A year on from the ousting of Assad

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  Damascus, Syria — “Hold your head high, you’re a free Syrian.” The refrain of this Arabic song—now widely embraced as the unofficial anthem of a new Syria—echoes throughout Damascus. It blares from market loudspeakers, rings out during celebrations in the central square, and is even sung by the man offering traditional coffee to new arrivals at the airport. For decades, many Syrians lived with lowered gazes under the authoritarian rule of the Al-Assad family. The regime maintained an expansive surveillance system in which the feared Mukhabarat , the intelligence network, kept the population in check. Remaining silent was often the safest choice—until the Arab Spring ignited an uprising, and Assad’s fierce response plunged the nation into a ten-year civil war. Today, Syrians are openly and energetically marking the first anniversary of what they regard as their liberation from Assad’s government. The celebration follows a rapid rebel offensive on December 8 last year, led by fo...
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IPI General Assembly Resolution: States must urgently increase protections and support

 

The International Press Institute (IPI) members unanimously approved the following resolution on October 15, 2025, at the 74th Annual General Assembly. It was then presented at the IPI World Congress on October 25, 2025, in Vienna, Austria. Around the world, journalists are being forced into exile in unprecedented numbers.  The global press freedom environment is deteriorating as authoritarianism and illiberalism gain ground.  Wars and political instability add further peril.  For many, the only path to safety is to flee abroad.  Yet even as the need grows, the number of states willing to provide refuge for exiled journalists is shrinking.
 This leaves many journalists and their families in an impossible bind: trapped between repression at home and dwindling options abroad.  Through transnational repression, which is an act of persecution carried out by authoritarian states against their critics abroad, journalists who do manage to reach safety continue to face harassment, intimidation, and even physical attacks.
According to the Media Freedom Coalition, such acts include assassination, disappearances, forced return and extradition, digital and physical surveillance, the misuse of spyware, online harassment (often gendered), defamation campaigns, intimidation of family members and associates, and the bringing of criminal charges in absentia.
 Independent media plays a critical role in holding governments accountable and reporting on matters of public interest.  For many living under authoritarian rule, journalists and outlets working in exile are some of the only sources of trustworthy information about their countries.  Authoritarian governments are not only attempting to control the flow of information within their countries but also outside of them by targeting these journalists. As a result, as a group of media professionals, we appeal to the international community to take prompt, coordinated action based on a three-step strategy. The first step is to facilitate safe entry into exile.  For at-risk journalists and their families, this means creating and expanding visa pathways that are quick and flexible, reducing bureaucratic hurdles, and ensuring that journalists in need can quickly access safe havens. The second step is to provide journalists and their families with ample protection and assistance while they are in exile. Protecting journalists in exile from transnational repression entails investigating and prosecuting attacks in accordance with international law. Such protections should extend to family members, who are often targeted through intimidation, harassment, or coercion-by-proxy.
 The third step is to provide financial and institutional support to exiled media, to help them remain in the profession, sustain operations, continue reaching their audiences, and overcome censorship and information blockades.
 We remind each nation that they are required to uphold the fundamental rights to information and expression under international law. The targeting of journalists abroad must stop immediately, and authoritarian governments must respect the right of independent media to report freely without interference. Democratic states, meanwhile, must adopt a comprehensive approach to assisting and protecting exiled journalists so they can continue their critical mission of informing the public and holding power to account.


Location: Austria

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