Freedom House Report: Journalism in Exile: A Light in the Darkness of Repression That Does Not Go Out

The American think tank "Freedom House," which supports freedoms and democracies worldwide, has published a new report on the increasing transnational repression by the governments of Iran, China, Russia, and several other authoritarian countries against exiled journalists. In this report, Freedom House documented 112 instances of transnational repression against exiled journalists between 2014 and 2023 by 26 countries, including the governments of Iran, Belarus, Cambodia, China, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. The report references testimonies from Iranian journalists regarding multiple instances of transnational repression, including death threats, harassment, and retaliation against family members. According to testimonies from 12 exiled journalists, physical attacks, illegal expulsions, arrests, deportations, hacking of information, digital harassment, and asset seizures are among the tactics used by authoritarian regimes to pursue journalists. Among the critical issues that place the Iranian government at the top of the list of transnational repressors in this report is the escalation of pressures in host countries and targeting of Iranian exiled journalists following the widespread protests of 2022. Actions outside Iran have, in some cases, led to the intervention of the Metropolitan Police in London to protect journalists who were threatened with death due to their coverage of the protests. The report outlines that intimidation of family members of Iranian exiled journalists has intensified alongside the widespread protests of 2022. Freedom House notes that digital transnational repression is a key aspect of psychological pressure, explaining that digital threats such as harassment and cyber attacks affect exiled journalists' ability to reach audiences. It also emphasized that planned campaigns by cyber agents aimed at discrediting the credibility of exiled journalists weaken their position in host countries. The report warns that violent sexual harassment by Iranian cyber agents against an exiled female journalist indicates that relentless and targeted online abuse can encourage self-censorship. It has been highlighted that female exiled journalists face violent online sexual harassment, including death threats, sexual assault threats, and the dissemination of personal information due to their work. Freedom House states that the national repression policies of countries are uniform and organized, naming Turkey as one of the frontline countries of transnational repression, warning that these countries are unsafe for exiled journalists and mentioning cases of harassment, detention, and murder. The report estimates that attacks on free and independent media globally are increasing, exacerbating the practical and financial challenges of reporting from exile. The efforts of autocrats to silence exiled journalists can increase the costs of maintaining media in exile and create barriers to resettlement in a safe third country. The main challenges faced by exiled journalists, according to this analysis, include complicating the immigration and asylum process, creating barriers to accessing financial resources, and exorbitant costs for media protection and reduced income. Based on this report, Freedom House has called on democratic host countries to consider appropriate mechanisms, including humanitarian visas, to assist exiled journalists in maintaining permanent legal status. At the same time, they should review their asylum processes to ensure that exiled journalists are not deprived of legal status due to pressures from transnational repression.