10 cases of threats to the press in the world

JAKARTA (Antara) – Press freedom is an important pillar of democracy and human rights that cannot be underestimated. The press acts as a guardian of truth values, delivery of information to the community, and controlling power to remain in the proper corridor.

However, reality on the ground shows that the struggle to maintain freedom of the press is still full of challenges and serious threats. Journalists are often victims of oppression, intimidation, and physical violence only because they dare to voice facts that are considered to interfere with the interests of the ruling groups.

Authoritarian governments often silence the critical votes of the press under the pretext of maintaining the stability of the country. This reflects the abuse of power that tarnished the values ​​of democracy.

However, in various parts of the world, journalists still face a serious threat in carrying out their duties to convey the truth to the public. Here are ten cases of threats to the press in the world that show that the struggle for freedom of the press is still long.

1. Ahmet Altan (Türkiye)

Ahmet Altan, a 70 -year -old Turkish senior journalist, has been more than 1,500 days in prison. Altan, a former editor in Chief of the Years that has been closed, was arrested since September 2016. In 2018, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment which was later changed to 10.5 years in 2019

2. Mahmoud Hussein Gomaa (Egypt)

Mahmoud Hussein Gomaa has been undergoing detention for nine years since 2016. Gomaa, Al-Jazeera journalist, was accused of spreading chaos through documentary material about military service in Egypt. Although scheduled for parole in mid -2019, his detention continues to be extended with new accusations.

3. Mohammad Mosaed (Iran)

Mohammad Mosaed, an Iranian freelance journalist, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for his criticism of the government in handling Pandemi Covid-19. He was accused of “collusion against national security” and “spreading propaganda against the system.” In addition, he is also prohibited from carrying out journalistic activities and using communication devices for two years.

4. Solafa Magdy (Egypt)

Solafa Magdy, a freelance journalist, experienced medical neglect and inhuman prison conditions during his pretrial detention period. He has been detained since November 2019 for covering the issue of immigration and human rights in Cairo.

5. Zhang Zhan (China)

Zhang Zhan, an independent journalist who reported the Covid-19 situation in Wuhan, was jailed with charges of “triggering quarrels and provoking problems.” Zhang finally went on a hunger strike for six months as a form of protest against his detention.

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6. Wan Noor Hayati Wan Alias ​​(Malaysia)

Wan Noor Hayati faced a legal indictment because three Facebook uploads related to Covid-19 were considered “causing public fear.” He was sentenced to two years in prison for each upload and had difficulty getting a job as a freelance journalist.

7. Hopewell Chin’ono (Zimbabwe)

Hopewell Chin’ono was arrested for reporting alleged corruption in the procurement of Covid-19 at the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health. After being released with a guarantee, he was again arrested with accusations of “blocking justice” because of his tweet.

8. Bárbara Barbosa (Brazil)

Barbosa suffered a threat when covering violations of Lockdown rules in Florianópolis. In addition, there is a report that the office of the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro paid employees to monitor and hinder the work of journalists.

9. Aleksandr Pichugin (Russia)

Aleksandr Pichugin was fined $ 3,920 after being considered to spread false information related to the handling of COVID-19 by the Russian Orthodox Church. He was detained for one night and his electronic device was confiscated for a month.

10. Gautam Navlakha (India)

Gautam Navlakha, a human rights and columnist activist, was accused of having a relationship with Maois militant and involved in the conspiracy of the murder of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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For the sake of freedom and truth

These cases become strong reminders that press freedom is not something that can be ignored or considered trivial. Behind every news circulating, there is the courage of journalists who are willing to take a big risk to convey facts to the public.

In Indonesia alone, press freedom has been guaranteed by Law Number 40 of 1999, but in reality the challenges remain, both in the form of political pressure, intimidation, and physical threats.

Hopefully the countries in the world will increasingly realize the importance of protecting journalists as a pillar of democracy that maintains the balance of power. There is no more space for critical soundships or oppression of those who struggle for the truth. Journalism is actually a symbol of honesty and courage that should be respected, not suppressed.

On behalf of freedom, on behalf of the people who are entitled to get honest and accurate information, each individual has the responsibility to support and protect the freedom of the press.

Let’s stand with journalists who dare to voice the truth without fear of threats or repression. Press freedom is the freedom of all society – to know, understand, and think freely.

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Reporter: Raihan Fadilah
Editor: Suryanto
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