Hello from Johannesburg:

On this International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, we at OCCRP stand in solidarity with journalists all over the world who have been harmed or killed because of their work. 

Threats against our journalists are a regular phenomenon. Part of my job is to train reporters in digital as well as physical security — that’s because sometimes the dangers they face can be violent. 

Just last week, journalists at our Bosnian partner Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN) were threatened by Zoran Čegar, one of the country’s top police officials. CIN published an investigation about Čegar's illegal real estate purchases and when reporters asked him for comment outside court, he began swearing and insulting them. “Don’t make me rip your throat out,” he said to one. "I will rip your throat out," he said to the other.

But CIN is not addressing this threat alone. One thing we’ve gotten good at is joining forces with media partners, amplifying our message, and ramping up our investigations into those who attack our network. As the surge of crimes against journalists continues, we are not helpless. Our power is in our numbers.

You can make a difference by supporting OCCRP so we can keep the reporters in our network safe.

We all have a role to play in defending journalists — there can be no democracy without them.

Thank you for your help,