Ukraine: "I Want Justice to be Done”
How a local judge was imprisoned for refusing a Russian request to serve on the “supreme court” of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic.
Yahidne: Hearing Against 15 Russian Soldiers Ends
In March 2022, nearly 400 civilians were crammed into a cellar and used as human shields by occupation forces.
Ukraine: The Challenge of Democracy in War
How does a society protect its citizens' fundamental rights amid conflict?
Ukraine: We Cannot Tire of the Fight
Nobel prizewinner emphasises that her country has no choice but to continue fighting.
Konstantinivka: Yet Another Day After
Russian missile attack devastates railway station in eastern Ukraine town.
Ukraine: The Need for Military Aid
"When you're fighting for freedom against evil, you can't fight with bare hands."
Tuesday, 27 February ‘24
This week’s overview of key events and links to essential reading.
“Success is the Establishment of Trust”
Kyiv-based centre coordinating assistance for victims and witnesses helps them navigate legal complexities, social rehabilitation and intense trauma.
Two Russian Soldiers to be Tried for Shooting Civilian Car, Killing Two
The men opened fire with machine guns on a vehicle carrying fleeing villagers.
FakeWatch Africa
Website to provide multimedia training and resources for fact-checking and investigations.
Central Asia, Covid-19 and Climate Change
Event hears that falling oil and gas prices may be a barrier to implementing greener policies.
Moldova: IWPR Funds Emergency Response
Initiative launched to campaign for media freedom during time of crisis.
Africa's Fake News Epidemic and Covid-19: What Impact on Democracy?
Expert event to explore the impact of Covid-19 misinformation across Africa.
Central Asia: Could Covid-19 Fuel Autocracy?
Expert event explores the impact on regional development and democracy.
Syria: Female Prisoners Speak Out
“It is not fair for us to face injustice both inside and outside prison.”
Central Asia and Covid-19
Panel event will focus on the pandemic’s effect on regional cooperation with Russia, debt and aid distribution.
China's Post-Covid-19 Plans for Central Asia
Online event looks at how pandemic will affect future economic interests in the region.
Syria: Special Needs Activists Campaign for Covid-19 Awareness
IWPR partners move efforts online to meet the challenge of the pandemic.
IWPR Women’s Prize for Journalism
IWPR’s inaugural award for outstanding journalism recognises the work of our network of women reporters worldwide. Working in often challenging environments, these journalists face additional threats such as harassment, gender-based violence and systemic misogyny.
"What was significant for all three of us [judges] was how the stories stayed with us - not just for the amazing yet harrowing insights into these women’s lives but the courage it took for them to keep going, to experience the harshness in which they lived and to tell the world about it through their stories."
World Press Freedom Day 2024
On World Press Freedom Day we focus on local journalists facing myriad challenges in the tireless pursuit of truth and their enduring efforts to bring meaningful change.
Highlights from IWPR’s Consortium to Support Independent Journalism in Latin America (CAPIR).
An investigation by ContraCorriente, one of the investigative units IWPR supports in Honduras, revealed abuses including robbery, torture and kidnappings allegedly inflicted on citizens by police officers. The investigation also addressed how the state of emergency, in place since 2022, has allowed these abuses to occur with impunity. The authorities deny responsibility, claiming that organised criminal groups are using replica uniforms to pose as police officers.
A transnational publication by the investigative units of Plaza Pública and Criterio media revealed the huge extent of Asian cigarette smuggling in northern Central America. In addition to the health problems and millions of dollars lost to tax evasion, this also finances organised crime trafficking of drugs, weapons and humans. The investigation highlighted the failure of institutional efforts to stop this problem, aggravated by the complicity of officials who help falsify documents.
A story by the IWPR beneficiaries Guardiana and La Nube media outlets revealed the unauthorised sale of "medical preparations" to treat mental illnesses such as depression in a market in Cochabamba, one of Bolivia's largest cities. The story showed how products were marketed without information about their ingredients, including unlicensed natural remedies from Peru and Brazil. In response, the Cochabamba department of health announced it would increase the number of police operatives in the market where these products are sold.
Highlights from IWPR’s Central Asia network of analysis and investigations.
The construction of the Qosh Tepa canal in Afghanistan is causing water shortages in southern Uzbekistan, while in Kyrgyzstan the government is considering the construction of a nuclear power plant. In Kazakstan, conservation activists are working to save the Central Asian tortoise from extinction.
Elsewhere, CABAR delves into the efforts by Central Asian authorities to detect, reduce and prevent statelessness across the region.
Ukraine Justice Report
Countering Disinformation in Moldova
Ukraine War Diary by Anthony Borden
Democratic accountability comes from journalists investigating their own societies – IWPR provides a much needed platform and support for those reporting from some of the most dangerous and difficult places in the world.
Disinformation is a major global threat , especially in conflict and post-conflict areas. IWPR performs a vital mission, building up local voices as a bulwark against this challenge.
IWPR fills a critical gap by helping local journalists to focus on human rights and justice issues. In the process, it contributes to democratic transitions, and demonstrates that the best war reporting is not about military conflict, but human consequences.