Press Freedom Status for Women Journalists: July 2024
Death sentence for Iranian journalist Pakhshan Azizi, secret trials in Russia, and police violence in Bangladesh
Threats Documented in July 2024
Click on dropdown menu to see the top violators (country) by violation type
Note from the Editor :
This July 2024 we documented 83 documented violations, including killings, abductions, physical assaults, and legal harassment, underline the pressing need for robust measures to safeguard press freedom.
This month witnessed severe repression, with Russia's relentless transnational repression of journalists through legal harassment and the imposition of "foreign agent; elections in Venezuela intensifying threats and assaults on journalists; and Argentina's troubling rise in sexual harassment cases against women journalists.
The tragic killing of Wafa Abu Dabaan in Gaza highlights the extreme dangers journalists face in conflict zones. Similarly, the disappearance of Fabiola Tercero in Nicaragua following a police raid is a grim reminder of the threats to journalists covering human rights abuses.
The legal landscape for journalists remains perilous. The sentencing of Pakhshan Azizi in Iran to death, and the harsh sentences handed down to Kurdish journalists in Turkey, exemplify the use of judicial systems to silence dissent. The secret trials and convictions in Russia further illustrate the suppression of critical voices.
Despite these challenges, there have been moments of accountability and justice. The acquittals in Turkey and compensation awarded in Kenya provide a glimmer of hope. The successful defamation case in Ireland and the lifting of reporting restrictions in the UK are significant victories for press freedom.
Despite these challenges, there have been moments of accountability and justice. The acquittals in Turkey and compensation awarded in Kenya provide a glimmer of hope. The successful defamation case in Ireland and the lifting of reporting restrictions in the UK are significant victories for press freedom.
Our mission to document and report these violations is crucial. We stand in solidarity with all journalists who continue to work under threat and oppression. Let this report serve as a call to action for governments, organizations, and individuals to protect the fundamental right to free and independent journalism.
Inge Snip
Senior Editor, Women Press Freedom
A journalist killed in Gaza
📍Gaza
On July 6, 2024, in a tragic escalation of violence, Israel was implicated in the killing of five Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip within a span of just 24 hours. Among the victims was Wafa Abu Dabaan, a journalist associated with the Islamic University Radio in Gaza.
A journalist disappears following police raid
📍Nicaragua
Since July 12, 2024, Fabiola Tercero, known for her reporting on human rights abuses in Nicaragua and her advocacy for public reading initiatives, has been missing following a police raid on her home by the Sandinista police.
9 journalists sentenced, 1 sentenced to death
📍Iran
On July 23, 2024, journalist and political detainee Pakhshan Azizi, who is currently serving a four-year prison term, was sentenced to death for her supposed role in armed rebellion. The ruling was issued by Judge Afshari of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court and relayed to her legal representatives.
📍Turkiye
The Ankara 4th High Criminal Court sentenced eight Kurdish journalists (4 women journalists) from the Mezopotamya Agency (MA) to 6 years and 3 months in prison on July 3, 2024,. The journalists, Berivan Altan, Öznur Değer, Diren Yurtsever, Zemo Ağgöz, and others, were charged with being members of a terrorist organization.
📍Mongolia
Unurtsetseg Naran , editor-in-chief of Zarig.mn, revealed that a court in the capital Ulaanbaatar had sentenced her to four years and nine months of prison time on July 19, 2024,. In a closed-door trial, the court convicted the journalist of spreading false information, tax evasion, money laundering, revealing personal secrets, and illegally acquiring state secrets. Naran, who denies all charges, intends to appeal the court’s decision.
📍Russia
Court records, made public on July 22, 2024, revealed that Russian-American editor Alsu Kurmasheva was sentenced in a secret, expedited trial held three days earlier in Kazan. The trial was conducted behind closed doors, with no public details provided about the specific allegations against her. Kurmasheva was later released in a prisoner swap on August 1, 2024 and reunited with her family.
