Across the world, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exert a toll on the way we live, it has also reshaped the way journalists work. Covering the pandemic and its aftermath has led to direct exposure to the virus, but just as concerningly, journalists have been exposed to the whims of authorities in some countries who use the contagion as a reason to crack down on the media.

Some of the emergency measures put into place that restrict press freedom—whether intended or not—could continue well into the future, and journalists are already facing the consequences. From February 2020 to Jun 22, 2021 alone, CPJ documented 221 press freedom violations related to the pandemic.

IWMF also recently published a report commissioned by the Gates Foundation on COVID-19 and how it has impacted the voices of women and journalists of color. “The Missing Perspectives of Women in COVID-19 News” shows that too few women experts have been quoted on the pandemic in the media. The study found that in South Africa, Kenya, India, Nigeria, the U.S. and the U.K., even when a woman’s voice is heard in the news on COVID-19, it is drowned out by the voices of men. The report finds that the absence of women’s perspectives in COVID-related news coverage means that women have limited influence over the framing of the crisis in the news and consequently, limited influence over policy decisions. 

IWMF and CPJ also provide information and resources to journalists so they can report safely during the pandemic. Find more in CPJ’s regularly updated COVID-19 safety advisory for the latest on physical and digital safety information for journalists in 40+ languages, and explore IWMF’s resources.

1. Rana Ayyub, Saba Naqvi and Mohammed Zubair (India)

Last year, police filed a criminal investigation against an editor at independent news website The Wire for allegedly “spreading discord” related to the COVID-19 lockdown. Now authorities have launched a criminal investigation against The Wire and journalists Rana Ayyub, Saba Naqvi and Mohammed Zubair that alleges they shared an unverified video that could cause social unrest.

2. Azimjon Askarov (Kyrgyzstan)

July 25 marks one year since journalist and human rights activist Azimjon Askarov died in a Kyrgyz prison. His family suspected that he had contracted COVID-19, but authorities refused to test him.

3. José Antônio Arantes (Brazil)

The founder and editor of Folha da Região has received threatening messages on social media in response to his coverage of the pandemic, and he was the target of an arson attack on the building housing both his home and newspaper headquarters.

4. Gamal al-Gamal (Egypt)

Egyptian freelance columnist contracted COVID-19 earlier this year while held in pretrial detention in Cairo’s notorious Tora Prison. While he was eventually transferred to a hospital, conditions behind bars remain unsafe for many inmates.  

5. Rozina Islam (Bangladesh)

Rozina Islam was arrested in May on allegations of stealing official documents and espionage after reporting on alleged corruption and mismanagement in the government’s response to the pandemic. Though she was released on bail, if charged and convicted, she could face up to 14 years in prison and the death penalty.

6. Nurgeldi Halykov (Turkmenistan)

Freelance correspondent Nurgeldi Halykov has been behind bars since September 2020 on fraud charges, which colleagues believe are retaliation for his reporting, including coverage of the pandemic for independent Netherlands-based news website Turkmen.news. 

7. Andrzej Poczobut (Belarus)

Political commentator and TV producer Andrzej Poczobut has been held in pre-trial detention since March. He has reportedly contracted COVID-19 while behind bars, with prisoners kept in crowded conditions, but has now been placed in quarantine. 

8. Siddique Kappan (India)

Indian journalist behind bars reportedly collapsed earlier this year after reportedly contracting COVID-19. While a court dropped one of the non-bailable charges against him in June, authorities in Uttar Pradesh continue to pursue and investigate additional retaliatory charges against him.

9. Shahram Safari (Iran)

Freelance Kurdish journalist, who also runs local news Telegram channel “Rawezh Press,” was sentenced to three months in prison over his COVID-19 reporting. While he is appealing the decision, he faces two additional cases against him.

10. Oratile Dikologang (Botswana)

Oratile Dikologang, cofounder and digital editor of local website Botswana People’s Daily News, is due in court July 12 on charges relating to information shared to Facebook about COVID-19 and local politics. He denies publishing the posts. 

Ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20, the One Free Press Coalition releases its monthly “10 Most Urgent” list with a spotlight on journalists forced to flee their homes or go into exile, as well as threats faced by journalists reporting at borders.

The type of threats that force journalists to leave their homes can vary, ranging from sustained harassment, to physical and legal threats, or threats of imprisonment, all impeding their ability to live and work without fear. Journalists from all regions seek safety elsewhere when press crackdowns intensify, with recent examples in Myanmar and Ethiopia. Local journalists, unlike international journalists who may be able to move more freely, when faced with threats often have no other option than to leave behind their homes, and even their families. As CPJ found in a 2015 report, only about 17% of journalists who fled their countries were able to continue working during their time in exile.

Journalists in crisis situations looking for support and resources are also encouraged to reach out to IWMF and CPJ directly. 

1. Raman Pratasevich (Belarus)

Belarusian authorities diverted a commercial flight to Minsk in order to arrest exiled journalist Raman Pratasevich, founder and editor of Telegram channels that covered anti-Lukashenko protests. Belarusian authorities launched investigations against him in relation to his journalism.

