In 2022, since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, at least 12 journalists and media workers have been killed and 21 injured in the course of their work. The war took place against the background of a continuing deterioration of press freedom in Europe, marked by a significant increase in the number of journalists in detention, according to the 2023 annual report of the partner organisations of the Council of Europe Platform to Strengthen the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists.
Published under the title “War in Europe and the fight for the right to inform”, the report examines the main threats to media freedom in Europe and makes recommendations to the Council of Europe, the European Union and their member states on how to improve the situation.
Cartooning for Peace is pleased to illustrate the report with cartoons from its “cartoonothèque” (media library): Kazanevsky (Ukraine), Amorim (Brazil), Tjeerd Royaards (Netherlands), Bado (Canada), Migue (Cuba), Marco de Angelis (Italy), Côté (Canada), Mate (Argentina), Hall (United-States), Sherif Arafa (Egypt), Kap (Spain), Mana Neyestani (Iran) and Chubasco (Mexico).
Throughout 2022, the platform published 289 alerts reporting threats or serious attacks on media freedom in 37 states, where journalists were murdered, imprisoned, assaulted, legally harassed and subjected to defamation campaigns. This figure includes alerts concerning Russia, as the partner organisations have decided to continue monitoring the situation of media freedom and attacks on journalists after its expulsion from the Council of Europe in March 2022.
The Platform’s report examines in detail the repression of independent journalism in Russia and in the occupied territories in Ukraine and devotes a special chapter to Belarus.
Other issues examined in the report are the implementation of legislation restricting the work of journalists, monitoring of journalists’ communications, false information and disinformation, misuse of the judicial system to repress or intimidate journalists, strategic lawsuits aimed at public mobilisation (SLAPPS), pressure on public service media and cases of media confiscation.
The report notes the continued lack of progress in resolving 35 cases of impunity for attacks on journalists still on the platform, including 26 cases of murder.
The Council of Europe Platform to Strengthen the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists was established by the Council of Europe in 2015, in cooperation with leading international NGOs working in the field of freedom of expression and journalists’ associations, in order to provide information that could contribute to the dialogue with member states on possible protective measures or remedies.