On July 15, 2024, the Basmanny district court in Moscow convicted Russian-US journalist Masha Gessen of spreading false news about the Russian army, sentencing them to eight years in absentia. The criminal charges against Gessen relate to their interview with Russian blogger Yury Dud, where they discussed atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.
The Basmanny District Court of Moscow sentenced Ukrainian journalist Natalia Moseychuk in absentia to five years in prison on charges of incitement of hatred or enmity on July 31, 2024. The charges stem from her address to the wives of Russian military personnel during a broadcast on the Ukrainian 1+1 TV channel on March 20, 2022. Russian pro-war bloggers amplified the broadcast, which was used as evidence in the case against her.
4 journalists detained
📍Turkiye
On July 9, 2024, Gönül Yılman Saygan, who has a prominent presence on social media and is known for her critical political commentary, took to X to announce her detention at Izmir Airport. The journalist was taken to the İzmir Bayraklı Courthouse before being released after being questioned by a prosecutor. According to news outlet Artı Gerçek, Yılman Saygan was taken into custody due to a search warrant issued against her.
📍Iraq / Kurdistan
Security forces detained journalist Hejîn Fetah and her team from Zoom News in the Amedi district, a region of Iraqi Kurdistan, near the Turkish border on July 10, 2024. The crew was en route to cover a protest by Guharze village residents against ongoing Turkish military operations in border villages.
📍Venezuela
Erika Rincón of El Diario Órbita and cameraman Miguel Pachano were detained in Anzoátegui state by the Guardia Nacional Bolivariana while covering the presidentialelection in El Tigre. They were apprehended for allegedly using a drone for footage in Plaza Bolívar. They were released after five hours in custody, their drone was confiscated.
📍India
Poonam Pandey was held by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) during a protest by the women's wing of the Indian National Congress — a rival political party of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party — on Monday, July 29, 2024. Following her release, the journalist — whose reporting beats include defense, BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) — shared that the police blocked her camera with a black cloth and also attempted to snatch her phone.
Alsu Kurmasheva was sentenced in a secret, expedited trial held three days earlier in Kazan
9 journalists physically assaulted, 5 injured
📍Iraq / Kurdistan
On July 8, 2024, a suspected Turkish airstrike hit a vehicle carrying two Çira TV journalists, Mydia Hussen and Murad Mirza, and their driver. The attack occurred in the Sinjar District, a disputed territory claimed by both the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government of Iraq. Both journalists were hospitalized, Murad Mirza passed away days later after succumbing to injurires.
📍Croatia
Melita Vrsaljko was targeted for her investigative work on an illegal dump, facing two violent attacks intended to silence her.
The first attack occurred on July 15, 2024, when Vrsaljko and a cameraman were confronted by a man while walking near his property in Nadin. The journalists were investigating an illegal dump on the man’s property. The situation escalated on July 16, 2024, when the daughter of the man who first attacked the Vrsaljko forcibly entered her home in Nadin and assaulted her.
📍Kenya
On July 16, 2024, Catherine Wanjeri Kariuki, a journalist with Mediamax Network Ltd., was shot three times with rubber bullets while covering anti-government protests in Nakuru County. She required hospitalization with injuries.
📍Bangladesh
On 18 July 2024, Nadia Sharmeen, a reporter for Ekattor TV, was wounded by police gunfire in Jatrabari on the outskirts of Dhaka during violent protests. The same day, Hasan Mehedi, a journalist for Dhaka Times, was killed while reporting on the intense student protests in the capital.
📍Ukraine
On July 19, 2024, two Ukrainian war photographers Olga Kovalova and Vladyslav Krasnoshchok were documenting Ukrainian artillery operations near the front line in Toretsk when Russian forces engaged. Seeking safety, they took refuge in a dugout with Ukrainian soldiers, which was then struck by Russian shelling. The attack resulted in injuries to both journalists and concussions among the soldiers present.
