Jailed Journalists Mark Grim Milestones Across Eurasia As Press Freedom Concerns Grow

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

PRAGUE/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Journalists jailed, attacked, or otherwise targeted across several countries marked fresh setbacks for press freedom this month, with media advocates highlighting cases ranging from Azerbaijan and Iran to Russia and Armenia.

Among the most prominent cases is that of Farid Mehralizada, a journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), who marked two years in detention in Azerbaijan on May 30.

In a message from prison, Mehralizada reflected on being separated from his family, including a daughter born several months after his imprisonment.

“We have only been able to see each other during prison visits, but never for long enough,” he said. “That is why we still don’t have a real photograph together.”

Supporters, including human rights organizations and lawmakers, renewed calls for his release.

AZERBAIJAN PRESS FREEDOM

Former Voice of America network correspondent Ulviyya Ali also remains imprisoned in Azerbaijan and faces charges that could carry a prison sentence of up to 12 years, according to press freedom advocates.

Advocates say the cases underscore continuing concerns about press freedom in Azerbaijan, where authorities have faced international criticism over their treatment of independent journalists and media outlets.

In Iran, former RFE/RL journalist Reza Valizadeh appealed for urgent medical care from Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.

In a voice recording obtained by U.S. outlet CBS News, Valizadeh described “physical pressure and mental torture” and said he and other Americans detained by Iran were not receiving adequate medical treatment.

Valizadeh, a former journalist with Radio Farda, RFE/RL’s Persian-language service, was imprisoned in September 2024 and is serving a 10-year sentence linked to his journalistic work, supporters say.

IRAN JOURNALIST DETAINED

RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said Valizadeh had been “callously separated from his family and friends” by Iranian authorities and called for his release.

The developments come amid continued efforts by family members and legal advocates to persuade the administration of U.S. President Donald J. Trump to secure the journalist’s freedom.

Elsewhere in Russia, RFE/RL journalist Nika Novak was recently placed in solitary confinement in a Siberian penal colony, according to press freedom advocates.

Novak has reportedly faced repeated periods of isolation since her arrest in December 2023 on charges that supporters say were politically motivated.

Press freedom groups say Russia remains one of the most dangerous countries in Europe for independent journalism, with reporters facing prosecution, imprisonment, exile, or censorship over their work.

RUSSIA JOURNALIST CRACKDOWN

The latest move against Novak has renewed concerns among supporters about the treatment of imprisoned journalists in Russia’s penal system.

In neighboring Armenia, RFE/RL reporter Karine Simonian was attacked while covering an election rally in the northern town of Spitak.

According to RFE/RL, the town’s deputy mayor struck Simonian’s camera after she questioned why local government employees were attending a campaign event during working hours despite legal restrictions.

The incident was witnessed by the town’s mayor, who reportedly asked the journalist whether she was there to “cause trouble.”

The attack raised fresh concerns about media safety in a country that has generally ranked higher than many regional neighbors on press freedom indexes.

JOURNALIST ATTACK IN ARMENIA

The incidents occurred as RFE/RL journalists Alsu Kurmasheva and Pavel Butorin accepted the 2026 James Foley World Press Freedom Award.

The award is named after James Foley, who was kidnapped in Syria and murdered by the Islamic State militant group in 2014.

Kurmasheva herself was released in August 2024 as part of a multinational prisoner exchange after spending nearly 300 days in Russian detention on charges that supporters and press freedom advocates said were politically motivated.

On May 29, a committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) condemned what it described as the suppression of free expression in Azerbaijan and cited the imprisonment of Farid Mehralizada as evidence of continuing concerns about media freedom in the country.

Media watchdogs say the cases underscore the continued risks faced by journalists across Eurasia, where authoritarian governments increasingly use criminal prosecutions, imprisonment, intimidation, and violence to silence critical reporting.

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