On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield recognized the remarkable courage and vital contributions made by journalists around the world.
“As we mourn the dozens of journalists killed in Gaza; as hundreds more remain unjustly detained around the world; and as Evan Gershkovich marks 400 days in a Russian prison, this occasion is less a celebration than an urgent call to action,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. “And it is a reminder that a free and independent press is the cornerstone of every democracy.”
“We count on the media to expose corruption and counter disinformation; to facilitate the exchange of ideas and shine a spotlight on human rights abuses,” noted Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. “We rely on journalists and media workers to seek out the truth, to tell the world what we need to know, and to hold the powerful accountable. This work is as important as ever today, as we face down new and unprecedented challenges to our democracies, our communities, and to international peace and security itself.”
Journalists continue to face harassment and intimidation. They are arbitrarily and unlawfully surveilled by governments, including their own governments. They are met with cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. And, far too often, they are violently attacked and wrongfully detained – simply for telling the truth.
Evan Gershkovich’s crime was reporting the facts about Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, noted Ambassador Thomas Greenfield. “Locking Evan up was meant to be a sign of toughness and strength. And of control. But the truth is, this pernicious targeting by the Kremlin, and by strongmen across the world only reveals their weakness and their fear. Because they know that history is not kind to those who squash dissent through force. That oppression always begets resistance; that, as Dr. [Martin Luther] King famously said, the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice.”
Other detained journalists include Alsu Kurmasheva, a Prague-based Russian-American journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Kurmasheva was arrested in Kazan, Russia on October 18, 2023, and charged with failure to register as a foreign agent. And Austin Bennett Tice is an American freelance journalist who was kidnapped while reporting in Syria on August 14, 2012.
Every day, the United States is working to free unjustly imprisoned journalists, and combat impunity for violence and other injustices committed against them.
