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** RSF inaugurates a France desk ahead of major elections
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The new France desk ([link removed]) is based in Paris and will strengthen the NGO’s work in mainland France and its overseas territories in the run-up to municipal elections in March 2026 and presidential elections in May 2027. Although the country’s legislative framework is generally favourable to press freedom, the legal tools designed to combat media concentration, editorial interference, attacks on source confidentiality and other threats to the press are insufficient, inadequate, and outdated. These issues aren’t restricted to France and were the subject of a conference with European broadcast regulators and experts ([link removed]) last week.


** DATA
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More than 175 journalists ([link removed]) have fallen victim to abuses since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine started on 24 February 2022, including 16 killed and 53 injured.

Click here ([link removed]) to view the map in full.


** VIDEO
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Ukrainian reporters Alyona Hramova and Yevhen Karmazine were killed by a Russian drone strike in eastern Ukraine on 23 October 2025. In this video, their colleague Oleksandr Kolytchev, who was severely injured in the attack, speaks out for the first time.


** NEWS BRIEFS
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In Türkiye, journalists covering Kurdish issues are under pressure

As pro-Kurdish protests have gained momentum in south-east Türkiye over the past month, six incidents ([link removed]) have underscored the authorities' hostility towards coverage of Kurdish issues and the right to information. An Istanbul judge censored an article on the subject and a journalist specialising in Kurdish issues saw his X account taken down. Journalists have also been prevented from covering protests, notably due to the risk of violence and arrests ([link removed]) .

“200 francs is enough”: Swiss public service broadcasting under attack

On 8 March 2026, the Swiss public will decide whether to reduce the broadcasting license fee from 335 CHF to 200 CHF in a national referendum ([link removed]) . If the “yes” vote wins, funding for public broadcasters would be halved with irreversible consequences for journalism in the country. The move is part of a Europe-wide trend of increasing political pressure on public service broadcasters ([link removed]) , particularly concerning their financial stability and governance.

Crackdown in Iran: surge in arrests of journalists covering protests

At least seven journalists have been thrown behind bars ([link removed]) in Iran since the start of the latest wave of protests in December 2025. Two of them, Vida Rabbani and Mehdi Mahmoudian, were recently released on bail after more than two weeks in detention. The country remains closed off from the world and access to information is severely blocked.

Nomad TV: the new face of Russian propaganda in Kyrgyzstan

Nomad TV ([link removed]) , a new television channel broadcast free of charge across Kyrgyzstan, is a platform for the Kremlin to spread its propaganda under the guise of a credible national broadcaster. Although it may look like a homegrown channel, this new media outlet is promoting Russia’s narratives in the region.

Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong

The 20-year prison sentence ([link removed]) handed down to Apple Daily founder and publisher Jimmy Lai on 9 February amounts to a death sentence. The health of the 78-year-old British citizen — a global icon of press freedom held behind bars for five years in appalling conditions, on bogus charges — is rapidly deteriorating.

“There can be no credible climate governance without an independent, diverse and economically viable media landscape. [...] The democratic emergency here ([link removed]) goes hand in hand with the ecological one.”

Thibaut Bruttin

RSF Director General


** GOOD NEWS
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In Guatemala, Jose Rubén Zamora, journalist and founder of the daily newspaper elPeriodico, was released ([link removed]) after three years of arbitrary detention. Although he has been granted house arrest without police surveillance, he is still targeted by legal persecution ([link removed]) and proceedings marked by irregularities.


** HIGHLIGHT
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For World Radio Day ([link removed]) , on 13 February, we highlighted the growing threats facing radio broadcasters around the world — often the last accessible source of information when all else fails, as seen during the major power outage in Spain ([link removed]) and in the RSF documentary “Community Radios: The Fight to Keep the Sahel Informed ([link removed]) .” From the United States to Afghanistan, from Tibet ([link removed]) to the Philippines, radio stations are under pressure. In Ukraine ([link removed]) , some operate just a few kilometres from the front line, while in
the Ecuadorian Amazon ([link removed]) , one station is striving to keep environmental news alive.

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