The following statement will be announced at Frilans Riks annual meeting, March 27 2023. //Följande uttalande kommer att presenteras på Frilans Riks årsmöte 27 mars 2023. //
Statement in support of freelance journalists in countries that violate Press Freedom
The journalist association Frilans Riks (organization for freelance journalists, part of the Swedish Union of Journalists) expresses its strong support of and solidarity with the independent journalists in countries all over the world with low or no press freedom.
We would especially like to mention the freelance journalists in Afghanistan, Belarus, Eritrea, Iran, Mexico, Nicaragua, Myanmar, Russia, Syria, Palestine and Ukraine where the situation has gone from bad to worse and were they have to do their work at great risk.
We also address the regime in Belarus, demanding the immediate release of all imprisoned journalists in the country, and that all repressions towards journalists will cease without exceptions. Furthermore, we urge the Belarusian authorities to stop the repression against BAJ (Belarusian Association of Journalists) such as using extremism legislation to silence them.
In addition, we would like to mention Dawit Isaak, the Swedish journalist who has been imprisoned in Eritrea for more than 20 years. We address the regime in Eritrea to release him without any delay.
Finally, we call upon the Swedish government to take further action, both against specified oppressions and against the ongoing violations of press freedom and freedom of speech all over the world.
The journalist association Frilans Riks, organization for freelancers, part of the Swedish Union of Journalists in Sweden.
Stockholm, 27 mars 2023