‎IWMF, CPJ targeted as Kremlin escalates media crackdown‎

‎By Chioma Obinagwam
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‎Russia is systematically dismantling international press freedom infrastructure, and the global journalism community is pushing back.
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‎Confiance News gathered from a press statement issued by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) on Tuesday.
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‎The IWMF and its Journalist Assistance Network (JAN) partners have condemned Russia’s Ministry of Justice for designating the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) as an “undesirable” organization, a classification that effectively bans foreign human rights and civil society groups from operating within the country.
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‎Pattern of suppression
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‎The designation, announced on April 28, came less than a month after CPJ publicly expressed support for the IWMF following the foundation’s own “undesirable” listing by Russian authorities. Press freedom advocates say the rapid succession of bans is no coincidence.
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‎”Russian journalists deserve access to the resources, aid, and opportunities from CPJ and other international press freedom organizations; this designation is an attempt to stifle support and intimidate journalists in an already high-risk environment,” said Elisa Lees Muñoz, President of the IWMF.
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‎Who is being silenced
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‎The JAN is a coalition of five U.S.-based press freedom organizations providing support across digital safety, physical safety, and legal rights. Its members include the IWMF, CPJ, Freedom of the Press Foundation, PEN America, and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
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‎The coalition is now calling on Russia to reverse the CPJ designation and end what it describes as a deliberate campaign to eliminate international support networks for journalists operating in one of the world’s most dangerous media environments.
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