In light of the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, we, the undersigned members of the Media Freedom Coalition, urge Israel to allow immediate independent foreign media access and afford protection for journalists operating in Gaza.   

Journalists and media workers play an essential role in putting the spotlight on the devastating reality of war. Access to conflict zones is vital to carrying out this role effectively. We oppose all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists during conflicts.     

We also strongly condemn all violence directed against journalists and media workers, especially the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions. We call on the Israeli authorities and all other parties to make every effort to ensure that media workers in Gaza, Israel, the West Bank and East Jerusalem – local and foreign alike – can conduct their work freely and safely. Deliberate targeting of journalists is unacceptable. International humanitarian law offers protection to civilian journalists during armed conflict. We call for all attacks against media workers to be investigated and for those responsible to be prosecuted in compliance with national and international law.  

We reiterate calls for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of the remaining hostages, unhindered flow of humanitarian aid and for a path towards a two-state solution, long-term peace and security.   

The undersigned members of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) express their deep concern about the attacks on media freedom taking place in Guatemala, and particularly with the situation of leading journalist and founder of elPeriódico, Jose Rubén Zamora.

Mr. Zamora has endured deprivation of liberty for more than two years. His treatment has been deemed arbitrary by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) and a wide number of states globally. Among other findings, the WGAD noted that Mr. Zamora’s arrest and detention resulted from the exercise of his freedom of expression; that Mr. Zamora’s deprivation of liberty is discriminatory on the grounds of his political opinions; and that serious violations of the right to a fair trial had taken place, including the right to legal counsel, the right to adequate time and facilities to prepare his defense and to communicate with his lawyer, and breaches to the principle of equality of arms.

On 28th August 2024, UN Special Procedures shared the view that the charges against Mr. Zamora were connected to his work as a journalist, and referred to allegations concerning the inhumane conditions of his detention, which may have amounted to torture and may have endangered his life. The continuation of his pre-trial detention further extends the violation of his rights.

An independent and critical press is fundamental for democracy and the rule of law. Journalists and media workers in Guatemala should be free from threats and challenges that restrict their ability to report without fear or favor. However, the persecution against Mr. Zamora is not the first case of intimidation and judicial harassment against journalists in Guatemala, with alleged silencing purposes.

We call upon the members of the Judiciary and the Office of the Prosecutor to guarantee the rights of Mr. Zamora and to abide by their international human rights commitments and legal obligations, including by immediately releasing Mr. Zamora from his arbitrary detention, and ensuring that any further legal proceedings against him are carried out in a speedy manner and comply with international law. We welcome President Bernardo Arévalo’s stated commitment to media freedom and his expressed concern about Mr. Zamora’s case, and encourage his administration to ensure Guatemala’s obligations and commitments under international human rights law are complied with.

The undersigned members stand in solidarity with Mr. Zamora and other journalists subject to attack, harassment, and intimidation.

The Media Freedom Coalition commemorates the 10^th anniversary of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists to highlight the indispensable role of journalists and media workers reporting from crisis- and conflict-zones in uncovering the most undocumented affairs of our time, and to stress the dangers they face due to their dedication.

While much has been done during the last ten years to provide journalists and media workers with the safety and fundamental standards demanded by their profession, the decade also witnessed over 800 killings, with the impunity rate for these crimes reaching 90%. Particularly in the case of crisis- and conflict-related incidents, UNESCO recorded a worrying trend of doubling numbers over the past three years. In 2023, journalists killed in conflict constituted more than half of overall killings of journalists.

These tragedies are only the tip of the iceberg. In emergency settings, journalists face physical and psychological attacks, equipment confiscation or denial of access to reporting sites. New forms of online harassment, surveillance and disinformation have emerged due to further advancement in digital technologies, which particularly affect journalists and increase their vulnerability. Other threats to journalists, such as economic insecurity, conflicts or attempts to persecute, intimidate or influence them, can further aggravate these tendencies, thus forcing an even greater number of journalists into exile or to stop working altogether. 

Unfortunately many governments, in spite of their obligations through international Human Rights law, are threatening press freedom around the world. We are witnessing the proliferation of so-called foreign agent laws and disinformation bills, which are designed to criminalize journalism and deny the public´s access to reliable, independent, and diverse news. Civil society organisations have documented hundreds of journalists imprisoned for their work, many of them incommunicado. Such a climate contributes to what UNESCO is terming “zones of silence” opening up in many conflict settings, with severe consequences both for local populations and the world at large. 

We urge the international community to:

• first, enforce the universal principles of protecting journalists, especially UN Security Council Resolution 2222, to promote the safety of media workers and foster their resilience, ensuring they can carry out their critical work as safely as possible in crisis, conflict and post-conflict scenarios – this includes taking appropriate steps to ensure accountability for crimes committed against journalists, media professionals, and associated personnel in situations of armed conflict;
• second, to support journalists in exile, for example by using instruments such as emergency visas and increasing their resilience against transnational repression; and
• lastly, to join forces in search of innovative solutions for overcoming censorship, improving digital infrastructure, reaching new audiences, and holding perpetrators of violence on journalists accountable.

The undersigned members of the Media Freedom Coalition are gravely concerned about the guilty verdict against the former editors of Stand News and the wider suppression of media freedom in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Journalism is not a crime. Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam have been prosecuted for over two and a half years. Their guilty verdict falls against a wider backdrop of increased media self-censorship and the hostility by Hong Kong authorities against local and foreign journalists and their representative bodies, especially since the imposition of the National Security Law in June 2020. The introduction of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance in March 2024 is further hampering the free exchange of opinions and information which is vital to Hong Kongers, Hong Kong’s institutions, and its international reputation as an open place to do business.

Media freedom has been a central factor for Hong Kong’s success in the past and is an essential foundation of a free and inclusive society. To enable media workers to safely fulfil their legitimate role in scrutinising government policy and actions, journalism should not be prosecuted under the guise of national security.

We urge the Hong Kong and China authorities to abide by their international human rights commitments and legal obligations, and to respect freedom of the press and freedom of speech in Hong Kong, in line with the Basic Law and the recommendations of China’s 2024 Universal Periodic Review and Hong Kong’s 2022 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights review.