Media Defence

05/06/2026

Today marks four years since the disappearance of journalist Dom Philipps and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, as well as . We’re sharing the words of Alessandra Sampaio, Dom's widow and founder of the Dom Phillips Institute, who has turned unimaginable grief into sustained advocacy, keeping alive both Dom's memory and the journalism we need to save our planet.

Their case is a stark reminder of what is at stake for environmental journalists and defenders worldwide. 70% have faced attacks, threats or pressure. 44 have been killed in the last 15 years, with a near-total impunity rate. This year alone, 30 journalists were persecuted specifically for their environmental coverage.

Media Defence provides legal support to journalists and media organisations facing exactly these threats. Donate today: https://bit.ly/4xcdZXd

02/06/2026

Argentina's anti-picket protocol authorises federal security forces to disperse demonstrations and dismantle roadblocks without a court order. In December 2025, a federal court struck it down as unconstitutional, but the government appealed, and the case has now reached Argentina's Supreme Court.

Media Defence spoke with Damián Loreti, the Buenos Aires-based lawyer representing the Press Union of Buenos Aires (SiPreBA) in this landmark class action, about the risks the protocol poses for journalists covering protests, the legal arguments that won at first instance, and what is at stake as the case reaches its most consequential stage yet.

Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4dIaCjf

29/05/2026

🗞️ In this edition of our monthly newsletter, you’ll find :
- The story of Rwandan journalist Aimable Uzaramba, who died on the very day of his prison release
- Updates on our support and partnership programmes in Nepal and Kyrgyzstan
- Our Annual Report, a full look at the impact your support makes possible
And much more.

These are the stories that don't always make the headlines. Subscribe now to get our latest edition delivered straight to your inbox. https://bit.ly/4vlmfmc

27/05/2026

advanced three places in Reporters Without Borders (RSF)'s 2026 World Press Freedom Index, published earlier this month, not because conditions improved, but because those in other countries worsened more dramatically.

Nepal now sits at 87th, and although still the highest in South Asia, its press freedom classification dropped from "problematic" to "difficult" this year. For journalists on the ground, that shift reflects what happened in 2025: proposed laws that would have imposed prison sentences of up to five years for online speech, a government ban on 26 social media platforms, 76 people killed in the protests that followed, and a political upheaval that brought down the government.

For our 2025 Impact Report we spoke with Santosh Sigdel, ED of our partner Digital Rights Nepal, about responding to these events in real time: the litigation, the legislation, and the coordinated disinformation campaigns that ran alongside the protests.

📖 Read the full interview: https://www.mediadefence.org/news/partners-in-volatile-press-environmentsin-conversation-with-digital-rights-nepal/

🔎 Explore our interactive 2025 Impact Report: https://media-defence.shorthandstories.com/2025-impact-report/index.html

In this interview for our 2025 Impact Report, our partner Digital Rights Nepal reflects on defending press freedom and democratic integrity.

22/05/2026

𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐒 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Media Defence has joined Access Now and nine other civil society organisations in filing an amicus brief before the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, urging the court to uphold the permanent injunction against NSO Group in WhatsApp v. NSO. The brief supports the landmark ruling holding NSO accountable for targeting over 1,400 people across 20 countries with Pegasus spyware through WhatsApp.

Journalists are a particular target of Pegasus, and its use has a deleterious impact on source protection, compelling those targeted to take extraordinary measures to preserve confidentiality. Upholding the injunction is essential for accountability in states' use of spyware and for the protection of public interest journalism and secure communications globally.

Read the press release and full amicus brief 👇

Yesterday, Access Now and ten other civil society organizations filed an amicus brief in the U.S.’ Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals calling to protect encryption from NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware and to keep the lower court’s permanent injunction forbidding NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp or its...

18/05/2026

Rwandan journalist Aimable Karasira Uzaramba died under suspicious circumstances on 7 May — the day of his scheduled release after a five-year sentence marked by reports of physical abuse and denial of medical care.

Authorities say he overdosed on prescribed medication. A post-mortem is pending. Media Defence calls for an independent, expedited and credible investigation.

Read more: https://www.mediadefence.org/news/rwandan-journalist-aimable-karasira-uzaramba-dies-on-day-of-scheduled-release-from-prison/

11/05/2026

Don't miss this great opportunity for editors in South East Asia! 👉 ACOS Alliance is offering 15 free places for its first Southeast Asia Editor Safety Cohort, running July 16 to August 6, 2026.

The program is designed for editors making commissioning decisions under political pressure, economic insecurity, and increasing risks for journalists, freelancers, and sources.

Led by journalist, safety advisor, and Nieman Fellow Jaemark Tordecilla.

Apply by May 31:

ACOS has opened applications for our Southeast Asia Editor Safety Cohort Program taking place in July and August 2026. Up to fifteen free places are on offer to editors based in or covering Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vi...

07/05/2026

An English translation of this article is now available on our website: https://bit.ly/48Ha9Lm

(English below) No Dia Internacional da Liberdade de Imprensa, o nosso CEO, Carlos Gaio, e a presidente da Abraji, Ana Carolina Moreno, escreveram um artigo de opinião publicado na Folha de S.Paulo.

" A lei virou arma contra a imprensa livre" aborda as tendências alarmantes que ambas as organizações têm observado nos últimos anos no Brasil e no mundo: a sofisticação do assédio judicial, que se tornou uma realidade para muitos jornalistas. Leia o artigo completo aqui: https://bit.ly/4tYXHiw

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On International Press Freedom Day, our CEO, Carlos Gaio, and the president of our partner organisation, Abraji, Ana Carol Moreno, co-wrote an article published in Folha de S.Paulo.

“The law has become a weapon against a free press” addresses the alarming trends that both organisations have witnessed in recent years in Brazil and around the world: the sophistication of repression and how judicial harassment has become the norm for many journalists. Read the full piece here: https://bit.ly/4tYXHiw

07/05/2026

(English below) No Dia Internacional da Liberdade de Imprensa, o nosso CEO, Carlos Gaio, e a presidente da Abraji, Ana Carolina Moreno, escreveram um artigo de opinião publicado na Folha de S.Paulo.

" A lei virou arma contra a imprensa livre" aborda as tendências alarmantes que ambas as organizações têm observado nos últimos anos no Brasil e no mundo: a sofisticação do assédio judicial, que se tornou uma realidade para muitos jornalistas. Leia o artigo completo aqui: https://bit.ly/4tYXHiw

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On International Press Freedom Day, our CEO, Carlos Gaio, and the president of our partner organisation, Abraji, Ana Carol Moreno, co-wrote an article published in Folha de S.Paulo.

“The law has become a weapon against a free press” addresses the alarming trends that both organisations have witnessed in recent years in Brazil and around the world: the sophistication of repression and how judicial harassment has become the norm for many journalists. Read the full piece here: https://bit.ly/4tYXHiw