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.
IN THIS ISSUE
Tanzania: Police Under Scrutiny Over Disappearances
“The issue inflicts immense anguish upon families left not knowing whether their loved ones are alive, suffering, or dead.”
On the Forever Front
Occupied and shelled, Lyman struggles to rebuild amid the sounds of increased shelling.
Tuesday, 19 March ‘24
This week’s overview of key events and links to essential reading.
Project Sunflowers
With the support of volunteers in 19 countries, testimony is being collected in a secure database to be used in future justice processes.
Russian POW Arrested for Murder
The rifleman is suspected of shooting and killing a Ukrainian soldier after he had surrendered.
Holding on in the Magical Forest
Tough terrain makes the attack - and defence - of the Lyman pocket a challenging prospect for both sides.
Ukraine’s Uncertain Prospects
Two years into the full-scale war, a nation grapples with questions over international support, military capacity and its own unity.
Russian Soldier To Face Trial for Murdering Supermarket Guard
Case will proceed after Kyiv court of appeal accepts prosecutor's objections over procedural shortcomings.
Tuesday, 12 March ‘24
This week’s overview of key events and links to essential reading.
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.
Ukraine: IWPR Emergency Medical Training
Odesa workshop provides journalists and rights defenders with key safety and security skills.
IWPR Responding in Syria
Focus is supporting Syrian partners to provide life-saving assistance as well as psychological support for adults and children.
The Reckoning Project: Ukraine Testifies
Project aims to help conflict journalists meet evidential standards that will allow their work to support future justice processes.
Moldova: Hire Me
Testing workshops explore a fun way to encourage girls to enter the IT sector.
Azerbaijan: Peacebuilding for Women
Training, mentorship and network-building contribute to creating a more equal and inclusive society.
Building Resilience in the Eastern Neighbourhood
Subgrants in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova support peace, security and stability.
Central Asian’s Vulnerability to Russian Propaganda
International discussion hears that response must be as complex and varied as disinformation itself.
Silence is Not an Option for Latin America
Independent journalists refuse to submit to widespread repression.
Moldova: From Village to Village
Project trains people in more isolated areas how to identify and combat fake news.
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.