DATA

Transnational repression: Kremlin judges have targeted nearly 70 journalists in absentia

Vladimir Putin’s Russia has significantly increased its use of convictions in absentia against journalists — court rulings delivered against individuals in their absence. This absurd, repressive tactic targets both exiled Russian journalists and foreign reporters.

Video

RSF honours fallen journalists at Reporters’ Memorial

"This place is unique in the world. It’s the only place where the names of all the journalists who have died are inscribed."

— Thibaut Bruttin, RSF Director General, during the unveiling of the 2025 memorial stone for fallen reporters in Bayeux.

NEWS BRIEFS

Elon Musk attacks the media three times per day on X
According to an upcoming RSF investigation, Elon Musk has posted attacks against the press on his social media account on an average of nearly three times a day over the past year. Since he purchased Twitter and renamed it X, Musk has continually used the platform — where he has more than 220 million followers — to lash out at journalists and news outlets.

Lebanon: two years of impunity for the murder of Issam Abdallah
“The grief doesn’t fade. There is still no justice and no accountability,” says Abeer Abdallah, sister of Reuters photojournalist Issam Abdallah, killed two years ago by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon. An RSF investigation found that Issam Abdallah was deliberately targeted by Israeli forces. The Lebanese government has tasked the Ministry of Justice with examining the possible ways of prosecuting the Israeli authorities.

India: cyberharassment campaign targets journalist
Within three days, Gafira Qadir received 125 hostile messages from Hindu nationalist troll networks known for attacking journalists. The online harassment campaign followed a film review by the freelance journalist that denounced Bollywood’s attempt to whitewash the political situation in the Kashmir region. Coordinated smear and harassment campaigns like this one keep plaguing Indian journalists — they must be put to an end.

Burkina Faso: worrying resurgence of journalist arrests
After two months marked by the release of six journalists, Ousséni Ilboudo, managing editor of L’Observateur Paalga, Michel Wendpouiré Nana, deputy editor-in-chief of Le Pays, and Zowenmanogo Dieudonné Zoungrana, publisher of Aujourd’hui au Faso, were arrested by the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) at their respective newsrooms in Ouagadougou. They were released on 15 October, but four other journalists remain arbitrarily detained.

GOOD NEWS!

RSF opens its first Central European bureau in Prague!
With the support of Czech President Petr Pavel, RSF has opened a bureau in Prague to strengthen its work in the eastern part of the European Union. The new bureau is part of the RSF strategy to expand internationally.

I lost my husband, Aidos Sadykov. Our three children lost their father. But I have no right to remain silent. Only together can we stop impunity, arbitrariness and dictatorship. We have the duty to continue the fight. If we remain silent, the murderers will have won.

Natalia Sadykova, wife of journalist Aidos Sadykov, who was assassinated in Ukraine on 2 July 2024, during the ceremony for the Bayeux War Correspondents Memorial.

TRIBUTE  

Antoni Lallican: slain while doing his job

French journalist Antoni Lallican was 37 years old when he was killed by a Russian drone in Ukraine on 3 October 2025. A photographer who courageously documented the consequences of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he had covered the devastation of the conflict in the Donbas for several years. His work, which stands out for its emotionally sensitive tone, was published in numerous French outlets — including Le Monde, Le Figaro, Libération, Mediapart and La Croix — as well as in foreign press such as Der Spiegel, Die Zeit and Le Temps. In 2024, he was shortlisted for the RSF–Lucas Dolega–SAIF Photo Award, a recognition of his powerful eye and truthful reporting. His Ukrainian colleague Georgiy Ivanchenko was seriously injured in the same attack.

HIGHLIGHT

The independent Russian media outlet The Bell, supported by RSF, has launched two weekly newsletters in French and German. They offer international readers a clear, factual analysis of the Russian economy, exclusive insights into the country’s elites and deep dives into the inner workings of disinformation and propaganda. By sharing their unique expertise, they give their audience a clear, vital understanding of today’s Russia. Learn more about the project here.