061.ua photojournalist Kateryna Klochko was assaulted while covering a protest against "unjust power cuts' in Zaporizhzhia on July 19, 2024. Klochko was documenting the demonstration when a protester objected to her choice of subject matter, demanding she film specific people blocking a car.
📍Israel
A group of journalists, including Spanish correspondent Lara Escudero with Noticias Cuatro, faced a hostile reception while covering a gathering of ultra-Orthodox Jews in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem on July 1, 2024.
Israeli journalist Ilana Curiel wastargeted, along with reporter Uri Isaac, by protesters while attempting to report on the riots at the Sde Teiman detention facility on July 29, 2024.
A group of journalists, including Spanish correspondent Lara Escudero with Noticias Cuatro, faced a hostile reception while covering a gathering of ultra-Orthodox Jews in the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem on July 1, 2024.
“It’s not just about freedom of the press, but how they see and treat women who don’t belong to their community. It’s lamentable, vomitive. We all felt the extremism and intolerance in our flesh.”
A journalist deported
📍Nicaragua
Nohelia González, a distinguished journalist with experience across various national media outlets, was forcibly removed from her Veracruz home by police at 6 a.m. on July 10, 2024. She was taken to Augusto C. Sandino International Airport by authorities and expelled to Panama.
17 journalists legally harassed
📍Russia
On July 11, 2024, jailed reporter Olga Komleva was presented with her final indictment which accuses her of participation in an “extremist” organization – Navalny’s FBK – and a new charge for distributing military "fakes." The reasons for initiating the case under the article on "fakes" about the army are unknown. The journalist has been behind bars since March 2024.
A St. Petersburg court has labeled journalist couple Lydia Nevzorova and her husband Aleksandr Nevzorov as an “extremist union,” their lawyer confirmed on July 2, 2024. This unprecedented ruling marks the first instance of a Russian court designating a couple as an extremist unit.
On July 18, 2024, exiled journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva was placed on the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ wanted list. This was confirmed after her name appeared in the department's database.
The Meshchansky District Court of Moscow registered an administrative case against Marfa Smirnova, a Russian journalist, who now lives in exile, on July 18, 2024. Smirnova is facing charges for participating in the activities of an "undesirable" organization. The details surrounding this charge against the journalist remain undisclosed, a hearing date has yet to be set.
On July 5, 2024, the Russian Ministry of Justice announced that Olesya Gerasimenko, a journalist working for Verstka, had been added to its register of ""foreign agents."
On July 2, 2024, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Kirov fined exiled Russian journalist Natalia Baranova 30,000 rubles (approximately $400) for allegedly failing to submit a report on her activities for the third quarter of 2023 to the Ministry of Justice. This penalty was imposed under Part 2 of Article 19.34 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, which regulates the activities of those designated as "foreign agents."
The Khoroshevsky District Court in Moscow opened an administrative case against exiled science journalist Asya Kazantseva for not submitting the reports required for "foreign agents" on July 11, 2024.
On July 11, 2024, the Tagansky District Court of Moscow opened administrative cases against exiled journalists Kseniya Larina and Yulia Latynina for several other media workers and academics for failing to include the "foreign agent" label on their content, which is required by all added to the registry
Moscow’s Perovsky District Court initiated proceedings against Yulia Taratuta for allegedly failing to submit reports mandated by the “foreign agent” law on July 17, 2024.
On July 19, 2024, journalist Lyudmila Savitskaya was fined 300,000 rubles ($4,000) by a court in Pskov for failing to submit a report required under the "foreign agent" law. The fine was issued not directly to Savitskaya but to her organization, "Journalist - Foreign Agent." Savitskaya was compelled by the Ministry of Justice to create this organization, which was added to the "foreign agents" register in 2021.
On July 26, 2024, a Moscow court opened cases against journalists Elizaveta Surnacheva and Oleg Yelanchik, political scientist Sergei Medvedev, and blogger Dmitry Ivanov for failing to submit the required reports for those labeled “foreign agents.”
