** Censorship: RSF restores access to the BBC
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The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) has been censored in several countries, including Iran, China and Russia. RSF has restored access to the British public media’s news site ([link removed]) , which broadcasts in 43 languages, through its operation Collateral Freedom ([link removed]) . Launched by RSF in 2015, Collateral Freedom uses mirror sites, to bypass the arbitrary restrictions on media outlets imposed by certain regimes and governments. The overall number of outlets unblocked by RSF has increased by 56 per cent since March 2024, and 156 media outlets are currently able to continue reaching their audiences despite censorship. In 2024, RSF created mirror sites for several European media banned in Russia, including the Franco-German public service television channel Arte.


** Data - Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) is expanding, setting the international standard for transparent journalism
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** Video
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** Violence against journalists in Syria
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In Syria at least five journalists have reportedly been targeted and injured while covering the violent clashes ([link removed]) that have erupted between government forces and factions loyal to ousted president Bashar al-Assad. Against this tense backdrop, RSF welcomes the recognition of press freedom as one of the guarantees of the constitutional declaration ([link removed]) just signed by the President. This step must now be accompanied by concrete measures ([link removed]) to protect journalists.
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** NEWS BRIEFS
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** The brutal detention and death of journalist Victoria Roschyna
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The Ukrainian journalist was declared dead in September 2024 in a terse letter from the Russian Ministry of Defence. Yet her body was never returned to her family and the circumstances of her death remain unclear. RSF spent months investigating her captivity and presumed death in partnership with three Ukrainian media outlets, which resulted in an investigation exposing the inhumane conditions ([link removed]) of her detention and the blatant lack of medical care provided to the journalist. Watch the video behind the investigation here ([link removed]) .


** Guatemalan journalist Jose Rubén Zamora re-incarcerated without legal justification
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The emblematic founder of the elPeriódico media is back behind bars. Having been granted parole after more than 800 days in pre-trial detention, journalist Jose Rubén Zamora has been ordered back to prison ([link removed]) by the Third Court of Appeals. His defense team immediately filed an appeal, arguing the decision is unconstitutional.


** 20 journalists were killed under the reign of Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, recently arrested for crimes against humanity
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Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity linked to his “war on drugs.” His term was also marked by a violent crackdown on journalists, with 20 journalists killed under his presidency. ([link removed]) The current president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., must prioritise combating impunity for these crimes and reinstating protections ([link removed]) for the independent press.


** In Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev’s regime is muzzling foreign media outlets
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The Azerbaijani authorities have recently revoked the accreditation of several journalists from foreign media outlets. These arbitrary decisions further restrict press freedom under this authoritarian regime. ([link removed]) The British public broadcaster BBC, which had been operating in the country since 1994, was forced to close its office in Baku. The American news agency Bloomberg and the Voice of America are among the media outlets affected.


** RSF refers the case of journalist Sandra Muhoza to the African Commission’s Special Rapporteur on Access to Information
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Sandra Muhoza, a journalist for the news site La Nova Burundi, has been arbitrarily detained since April 2024. Her trial was postponed multiple times for unjust reasons, and now her appeal hearing has been delayed ([link removed]) under a spurious pretext. RSF has asked the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information for Africa’s leading human rights body, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR), to raise the her case with the Burundian authorities.

The conditions of confinement were horrible for journalists. And they were much worse for women than for men. Sexual insults from fellow inmates and inspectors hurt me psychologically, far more than beatings and torture.”

Hanin Gebran, a Syrian journalist detained since June 2024 and released in December 2024, spoke to RSF about being imprisoned by the Assad regime. ([link removed])


** Highlight
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Despite threats and harassment from Russian authorities, independent Tatar journalist Lutfiye Zudiyeva continues her work covering human rights violations in occupied Crimea. She recounts her experience to RSF in a video made in partnership with the French magazine Kometa.
➔ Watch here ([link removed])
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Lutfiye Zudiyeva


** GOOD NEWS OF THE WEEK
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After 527 days in detention, journalist Majid Hyderi has finally been reunited with his family. ([link removed]) The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir finally ordered the release of the journalist, who had been targeted by the ruthless crackdown on journalists in Kashmir ([link removed]) . The court ruled that negative criticism of government policies could not justify preventive detention. The decision sends a strong signal to authorities that misuse of the judicial system will not be tolerated.


** YOU CAN HELP
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** Buy the new RSF photo album
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The latest edition of the iconic RSF photo albums, printed in French, has arrived. Inside, you'll find Man Ray's finest photographs. An artist of genius, a visionary without limits, he painted with light, using his lens as a brush. An ally of the great avant-garde artists, a friend of Aragon, Éluard, Dalí, Duchamp, Kiki de Montparnasse and Lee Miller, Man Ray left us timeless visual icons, collected in this album. All of the album’s proceeds of are donated to RSF, so don't hesitate to buy the album here ([link removed]) and support our work.
➔ Buy the new RSF photo album ([link removed])
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