Dear Friends and Partners!
At the Justice for Journalists Foundation, we believe the public right to know is the cornerstone of democracy and any attack on free reporting is a threat to its values. We tirelessly work to defend media freedom and protect journalists by monitoring violations and advocating for media freedom.
In 2025, we are starting to collect donations in order to continue this vital work and expand our activities. Your contributions will be most appreciated.
ATTACKS ON MEDIA WORKERS IN 2024
KYRGYZSTAN
In Kyrgyzstan, 2024 saw more attacks via judicial and/or economic means than in any of the past seven years. Authorities continued to confiscate property from editorial offices, put their critics under surveillance and in jails for “disobedience” and “calls for mass riots”. In January 2024, the largest attack against free media in the history of Kyrgyzstan took place, with 11 investigative journalists from Temirov LIVE and Ait Ait Dese arrested after searches in their homes and offices. All of these journalists had exposed corruption and fraud in the highest echelons of power. In October 2024, four of the eleven arrested journalists received prison sentences.
TAJIKISTAN
In Tajikistan, 39 attacks on media workers were registered in 2024, up from 31 In 2023. 92% of them were perpetrated by government officials and carried out using judicial and/or economic means. Two closed trials of journalists started in 2024, and are ongoing. The first trial alleges an attempted coup in Tajikistan, while the second concerns Ahmad Ibrohim, the founder and editor-in-chief of the newspaper Paik, the only independent newspaper in the Khatlon region.
TURKMENISTAN
In Turkmenistan, 2024 saw the younger Berdimuhamedov continue his father’s policy of intimidating the population by punishing the most active representatives of civil society, as well as media workers. Attacks included forced extraditions of activists from abroad; persecution of the families of political opponents through blackmail, intrigues and provocation; and sowing the seeds of mistrust and suspicion between people close to each other. In August, Radio Azatlykcorrespondent Khudayberdy Allashov was killed following repeated death threats from various representatives of the authorities for collaborating with Azatlyk.
The Foreign Policy Centre (FPC), the Justice for Journalists Foundation (JFJ) and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) are pleased to announce that our inaugural UK Media Freedom Forum will take place on Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th March 2025, in partnership with the City, University of London.
We are delighted that the Forum is being realised in cooperation with the Safety of Journalists Platform of the Council of Europe with additional support from UNESCO, and RPC. Notably, the event will also serve as the UK launch of the CoE’s Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists 2025 Annual Report.
To register your interest and to receive updates about the Forum,
please complete this form.
GEORGIA: JFJ AND PRESS FREEDOM ORGANISATIONS CALL FOR THE RELEASE OF MZIA AMAGLOBELI
The Justice for Journalists Foundation joined international press freedom, journalists and human rights organisations in calling for the immediate release of Mzia Amaglobeli, veteran Georgian journalist and founder and director of the online newspapers Batumelebi and Netgazeti. She faces charges of assaulting a police officer—carrying a sentence of up to seven years in prison—following an altercation with Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze.
EVENTS
- On February 17, the Black Snow documentary, supported by the JFJ Investigative Grant Programme, premiered during the 22nd annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Montana, USA.
- On March 1-4, the documentary Of Caravan and the Dogs will be shown in Latvia, Riga during IDFF Artdocfest on March 1-8, 2025. The Black Snow will all be screened during the festival on March, 5.
JFJ’s overall operations were not affected by President Trump’s executive order that paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). However, we have to suspend the series of our free media safety webinars for Russian-speaking independent media workers until further notice.
The Media Safety Academy equips Russian-speaking media professionals with crucial skills to ensure they can work safely. Please support this important initiative and help us continue offering safety training by making a donation. If you would like to liaise with us regarding media trainings on offer, please reach out to academy@jfj.fund.