The Tushinsky District Court in Moscow initiated a new case against Olesya Shmagun for allegedly failing to submit a mandated “foreign agent” report on July 29, 2024. This is the second time Shmagun has been prosecuted under this draconian law, which requires those designated as “foreign agents'' to submit detailed quarterly reports on their activities to the Russian Ministry of Justice
📍Iran
Following more than a year in detention, Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi were granted bail of 10 billion tomans (approximately 200,000 euros) on January 14 after their appeals trials. Despite their release, a cloud of uncertainty persists as they await the outcome of their appeal.
📍Brazil
On July 4, 2024, Federal Representative Julia Zanatta from Tijucas, Santa Catarina, filed civil and criminal lawsuits against journalist Amanda Miranda following the journalist's exposé on unethical transactions between Zanatta and a local newspaper in exchange for favorable publicity.
📍Brazil
On July 18, 2024, journalist Giulia Cortese was ordered to pay Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni €5,000 in damages for mocking her height on social media. A judge ruled that two tweets by Cortese were defamatory and amounted to "body shaming
10 journalists threatened and intimidated
📍France
Nassira El Moaddem, a journalist for Arrêt sur Images, was targeted with a death threat in an article published on the website Réseau Libre on July 1, 2024.The article, titled "The suitcase or the coffin for Nassira El Moaddem!", referenced her tweet on June 30, 2024, criticizing the results of the first round of legislative elections in France. In response to her tweet, the article menacingly stated, "Choose, bitch: the suitcase or the coffin."
On July 4, 2024, Blast journalist Salomé Saqué reported she had received death threats on X (formerly Twitter). Saqué, who covered the legislative elections and contributed to the media campaign calling for a front against the far-right party the National Rally, said she had been under "a wave of hatred without precedent" in her career for the three weeks leading up to the elections.
📍Argentina
On July 9, 2024, Ivy Cángaro, a journalist based in Buenos Aires, disclosed she had received explicit threats from people associated with extreme right-wing group Fuerza UnidAria Argentinan.
📍Uruguay
On July 23, 2024, the mayor of Cerro de las Cuentas, Humberto Allende, was sentenced to prison for rape. Outside the courthouse Allende threatened and insulted journalist Valeria Coronel, who was on assignment for Channel 12 of Melo.
📍Venezuela
On July 2, 2024, Ariana Ágreda, a correspondent for Unión Radio, while covering flooding in the Puerto de la Madera sector, Ágreda was confronted by Maricruz Vallejo, an alleged local leader of the Cantarrana. Vallejo accused Ágreda of spreading misinformation and labeled her reporting as politically biased. He also hurled offensive remarks about her vitiligo condition, a chronic skin condition characterized by the loss of pigment in patches of skin.
Andrea Fabbiani, director of Atarraya and correspondent for VPItv, and Víctor Federico González, a correspondent for La Patilla, were intimidated and forcibly removed while attempting to cover the aftermath of floods in Montes on July 8, 2024.
During presidential elections on July 28, 2024, numerous journalists faced harassment while trying to report. Francesca Díaz of Correo del Caroní facedintimidation in Bolívar state when a citizen tried to confiscate her credentials and photograph her after she recorded a protest against Governor Ángel Marcano. The aggressor threatened to blame her if any negative information about the governor was published. In Distrito Capital, Crónica Uno’s Yandris Saldivia wasblocked from interviewing voters outside Barrio Adentro El Guamal by a Militia member who also demanded she delete her photos. Luna Perdomo of Tal Cual experiencedintimidation from an official from the National Armed Force (FAN) in Caricuao, who ordered her to leave the Tomás Vicente González voting center. In Miranda, Isayen Herrera, a Caracas correspondent who contributes to The New York Times, reported that the coordinator of the UE Rodríguez López voting center in Los Teques, Margarita Cañas,verbally harassed her. She told Herrera she “was full of hate.”
