Ahead of World Photography Day on August 19, the monthly 10 Most Urgent list focuses on cases of photographers, filmmakers and video journalists who are targeted for their work. 

Photojournalists experience a unique set of challenges, as the nature of their work means they must get direct, close access to the action. In a 2018 global survey of photojournalists, 90% of respondents told CPJ they have had to work in high-risk environments, and almost half had been injured at least once while working. In 2020, CPJ documented 20 photojournalists behind bars, and since 1992, 366 photographers, camera operators and documentary filmmakers have been killed around the world in connection to their work. 

Journalists can find safety resources and information on CPJ and IWMF websites.

1. Anton Hammerl (Libya)

Hammerl, a photographer of South African and Austrian descent, was shot and killed by government forces in Libya in 2011 while covering the frontlines of the conflict as a freelancer. Ten years on, his body has still not been returned to his family, and there has been no formal investigation into his death. The Justice for Anton campaign is seeking to change this.

2. Olivier Dubois (Mali)

French journalist and filmmaker Olivier Dubois was kidnapped in the Malian region of Gao in April, by the Al-Qaeda affiliated group Jamaa Nusrat al-Islam, while seeking an interview with a local leader of the group. Months later, he remains in their custody.

3. Aleksandre Lashkarava (Georgia)

TV Pirveli camera operator died in Tbilisi days after he sustained a concussion and broken bones in his face, and underwent surgery as a result of an attack by anti-LGBTQ protestors while covering a demonstration in the capital. Police have launched a criminal investigation into his death.

4. Danish Siddiqui (Afghanistan)

Reuters photojournalist, who won a 2018 Pulitzer Prize for his work documenting the Rohingya Refugee Crisis, was killed in July while covering a clash between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters. 53 journalists have been killed in Afghanistan since 1992.

5. Qaraman Shukri (Iraq)

Iraqi Kurdish photojournalist sentenced to seven years in prison in a secret trial without a lawyer present. He and his family hope to appeal. Shukri did not say what laws he was convicted of violating during the trial.

6. Alex Silveira (Brazil)

Brazilian photojournalist was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet by police in 2000 while covering protests in Sao Paulo, blinding him in his left eye. He has been fighting for justice ever since, and while the Supreme Court recently ruled in his favor, he still awaits a final decision.

7. Sayed Abd Ellah (Egypt)

Freelance photographer and commentator is one of several journalists detained since 2019 in Egypt, pending a mass trial in which thousands of people were charged with false news and anti-state crimes, and his pre-trial detention has been repeatedly renewed over the years.

8. Nooshin Jafari (Iran)

Cinema and theater photographer, covering culture for several Iranian magazines, was arrested in 2019 related to posts on Twitter, and started serving her four-year prison sentence this year on charges of “spreading anti-establishment propaganda” and “insulting sanctities.”

9. Bülent Kılıç (Turkey)

On June 28, police officers in Istanbul detained the chief Turkey photographer for AFP while he was covering police breaking up an LGBTQ Pride march in the city. Officers hit him in the face with his camera and threw it to the ground, and then pinned him down by kneeling on his neck and back as he struggled to breathe, before releasing him.

10. Magnificent Mndebele and Cebelihle Mbuyisa (Eswatini)

After covering the funeral of a police shooting victim, soldiers arrested two reporters from the South African news website New Frame in July. Soldiers threatened them at gunpoint, demanded they delete their camera footage, and took them to the police station where they were interrogated and physically abused by police for hours before being released.

Across the world, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exert a toll on the way we live, it has also reshaped the way journalists work. Covering the pandemic and its aftermath has led to direct exposure to the virus, but just as concerningly, journalists have been exposed to the whims of authorities in some countries who use the contagion as a reason to crack down on the media.

Some of the emergency measures put into place that restrict press freedom—whether intended or not—could continue well into the future, and journalists are already facing the consequences. From February 2020 to Jun 22, 2021 alone, CPJ documented 221 press freedom violations related to the pandemic.

IWMF also recently published a report commissioned by the Gates Foundation on COVID-19 and how it has impacted the voices of women and journalists of color. “The Missing Perspectives of Women in COVID-19 News” shows that too few women experts have been quoted on the pandemic in the media. The study found that in South Africa, Kenya, India, Nigeria, the U.S. and the U.K., even when a woman’s voice is heard in the news on COVID-19, it is drowned out by the voices of men. The report finds that the absence of women’s perspectives in COVID-related news coverage means that women have limited influence over the framing of the crisis in the news and consequently, limited influence over policy decisions. 

IWMF and CPJ also provide information and resources to journalists so they can report safely during the pandemic. Find more in CPJ’s regularly updated COVID-19 safety advisory for the latest on physical and digital safety information for journalists in 40+ languages, and explore IWMF’s resources.

1. Rana Ayyub, Saba Naqvi and Mohammed Zubair (India)

Last year, police filed a criminal investigation against an editor at independent news website The Wire for allegedly “spreading discord” related to the COVID-19 lockdown. Now authorities have launched a criminal investigation against The Wire and journalists Rana Ayyub, Saba Naqvi and Mohammed Zubair that alleges they shared an unverified video that could cause social unrest.

