What’s Behind Georgia’s “Foreign Agents” Law?
IWPR Caucasus director explains the background to the controversial legislation – and what may lie ahead.
Georgia: Anger Soars Over “Foreign Agents” Law
The new legislation leaves the country on the verge of civil confrontation and international isolation.
Russian Commander to be Tried for Kidnapping Civilians
Accused man was identified by journalistic investigation into the so-called Don Cossack volunteer brigade.
Tuesday, 14 May ‘24
This week’s overview of key events and links to essential reading.
How to Defend a War Crimes Case
Ukrainian lawyer explains the challenges – and vital importance – of an effective defence for Russian indictees.
Argentina to Consider Ukrainian Case
“It is important for us to show that crimes have no borders and Russian criminals must be caught everywhere.”
Tuesday, 7 May ‘24
This week’s overview of key events and links to essential reading.
Russian Security Official to be Tried for Torture
During the occupation of Kharkiv region, the accused ordered and participated in the detention and torture of local residents.
Gaza: “Everyone Has a Family in Danger”
How local journalists cover the story amid intense physical and mental peril for themselves - and their loved ones.
Reporting Covid-19 in Africa
Fake news, conspiracies and bad science mean that many are missing out on the care they need.
CABAR.Asia Brings Together New Generation of Experts
The six-day event gave practitioners further tools to provide reliable analysis and reporting.
Myanmar: IWPR Asked to Help UN War Crimes Investigation
Request follows on from two-year project monitoring, reporting and analysing online hate speech.
How Should Central Asia Deal With Afghanistan?
International experts discuss potential threats and opportunities to stabilise ongoing tensions.
IWPR Congratulates Nobel Prizewinner Maria Ressa
In the Philippines, local and independent media continues to be under siege.
Afghanistan After the Collapse: What Next?
International experts discuss the implications of the country’s fall to the Taleban.
Kenya: the Quiz Show Combatting Covid-19
Innovative TV format helps dispel fake news and fear-mongering around the virus.
Syria: Using Detention As Collective Punishment
Campaigners call for continued international activism to pressure Damascus.
Voices for Change, Africa
Building Resilience in the Eastern Neighbourhood (BREN)
Countering Disinformation in Moldova
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.
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.