British journalists slam use of ‘intimidating’ lawsuits

The Taliban pledged press freedom and "no threats" against journalists in Afghanistan. But intimidation and violence at the hands of their fighters illustrate the group's haste in breaking its promises.

A vibrant media landscape had developed in Afghanistan over the past 20 years. Since the Taliban takeover, media professionals face immediate danger and even death. Activists are urgently calling for help.

Critics say a plan to consolidate media regulatory agencies will further shrink press freedom in the country. Journalists and opposition parties have decried the law as "draconian" and unconstitutional.

Afghan journalists who spoke with DW say the already-difficult situation for the nation's reporters and other media personnel has become much more precarious under the Taliban.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urges a global effort to protect a free press as he congratulates embattled journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov on winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

FRANCE 24 spoke to this year's joint Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, co-founder of the digital media company Rappler and an outspoken critic of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Asked whether journalism is becoming more dangerous around the world, she told FRANCE 24: "It is more dangerous, it requires more sacrifices, just to do what journalists have always done."

In more than 80% of cases involving murdered journalists, the killers are never brought to justice. A tribunal set up by press freedom NGOs wants to stop this impunity and call governments to account, as well.

Journalists are under fire from all factions in the Yemen conflict. Rasha Abdullah al-Harazi, nine months pregnant, recently died in a bomb attack, her husband barely survived. Without legal protection, many simply flee.

On June 15, RSF Germany's Christian Mihr tweeted: "A heavy blow against press freedom in the Philippines! Maria Ressa, who has only done her job as a journalist, was sentenced to prison this morning in Kafkaesque proceedings for Internet crime. The court has shown that it is not independent of the Duterte government."

The EU strives to promote press freedom around the world, but how free are journalists to report inside the bloc? DW reports from Hungary, Poland and Slovenia.

Press freedom in Africa has suffered in 2021 due to growing authoritarianism and insecurity, especially in East Africa – the region most hostile to journalists on the continent.

Thousands of journalists have lost their jobs in Afghanistan over the past few months, with many media outlets ceasing operations due to increasing security and financial challenges.