedom Day, leading news organizations and publishers around the world have come together as part of the One Free Press Coalition to announce the 2025 '10 Most Urgent' list, bringing to light and emphasizing ten cases of those who are currently detained for actively pursuing their duty as fellow journalists. The mission of the coalition is to use the collective voices of its members – which reach more than two billion people worldwide – to 'stand up for journalists under attack for pursuing the truth.' In 2025, many journalists continue to face increased risks and challenges while working to seek the truth and spread the information and knowledge they learned while working. The '10 Most Urgent' list, published this morning by all members and at the OneFreePress website includes the following journalists: 1. Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of newspaper Apple Daily, Hong Kong Since December 2020, Jimmy has been confined to solitary confinement in a Hong Kong maximum-security prison, having been charged under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law after raising human rights concerns with international human rights organizations. 2. Shin Daewe, documentary filmmaker and freelancer, Myanmar Shin was ordered a life sentence in 2024, now reduced to 15 years, on charges of illegal possession of an unregistered drone, after being arrested and interrogated by police in 2023 when she was receiving a drone that she had ordered online. 3. Frenchie Mae Cumpio, community journalist for Eastern Vista, Philippines Frenchie Mae has been held in pre-trial detention for five years after authorities raided her home in February 2020 and arrested her—along with colleagues Marielle Domequil and Alexander Abingun—on charges of illegal firearms possession and terrorism financing, which she denies. 4. Pham Doan Trang, author, journalist, activist and founder of Luat Khoa legal magazine, Vietnam Pham was arrested in 2020 and accused of 'anti-state propaganda,' and ultimately sentenced to nine years in prison. For years prior to her arrest, she endured threats, police brutality, self-imposed exile and interrogations over her writings about democracy, freedom of expression, human rights, environmental degradation and women's empowerment. 5. Ihar Losik, freelance journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Belarus Service, Belarus Ihar was detained in June 2020 in advance of Belarus' rigged election in August, later tried on charges including 'organization of mass riots' and 'incitement to hatred. He was later sentenced to 15 years in prison. 6. Sevinj Vagifgizi, chief editor of anti-corruption investigative outlet Abzas Media, Azerbaijan After Azerbaijan implemented a major crackdown on independent press in 2023, Sevinj was arrested and continues to be detained due to multiple financial crime charges in relation to allegedly illegally receiving funding from Western donors. 7. Vladyslav Yesypenko, contributor to a unit of Radio Free Europe/RadioLiberty's Ukrainian Service, Russia Vladyslav was arrested in 2021 and sentenced in 2022 to ultimately five years in prison after initially being detained on suspicion of spying for the Ukrainian government, later changed to charges relating to possession and transport of explosives. 8. Li Yanhe, Taiwan-based radio host and publisher and founder of Gusa Press, China Li was arrested two years ago during a trip to Shanghai, held incommunicado, and sentenced in February 2025 to a $6,900 fine and three years in prison on charges of inciting separatism. 9. Makhabat Tajibek Kyzy, Azamat Ishenbekov and Aike Beishekeyeva, journalists from YouTube-based anti-corruption investigative outlet Temirov Live, Kyrgyzstan In February 2025, Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court confirmed sentences against Makhabat, Azamat and Aike on charges of calling for mass unrest. 10. Joakim Medin, special correspondent for the Swedish newspaper ETC, Turkey Joakim has been held in a high-security prison in Silivri, Turkey since March 30 after his arrest while traveling to report on civil unrest in the city, and being accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and 'belonging to an armed terrorist organization' because he was present as a reporter at an anti-Erdoğan rally organized by individuals tied to the Kurdistan Workers' Party in Stockholm in 2023. The list is compiled in collaboration with the Committee to Protect Journalists, International Women's Media Foundation and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). According to Committee to Protect Journalists data, 361 journalists were behind bars worldwide at the end of 2024 (up from 320 in 2023). 'As journalists continue to stand under attack for pursuing the truth, it's important now more than ever to use our voices in support of our peers and in defense of the truth,' said Randall Lane, Chief Content Officer, Forbes. 'We encourage other outlets to join us and use their voices to stand up for those voices that have been threatened or silenced. Together, in solidarity, we can send a message to those who threaten free speech that we will fight back for our fellow journalists.' Last August, the One Free Press Coalition celebrated the release of two American journalists — Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva — from Russian detention after their cases were at the top of the May 2024 list of '10 Most Urgent' press freedom cases. News organizations throughout the world can join the coalition by emailing info@ Members of the public are also encouraged to join the conversation using #OneFreePress and following developments on X @OneFreePress. About the One Free Press Coalition The One Free Press Coalition is comprised of prominent international members including: L'Agefi; Agencia EFE; The Associated Press; The Atlantic; Barron's; Bloomberg News; The Boston Globe; Business Insider; Deutsche Welle; Dow Jones; The Economist; Forbes; El País; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; Nikkei Asia; TIME; The Wall Street Journal; The Washington Post; and WIRED. To see the '10 Most Urgent' list and to view a complete list of participating news organizations and supporting partners, please visit or @OneFreePress on X. Media Contacts: One Free Press Coalition: pr@ CPJ: Mohamed Abdelfattah at press@ IWMF: Charlotte Fox at cfox@ RSF: Zoé Boissel at zboissel@
