Guatemalan Journalist José Rubén Zamora Released to House Arrest After More than Three Years in Arbitrary Detention
Guatemalan investigative journalist José Rubén Zamora Marroquín, founder of the now-defunct independent newspaper el Periódico, was released to house arrest on 12 February 2026 after spending 1295 days in pre-trial detention. Upon his release, Zamora told the waiting press, “As you’ve seen, I am paying for crimes I did not commit. Lies spread very quickly, […]
Eroding the Cornerstone – Attacking Media Freedom Imperils All Human Rights
World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2023: Journalists at the forefront of protecting human rights Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, enshrined in international treaties and conventions and in constitutions around the world. These laws and standards, as well as those specifically addressing the rights and protections of journalists, are in place not […]
Women’s History Month: Journalists who inspire us
Threats and violence against women journalists endanger important democratic values, including freedom of expression and the right to information. Despite significant risks, women continue to investigate abuses of power—and we applaud those who are laying the groundwork for a better future. Whether covering instability wrought by war or how corruption impacts local farmers, every journalist […]
International Women’s Day: Digital Rights Advocate Gladys Mbuyah
Gladys Mbuyah is a barrister and renowned human rights activist working in Cameroon. She has been part of Media Defence’s network for several years, having attended our digital rights litigation surgeries. She is currently part of our peer support programme for women lawyers in sub-Saharan Africa. President of the Cameroon Bar Association Social Affairs Commission, […]
Censorship of street art in Colombia: the MOVICE mural and the ‘false positives’ scandal
To celebrate our 15th anniversary, we look back at some of the cases we have worked on that have had positive outcomes for freedom of expression. To start with, we are highlighting the landmark MOVICE mural case, in which the Colombian Constitutional Court ruled in favour of justice and human rights. The ‘false positives’ scandal […]
Black History Month: Talking Freedom of Expression with Journalist & Lawyer Nadine Kampire
October is Black History Month. Last year, we celebrated the work of trailblazing lawyers and journalists in sub-Saharan Africa This year, we interview Nadine Kampire, who participated in our first women-only litigation surgery in Nairobi this August. We organised the litigation surgery as part of our EWDRA project. Nadine Kampire is a Congolese journalist and […]
The entrails case: The rage of the Universal Church in Brazil
By João Paulo Cuenca We have edited this piece, translated from Spanish, for brevity and clarity. A tweet unleashed it all: an act of free expression in Jair Bolsonaro’s country. The Brazilian writer and journalist João Paulo Cuenca gives us a startling insight into the days that followed the filing of a series of lawsuits […]
Galina Arapova: media lawyer, human rights defender, “foreign agent”
“If you do your work well, if you are a professional and a decent person – that is what will remain in the end.” Galina Arapova interviewed in 2021 by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Galina Arapova is the director and senior media lawyer of the NGO Mass Media Defence Centre. Beyond this, she is an […]
Kelly Duda: Bad Blood
Kelly Duda originally wrote this piece for Index on Censorship. Kelly Duda is an activist and producer and director of the documentary “Factor 8: The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal”. Duda travelled to Italy to offer his services as a prosecution witness in a trial about blood contamination. As a result, he now faces charges himself. […]
Claudia Duque: Fighting State Surveillance in Colombia
“I ask myself every day whether I’m able to continue with all of this. But I have never doubted that this is my profession and what I want to do.” Claudia Duque, interviewed by Nicolas Guzman 2019 for DW.com. The courageous and passionate Claudia Duque is an award-winning Colombian journalist who, along with her daughter, […]
Launching our “Hope and Resilience” Series
Our “Hope and Resilience” series We’re launching a new series of stories and articles that celebrate “Hope and Resilience”. The purpose of this project is to shine a light on impactful journalists and lawyers around the world. These individuals have made strides to defend freedom of expression, often in the face of deliberate obstruction and […]