Russian disinformation: a weapon in its war on Ukraine

Russian disinformation:
A weapon in its war on Ukraine

Russian disinformation

A striking element of Russia’s disinformation campaign - used as a key tactic in its attack on Ukraine - is the sheer volume and diversity of false narratives.

As a result of the war, almost all independent media is now in exile or subject to military censorship. It is essential that we continue to support independent reporting from Ukraine to challenge disinformation.

Upcoming events

On 25 January 2023 at 14:00 GMT, we will be hosting the webinar Visual storytelling: the challenges faced by journalists working with images. More information and registration here.

Together with UNESCO, we will be hosting another webinar about the practical guide for amicus curiae interventions in freedom of expression cases. The webinar will take place in February 2023, date TBC.

Pegasus victims sue Azerbaijan

We have joined forces with two Azeri lawyers to file four cases at the European Court of Human Rights concerning the use of Pegasus spyware by the Azerbaijan government.

The applicants are all Azeri journalists who have faced state harassment and intimidation for a number of years. The applicants’ phone numbers were included in a list of individuals whose mobile devices were targeted with Pegasus spyware.

The judicial harassment of journalists in Peru
Paola Ugaz is an award-winning Peruvian investigative journalist. She co-authored a book uncovering alleged patterns of abuse within the Catholic community in Peru. Ugaz has since faced numerous lawsuits. We have supported Ugaz’s legal defence in these cases.

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Freedom of expression in Brazil
Jean Wyllys is a Brazilian journalist, researcher, and LGBTQ+ activist. Wyllys was sued for defamation in relation to comments he posted on social media. One of Brazil's first openly gay members of parliament, he was forced into exile after receiving homophobic hate speech and death threats.

Turkey's new disinformation law
Turkey’s government recently passed a new law aimed at preventing disinformation. Worryingly, the vaguely-worded law prescribes three years in prison for anyone who publishes “misleading information”. The law seriously risks silencing journalists, dissidents, and minorities.

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Meet journalist & lawyer Nadine Kampire
Nadine Kampire is a Congolese journalist and lawyer who founded Afia Amani Grands-Lacs, a media network that carries out fact-checking and defends press freedom. In our interview, we spoke with Kampire about her interest and work in freedom of expression.

Emilio Palacio Urrutia v Ecuador:
Paving the way for anti-SLAPP regulations in the Americas

For the first time in the history of its jurisprudence, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has made reference to the concept of SLAPPs. The case concerned criminal lawsuits initiated by the President of Ecuador against journalist Emilio Palacio Urrutia and the newspaper El Universo. The judgment is important because it widens the scope of protection of journalists and freedom of expression in the region.

Media defence centres in sub-Saharan Africa
We provide financial assistance and technical support to organisations around the world to enable them to provide free, high quality legal support directly to journalists and media outlets in their countries. Meet our new partners in sub-Saharan Africa:

Campaign for Free Expression (CFE)
Collectif des Associations Contre l’Impunité au Togo (CACIT)
The Network of Public Interest Lawyers (NETPIL)
Volunteers for Sustainable Development in Africa (VOSIEDA).

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The global threat to journalism

When independent journalists and media outlets are threatened with legal action, financial ruin, violence and imprisonment, they need somewhere to turn for concrete support. With your donation, we can be there to support more journalists than ever, as well as challenging the unjust laws through which they are silenced.

Donate today

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