Time Magazine
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Time Magazine
The Most Urgent Threats to Press Freedom Around the World
Coinciding with World Press Freedom Day (May 3rd), global media outlets unite as One Free Press Coalition to publish this annual '10 Most Urgent' list, bringing attention to fellow journalists who are being imprisoned for seeking to tell the truth. These ten cases illuminate governments' efforts at criminalizing journalism, silencing the media, and withholding information from the public. The list is compiled in collaboration with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). According to CPJ data, 361 journalists were behind bars worldwide at the end of 2024 (up from 320 in 2023). In August 2024, the One Free Press Coalition celebrated the release of two American journalists—Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva—from Russian detention after their cases topped the May 2024 list of '10 Most Urgent' press freedom cases. Given the increasing number of journalists detained for simply doing their jobs and seeking to tell the truth, and given the successful 2024 campaign to free Gershkovich and Kurmasheva, the One Free Press Coalition crucially and emphatically unites our collective voices in support of the following individuals and their urgent cases of press persecution. 1. Jimmy Lai (Hong Kong) Since December 2020, Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has been jailed in solitary confinement in a Hong Kong maximum-security prison. The 77-year-old media entrepreneur and British citizen founded the newspaper Apple Daily which has since been shuttered in China's crackdown on pro-democracy advocacy and journalism. Lai's son Sebastien told CPJ in late 2024, 'For his dedication to freedom, they have taken his away. For his bravery in standing in defense of others, they have denied him human contact.' Beijing has repeatedly delayed Lai's trial on charges of sedition and conspiring to collude with foreign forces, while Lai is currently serving a sentence of 5 years and 9 months. Lai denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty. His legal team told PBS in 2024 that Lai has been 'prosecuted for being a journalist and for his writing, raising human rights concerns with international human rights organizations, and speaking to politicians internationally to raise concern about these issues.' 2. Shin Daewe (Myanmar) Award-winning documentary filmmaker Shin Daewe was ordered a life sentence in 2024 (since reduced to 15 years) on charges of illegal possession of an unregistered drone, after being arrested and interrogated by police in 2023 when she was receiving the drone that she had ordered online. According to a VOA report, Daewe was denied legal representation and convicted of financing terrorist activities. Her husband noted that Daewe appeared to have been beaten during police interrogations, based on visible stitches on her head and welts on her arms. Daewe reported for local media group Democratic Voice of Burma and regularly freelanced for Radio Free Asia, contributing documentary coverage about environmental issues and the toll of armed conflict on the country's civilians. CPJ reports Myanmar as the world's second-worst jailer of journalists. 3. Frenchie Mae Cumpio (Philippines) Tacloban-based journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, 26, has been held in pre-trial detention for five years. Authorities raided her home in February 2020 and arrested her—along with colleagues Marielle Domequil and Alexander Abinguna —on charges of illegal firearms possession and terrorism financing, which she denies. Cumpio testified to having been subjected to months of surveillance and harassment prior to the raid, and an outside investigation found that a firearm and grenade were planted by military members in her home to incriminate the then-21-year-old. Her reporting included local radio coverage of military and police abuse and independent media stories about marginalized people in the Philippines. If convicted, she faces up to 40 years in prison. 4. Pham Doan Trang (Vietnam) Vietnamese author, journalist and activist Pham Doan Trang, 45, was arrested in 2020 and accused of 'anti-state propaganda.' She was held incommunicado for more than one year before her one-day trial and conviction in 2021, sentencing her to nine years in prison. For years prior to her arrest, she endured threats, police brutality, self-imposed exile and interrogations over her writings about democracy, freedom of expression, human rights, environmental degradation and women's empowerment. Her work had appeared in Luat Khoa legal magazine which she founded, independent English-language website The Vietnamese, state media, andexile-run blog Danlambao. Former PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said in 2024, 'She has sacrificed her health and freedom in the pursuit of justice.' 