Dear friends,
After cutting off the electronic bracelet keeping her under house arrest and travelling over 2,800 kilometres, via secret routes to escape the Russian authorities, journalist Ekaterina Barabash is finally free and safe in Paris!
Since 21 April, Ekaterina has officially been on the Kremlin's “wanted” list. Accused of “spreading false information” about the Russian army, she disappeared from the radar as she fled the country. The dedicated journalist faced up to 10 years in prison for exercising what should be a fundamental right: informing the public.
Thanks to your support, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) was able to coordinate this rescue operation, one of the most dangerous the NGO has carried out since 2022. Exhausted but free, Ekaterina Barabash reappeared on 5 May at the RSF headquarters in Paris for a press conference. Now, she wants to get back to her work.
Ekaterina's situation is far from unique.
As Russia’s longstanding repression of press freedom intensifies, many of the country’s journalists have only one option: to leave. Since the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, almost all independent media outlets have been banned or blocked in Russia, and at least 38 journalists are currently detained. Russia now ranks 171st out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index, which was released last week.
“I fled — I had no other choice. Journalism no longer exists in Russia,” Ekaterina said emotionally at the 5 May press conference. But bringing a journalist to safety, finding a suitable place for them to live, and helping them rebuild their career — all this comes at a cost, and your donations are what make it possible.
Thanks to your support, we can help journalists in danger around the world, whether that means extracting them from dangerous situations or providing them with financial, administrative and professional aid.
