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Freedom of speech and of the press continue to be undermined in Putin’s Russia, with journalists repeatedly targeted and, in some cases - killed, for doing their job.
Just recently, a Russian governor stated that two journalists who voiced criticism against the authorities should be “wasted in the outhouse”.
This type of belligerent rhetoric results in dire outcomes. Since 1992, 58 Russian journalists have been killed, and at least 7 are still missing. In 2019 alone, 5 journalists were imprisoned in Russia.
Furthermore, the Russian government has accelerated its crackdown on dissident journalists and publications, and effectively silences any voice that is perceived to be challenging the state’s authority. It does so through a series of laws, such as the notorious 2017 “foreign agent” law, as well as an ever-evolving cyber mechanism that controls the online media landscape and enforces censorship over discourse and dissemination of information.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an international organisation working to document infringement on freedom of speech and the abuse of world journalists.
“We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal,” CPJ states on its website.
CPJ’s team conducts thorough research into attacks and obstructions carried out against the press, and reports its findings to figures in power, including heads of states, high-ranking officials and other NGOs, in order to address the injustice uncovered by them.
In Russia, CPJ has been documenting efforts by the government to thwart freedom of press and extend its web of censorship. It has also been reporting on arrests of journalists and raids carried out at publication houses.
Please visit CPJ’s website to learn more about its work and pledge a donation.
Image: Evgeny Feldman/Meduza via AP.
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