5. Ihar Losik (Belarus) A freelance journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Belarus Service, Ihar Losik was detained in June 2020 in advance of Belarus' rigged election in August. He was tried on charges including 'organization of mass riots' and 'incitement to hatred.' After a five-month closed-door trial in 2021 resulting in convictions for six journalists, Losik was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Reports suggest that Losik, 32, has endured hunger strikes, frequent cell transfers, denied mail privileges and self-inflicted injuries, and he is currently being held incommunicado. In 2025, RSF filed a complaint at the International Criminal Court on his behalf. President Alexander Lukashenko and his regime have cracked down on independent media, holding dozens of political prisoners, including having detained Losik's wife Darya for more than a year after she gave an interview to Poland-based news outlet Belsat. 6. Sevinj Vagifgizi (Azerbaijan) Since 2023, Azerbaijan has implemented a major crackdown on independent press, criminally charging at least 16 journalists including Sevinj Vagifgizi, the chief editor of anti-corruption investigative outlet Abzas Media. She and five colleagues have been arrested, and she continues to be detained in reportedly 'horrific conditions' on multiple financial crime charges in relation to allegedly illegally receiving funding from Western donors. Police claimed to have found more than $43,000 during a search of the outlet's offices. Vagifgizi and her colleagues deny the charges and claim they are retaliation for Abzas Media's published investigative series into the wealth of public figures. 'This case is not about smuggling, illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, or document forgery,' Vagifgizi, 35, said during a March 2025 hearing. 'It's about intolerance for the truth.' The journalists could face up to 12 years in detention. 7. Vladyslav Yesypenko (Russia) One of at least 18 Ukrainian journalists from Russian-occupied Crimea being held in Russia on politically motivated charges, Vladyslav Yesypenko has been in detention for more than four years. He is a 56-year-old Russian-Ukrainian dual citizen and a contributor to a unit of Radio Free Europe/RadioLiberty's Ukrainian Service who had been covering social and environmental issues in Crimea, including ecological crises and the impact of Russia's occupation on the region. He was arrested in 2021 and sentenced in 2022 to six years in prison (later reduced to five years). Initially detained on suspicion of spying for the Ukrainian government, those charges were dropped and replaced eight days later with charges relating to possession and transport of explosives. He, his employer and human rights groups have denounced the charges as fabricated. According to RFE/RL, Yesypenko testified that he was tortured with electric shocks to force him into a false confession. 8. Li Yanhe (China) China is the world's leading jailer of journalists, holding at least 150 behind bars according to RSF and CPJ reporting in December 2024. Among them, Taiwan-based radio host and publisher Li Yanhe was arrested two years ago during a trip to Shanghai, held incommunicado, and sentenced in February 2025 to a $6,900 fine and three years in prison on charges of inciting separatism. A government spokesperson said that Li—who was born in China in 1971 and goes by the name Fu Cha—pleaded guilty and did not appeal the verdict. Li had immigrated to Taiwan in 2009, where he founded Gusa Press, which has published books critical of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. He also hosts a program on Radio Taiwan International about Chinese politics and current affairs. A statement from Gusa Press said, 'We can't see the indictment, don't know what exactly Fu Cha was convicted for doing, don't know the sentence, and are even more uncertain about whether he can return home after serving his sentence.' 9. Makhabat Tajibek kyzy, Azamat Ishenbekov, Aike Beishekeyeva (Kyrgyzstan) In February, Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court confirmed sentences against three journalists from YouTube-based anti-corruption investigative outlet Temirov Live on charges of calling for mass unrest. The three individuals are the outlet's director Makhabat Tajibek kyzy (sentenced to six years), presenter Azamat Ishenbekov (five years), and reporter Aike Beishekeyeva (five years after a three-year probation period). Seven other colleagues had been arrested in January 2024 but were later acquitted into house arrest or released under travel bans. The decision also included sentencing for Aktilek Kaparov, a former reporter of Temirov Live which was founded by now exiled Bolot Temirov. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov dismissed the journalists as 'not real' in September 2024 and claimed they were 'spreading false information calling for riots,' according to Amnesty International. 10. Joakim Medin (Turkey) Joakim Medin, a special correspondent for the Swedish newspaper ETC, has been held in a high-security prison in Silivri, Turkey since March 30. He was arrested three days earlier in Istanbul, while traveling to report on civil unrest in the city, and was accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and 'belonging to an armed terrorist organization' because he was present as a reporter at an anti-Erdoğan rally organized by individuals tied to the Kurdistan Workers' Party in Stockholm in 2023. Medin's reporting specializes, among other topics and regions, in Kurdish issues. Through his lawyer, Medin sent the handwritten message from prison: 'Journalism is not a crime in any country.' An RSF report with local partner Bianet published in August 2024 found that at least 77 journalists have been convicted of 'insulting the president' during Erdoğan's decade-long administration.