2. Benjamín Morales (Mexico)

Local journalist working in a Northern Mexican border town in Sonora was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds, as violence surges in the state.  

3. Ayham al-Gareeb, Mohammad Shubat, Mousa al-Jamaat, and Okba Mohammad (Syria)

Facing dire threats in Syria in connection to their reporting, local journalists find safety in Spain and launch Madrid’s first refugee-led, Spanish-Arabic news site, Baynana.

4. Pouyan Khoshhal (Iran)

Journalist imprisoned, fired and forced into exile for a single story continues to report on news and politics in Iran for IranWire and still faces a sentence if he returns to Iran.  

5. Natalia Zubkova (Russia)

After facing an attack and death threats, journalist and her family were pushed into hiding—and forced to flee Russia—following her reporting on local protests as well as an alleged real estate scheme targeting disabled people.

6. Amade Abubacar (Mozambique)

Radio journalist covering families fleeing militant attacks in Cabo Delgado province, where an ongoing conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands, was arrested and detained for 108 days in several prisons in 2019. Though released, Abubacar still faces charges.  

7. Carlos Ketohou (Togo)

Director of Togolese outlet L’Indépendant Express forced to leave his home after security forces detained him, and his family received anonymous threats. Authorities have barred the outlet from publishing, and legal challenges are ongoing.

8. Can Dündar (Turkey)

Journalist and former chief editor of the Turkish opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet founded independent radio station Özgürüz while living in exile in Germany. He appeals a 27.5-year prison sentence on anti-state charges from Turkish authorities.  

9. Gerall Chávez (Nicaragua)

One of the dozens of Nicaraguan journalists forced into exile since 2018, Chávez has continued to face threats even while living in Costa Rica, including ones directed toward his family, which remains in Nicaragua. 

10. Humayra Bakhtiyar (Tajikistan)

Journalist and human rights activist covering politics and corruption was forced into exile in the EU in 2016, but remains outspoken even as she faces continued online harassment and threats from Tajik authorities directed at her family.

Use your voice. Share their stories. #OneFreePress

On May 3, 2021, the annual observance of World Press Freedom Day, the One Free Press Coalition launched the monthly list of “10 Most Urgent” press freedom cases around the world. This iteration focuses on journalists writing about human rights—an especially dangerous beat. Of journalists imprisoned in 2020, 55% covered human rights, and 306 journalists reporting on human rights have been killed since 1992.

Human rights stories—such as attacks on minority communities, anti-government protests, environmental degradation, and LGBT rights, among many others—have all proven to be dangerous stories for the journalists on the list this month. CPJ and IWMF applaud the courage of all journalists, and continue to provide safety resources and support to ensure they can do their job as safely as possible.

1. Ibraimo Abú Mbaruco (Mozambique)

Mozambican radio reporter and human rights advocate in Cabo Delgado has been missing for over a year as conflict in the region escalates. Family and colleagues still have no information on his whereabouts after he sent an SOS text saying he was “surrounded by soldiers.” 

2. Kasra Nouri (Iran)

Journalist, serving a 12-year sentence related to his coverage of religious protests in 2018, has spent a significant amount of time in solitary confinement, been moved multiple times, and his family is currently unable to communicate with him.         

3. Pham Chi Dung (Vietnam)

Freelance internet reporter and founding chairman of a civil society organization advocating for press freedom is serving a 15-year prison sentence on anti-state charges after calling on the EU to postpone trade agreements until Vietnam improves its human rights record.

4. Ahmed Humaidan (Bahrain)

Photographer covering protests in Bahrain was arrested while documenting protesters attacking a police station in 2012, and sentenced to ten years behind bars in 2014. He recently contracted and recovered from COVID-19 while imprisoned.

5. Esraa Abdelfattah (Egypt)

Longtime blogger, journalist and activist reporting on human rights has been held on false news and anti-state charges since 2019, and has had her pretrial detention extended. She has gone on hunger strikes multiple times to protest her sentence and treatment.

6. Leonardo Sakamoto and the team at Repórter Brasil (Brazil)

Leonardo Sakamoto is the president of Repórter Brasil, an investigative reporting organization, focused on issues from human trafficking to workers’ rights to environmental degradation. The outlet has faced online attacks, attempted break-ins and anonymous threats.      

7. Sandhya Ravishankar (India)

Freelance journalist reporting on elections, politics and corruption, including on Tamil Nadu’s sand mafia and beach sand mining, has faced years of threats and harassment, including death and rape threats, doxing, and a 2018 attempt to sabotage her motorbike.

8. Agnieszka Pikulicka (Uzbekistan)

Freelance correspondent threatened publicly by Uzbek Interior Ministry with potential lawsuits in relation to her reporting on the attack of an LGBTQ activist.

9. Katsiaryna Barysevich (Belarus)

Correspondent for the independent news website Tut.by was sentenced earlier this year to six months behind bars for her coverage of protests in Belarus in 2020.

10. Daria Komarova (Russia)

Russian journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been put on three trials in relation to her coverage of pro-Navalny protests, facing potential fines and administrative detention.

Use your voice. Share their stories. #OneFreePress