7 journalists sexually harassed
📍Argentina
On July 8, a group of Argentine journalists, including Cecilia Guardati, Leticia Martínez, Julia Kolodny, Agustina Kämpfer, Marcela Perelman, and Gisela Busaniche, filed a formal complaint against prominent journalist Pedro Brieger, sharing incidents of sexual harassment spanning three decades. The testimonies presented by Periodistas Argentinas detail 19 cases involving colleagues and students from various institutions.
📍Malaysia
On the night of July 3, 2024, during the Sungai Bakap by-election in Penang, a woman journalist reported being sexually harassed by a campaign worker while reporting a political event attended by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
4 journalists discredited
📍France
On July 6, 2024, Paris-based international broadcaster France 24 became the latest victim of a sophisticated deepfake campaign. A video, widely circulated on the social media platform X, falsely claimed that journalist Catalina Marchant de Abreu had investigated the safety of Paris' water system just weeks before the French capital is set to host the Olympic Games.
📍Italy
A smear campaign targeting journalists escalated on July 30, 2024, following an article by Domenico Di Sanzo, that was widely circulated by media outlets supportive of Meloni’s administration. Journalists, including Anna Bredice, Martina Castigliani (Il Fatto Quotidiano) and Francesca De Benedetti (Domani), a were accused of bias and of using their platform to undermine the government by contributing to the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) report on Italy.
A journalist subjected to a sexist attack
📍Pakistan
On July 25, 2024, Prominent orthopedic doctor Omer Adil made derogatory and sexist remarks against renowned journalist Gharidah Farooqi and other women media professionals during an online program hosted by vlogger Zohaib Saleem Butt. In response to the offensive comments, Gharidah Farooqi initiated legal action.
“I hope this apology means that in future vloggers will avoid misogynistic & defamatory content against women in media because we are no more afraid to use the legal means and go to any length to protect ourselves and our community”
4 journalists under surveillance
📍Brazil
On July 11, 2024, Brazil's Federal Police announced a major investigation into illegal surveillance by a covert group called "Parallel Abin" during Jair Bolsonaro's presidency. This group operated outside the legal framework of Brazil's official intelligence agency, Abin, which is responsible for national security. Parallel Abin misused intelligence resources for unauthorized surveillance of political adversaries, journalists, and public officials. Journalists targeted include Mônica Bergamo, from Folha de S.Paulo, and Vera Magalhães, a presenter on TV Cultura, journalist and researcher Luiza Alves Bandeira, and Pedro Cesar Batista.
📍United States
Cerise Castle, a journalist renowned for her probing investigations, revealed on July 17, 2024 the extensive surveillance she endured by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) following her exposé on deputy gangs within the department.
“ I had to go into a shop to protect myself and Roger (the cameraman) was attacked by these street vendors . Roger did not receive any direct blows although the camera was a little damaged”
A journalist’s equipment destroyed
📍Chile
Journalist Delfina Gómez and her Canal 13 colleagues’ press vehicle was vandalized by street vendors on July 4, 2024, in San Bernardo. The news crew was reporting on a police inspection of street vendors when the assault took place.
7 journalists denied access
📍Brazil
Isadora Aires, a reporter for CNN, was harassed by participants at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Brazil on July 7, 2024 forcing her to leave the venue. The incident took place at the annual conservative gathering in Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina.
📍Venezuela
State security officials in Cumanacoa restricted the coverage of Atarraya reporter José Luis Guerra and camerawoman María Marcano on July 6, 2024 who were reporting the aftermath of flooding in Montes. Despite having official permission, Guerra and Marcano were expelled from the warehouse by Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) and Bolivarian National Police (PNB) officers, separating them from their team and disrupting their reporting.
While covering presidential elections on July 28, 2024, several journalists were denied access at polling stations. Journalist Yanara Vivas, from Mérida, said she was photographed by two people when talking to the person in charge of the Plan República, who denied access to the press accredited to a voting center. In Táchira state, Daniela González of La Nación was expelled from Escuela Francisco de Paula Reina and restricted to interviewing only pro-government individuals present.