2. Azimjon Askarov (Kyrgyzstan)

July 25 marks one year since journalist and human rights activist Azimjon Askarov died in a Kyrgyz prison. His family suspected that he had contracted COVID-19, but authorities refused to test him.

3. José Antônio Arantes (Brazil)

The founder and editor of Folha da Região has received threatening messages on social media in response to his coverage of the pandemic, and he was the target of an arson attack on the building housing both his home and newspaper headquarters.

4. Gamal al-Gamal (Egypt)

Egyptian freelance columnist contracted COVID-19 earlier this year while held in pretrial detention in Cairo’s notorious Tora Prison. While he was eventually transferred to a hospital, conditions behind bars remain unsafe for many inmates.  

5. Rozina Islam (Bangladesh)

Rozina Islam was arrested in May on allegations of stealing official documents and espionage after reporting on alleged corruption and mismanagement in the government’s response to the pandemic. Though she was released on bail, if charged and convicted, she could face up to 14 years in prison and the death penalty.

6. Nurgeldi Halykov (Turkmenistan)

Freelance correspondent Nurgeldi Halykov has been behind bars since September 2020 on fraud charges, which colleagues believe are retaliation for his reporting, including coverage of the pandemic for independent Netherlands-based news website Turkmen.news. 

7. Andrzej Poczobut (Belarus)

Political commentator and TV producer Andrzej Poczobut has been held in pre-trial detention since March. He has reportedly contracted COVID-19 while behind bars, with prisoners kept in crowded conditions, but has now been placed in quarantine. 

8. Siddique Kappan (India)

Indian journalist behind bars reportedly collapsed earlier this year after reportedly contracting COVID-19. While a court dropped one of the non-bailable charges against him in June, authorities in Uttar Pradesh continue to pursue and investigate additional retaliatory charges against him.

9. Shahram Safari (Iran)

Freelance Kurdish journalist, who also runs local news Telegram channel “Rawezh Press,” was sentenced to three months in prison over his COVID-19 reporting. While he is appealing the decision, he faces two additional cases against him.

10. Oratile Dikologang (Botswana)

Oratile Dikologang, cofounder and digital editor of local website Botswana People’s Daily News, is due in court July 12 on charges relating to information shared to Facebook about COVID-19 and local politics. He denies publishing the posts. 

Ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20, the One Free Press Coalition releases its monthly “10 Most Urgent” list with a spotlight on journalists forced to flee their homes or go into exile, as well as threats faced by journalists reporting at borders.

The type of threats that force journalists to leave their homes can vary, ranging from sustained harassment, to physical and legal threats, or threats of imprisonment, all impeding their ability to live and work without fear. Journalists from all regions seek safety elsewhere when press crackdowns intensify, with recent examples in Myanmar and Ethiopia. Local journalists, unlike international journalists who may be able to move more freely, when faced with threats often have no other option than to leave behind their homes, and even their families. As CPJ found in a 2015 report, only about 17% of journalists who fled their countries were able to continue working during their time in exile.

Journalists in crisis situations looking for support and resources are also encouraged to reach out to IWMF and CPJ directly. 

1. Raman Pratasevich (Belarus)

Belarusian authorities diverted a commercial flight to Minsk in order to arrest exiled journalist Raman Pratasevich, founder and editor of Telegram channels that covered anti-Lukashenko protests. Belarusian authorities launched investigations against him in relation to his journalism.

2. Benjamín Morales (Mexico)

Local journalist working in a Northern Mexican border town in Sonora was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds, as violence surges in the state.  

3. Ayham al-Gareeb, Mohammad Shubat, Mousa al-Jamaat, and Okba Mohammad (Syria)

Facing dire threats in Syria in connection to their reporting, local journalists find safety in Spain and launch Madrid’s first refugee-led, Spanish-Arabic news site, Baynana.

4. Pouyan Khoshhal (Iran)

Journalist imprisoned, fired and forced into exile for a single story continues to report on news and politics in Iran for IranWire and still faces a sentence if he returns to Iran.  

5. Natalia Zubkova (Russia)

After facing an attack and death threats, journalist and her family were pushed into hiding—and forced to flee Russia—following her reporting on local protests as well as an alleged real estate scheme targeting disabled people.

6. Amade Abubacar (Mozambique)

Radio journalist covering families fleeing militant attacks in Cabo Delgado province, where an ongoing conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands, was arrested and detained for 108 days in several prisons in 2019. Though released, Abubacar still faces charges.  

7. Carlos Ketohou (Togo)

Director of Togolese outlet L’Indépendant Express forced to leave his home after security forces detained him, and his family received anonymous threats. Authorities have barred the outlet from publishing, and legal challenges are ongoing.

8. Can Dündar (Turkey)

Journalist and former chief editor of the Turkish opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet founded independent radio station Özgürüz while living in exile in Germany. He appeals a 27.5-year prison sentence on anti-state charges from Turkish authorities.  

9. Gerall Chávez (Nicaragua)

One of the dozens of Nicaraguan journalists forced into exile since 2018, Chávez has continued to face threats even while living in Costa Rica, including ones directed toward his family, which remains in Nicaragua. 

10. Humayra Bakhtiyar (Tajikistan)

Journalist and human rights activist covering politics and corruption was forced into exile in the EU in 2016, but remains outspoken even as she faces continued online harassment and threats from Tajik authorities directed at her family.

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