Dear Friends,

In the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar has created a new press accreditation system with many restrictions that are clearly designed to deter reporters from working anywhere but inside the football stadiums.

For example, journalists will be unable to film or photograph in “residential properties, private businesses and industrial zones” – an obvious reference to sensitive areas where violations of migrant worker rights have been reported in the past – without first navigating a complex bureaucratic maze that often leads to dead ends.

By forcing the media, when they apply for accreditation, to agree to abide by a number of conditions, some of which are vague, ambiguous and open to arbitrary interpretation, the Qatari government is clearly seeking to discourage, if not prevent, the foreign media from talking about anything other than football. While keeping the restrictions in place, everything is being done to give the impression that nothing has been banned.

The way the press accreditation system has been hijacked to prohibit journalists from covering certain subjects is unacceptable. Support the action we are taking to enable reporters to work freely during this major sports event.