Leonervis Hernández, from the newspaper Primicia, in Bolívar state, wasnot allowed to cover the election either inside or outside the polling stations at the Alta Vista Sur Elementary School and the Alta Vista Sur National School in Puerto Ordaz, because Plan República officials did not allow her to take photos or conduct interviews.
📍Iran
Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish journalist and political prisoner, has been deprived of contact with her family for the past fourteen days within the confines of Iran's notorious Evin prison.
📍Canada
On July 24, 2024, Montreal police obstructed video journalist Oona Barrett while she was reporting on a climate blockade outside the Trudeau International Airport in Montreal.
A journalist’s article didn’t appear
📍The Netherlands
Saskia Bonger, editor-in-chief of TU Delft's university magazine Delta, faced legal pressure and was compelled to take down an article concerning social safety at the university. The controversial piece, which highlighted issues of racism and discrimination, has since been republished following significant backlash and public attention.
1 journalist’s job terminated, 1 suspended
📍United States
On July 17, 2024, seasoned reporter Selina Cheng disclosed she was informed of her job termination from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) as part of a restructuring effort.
📍Italy
Serena Bortone, a journalist and presenter, was suspended on July 3, 2024, for six days by her employer, Rai, and subjected to disciplinary proceedings following her public denunciation of the censorship of a writer's monologue.
Accountability
Ireland: Kitty Holland Wins Defamation Case Against Former Colleague
On July 3, 2024, the Circuit Civil Court in Dublin ruled in favor of award-winning journalist Kitty Holland, awarding her €35,000 in damages for defamation of character by John Waters, a known author and columnist.
Turkiye: Habibe Eren and Ceylan Şahinli Acquitted in Terrorism Trial, 8 others Sentenced
On June 27, 2024, Elif Akgül stood trial on bogus terrorism charges at Istanbul's 13th Heavy Penal Court. The charges stemmed from two tweets she posted in 2018 and 2022, which the prosecution claimed constituted "terrorist organization propaganda." After a brief recess, the court acquitted Akgül, stating that the legal elements of the crime were not present and her comments fell within the bounds of freedom of expression.
Kenya: Court Rules in Favor of Javeria Siddique, Awards Compensation for Husbands Unlawful Killing
A Kenyan court hasawarded 10 million shillings ($78,000; £61,000) in compensation to Javeria Siddique, the widow of a prominent Pakistani journalist, Arshad Sharif, who was shot dead by police at a roadblock nearly two years ago.
United Kingdom: Hannah Summers and Suzanne Martin Win Court Fight to Publish Name of Serial Sex Offender
Hannah Summers of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), alongside freelance journalist Suzanne Martin applied to lift family court reporting restrictions to name a serial sex offender publicly. They argued there was a strong public interest in identifying him due to his past conviction and potential ongoing risks. In its decision, published on July 16, 2024, the court ruled to name Kristoffer Paul Arthur White, citing compelling public interest reasons and the need to protect potential victims from harm.
Russia: Russian Court Overturns Fine Handed to Crimean Journalist Lutfiye Zudiyeva
On July 18, 2024, the Fourth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar overturned the fine imposed on Lutfiye Zudiyeva in February. The court ruled that the occupying police in Crimea lacked the authority to issue the violation report, which should have been handled by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor). Zudiyeva has faced repeated harassment from Russian occupying forces in Crimea.
Italy: Judge Dismisses SLAPP Against Award-Winning Journalist Sara Manisera
On July 27, 2024, the Judge for Preliminary Investigations in Crotone, Elisa Marchetto,dismissed a defamation and slander lawsuit against award-winning freelance journalist Sara Manisera. The lawsuit, filed in September 2022 by the Mayor of Abbiategrasso, Cesare Francesco Nai, accused Manisera of aggravated defamation and slander for her public remarks on mafia presence in northern Italy, specifically in the municipality of Abbiategrasso.
“I am very happy about this dismissal because it once again shows how widespread lawsuits aimed at silencing the most critical voices of power are, whether they are journalists or activists”
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Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.