When we talk about freedom of speech, we must remember that an important source of it is independent media. The state of the media is also one of the main criteria for assessing democracy.
In authoritarian regimes, governments constantly try to silence the voice of the media. In such countries, many journalists have become targets of threats, intimidation, pressure, and persecution. The main reason for this is probably that they have never stopped being devoted to their profession and reporting the truth. For some, this decision has even cost them their lives.
In this article, we will tell you about those female journalists who, under pressure, set an example of dedication to their profession, courage, and standing guard over the truth.
Anna Politkovskaya — Voice of Truth in Putin’s Russia
“This book is about Vladimir Putin, but not the Putin we usually know in the West. Not the Vladimir Putin seen through rose-colored glasses,” — this is how journalist Anna Politkovskaya’s book Putin’s Russia begins, in which the author describes with full intensity the real stories that happened in the country and clearly shows readers how devalued human life was under this regime, even back then.
Two years after the book was published, Anna Politkovskaya was found murdered in her apartment building in Moscow. On October 7, 2006, on the birthday of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a killer ambushed her in the lobby of an elevator and shot her four times in the chest and head.
Anna Politkovskaya was a Ukrainian-born investigative reporter and a special correspondent for Novaya Gazeta since 1999. She exposed the corruption that reigned in Russia, the illegal activities of Russian special services, and actively covered the war in Chechnya — shedding light on the injustice, violence, human rights violations, and brutality of the Russian military in the North Caucasus.
In addition, Politkovskaya prepared critical and revealing articles about Ramzan Kadyrov, who later became the leader of Chechnya. She did not stop writing about him even as Kadyrov’s “political career” rose to higher and higher levels. Later, she began writing directly about Vladimir Putin, focusing on the future dangers that his rule would bring to the country.
“Why is it so difficult to see events in rosy colors when faced with Russian reality? Because Putin, a product of the country’s darkest intelligentsia, has failed to forgive his creators and stop acting like a KGB agent. He is still busy sorting out his freedom-loving fellow citizens; he is still striving to destroy freedom with the same determination as he did at the beginning of his career.”
Gradually, Anna’s professionalism and courage became a target of Russian secret services.
There have been several assassination attempts on the journalist. One of the most famous cases occurred in 2004, when Politkovskaya was on her way to cover the Beslan school siege. She was poisoned on a plane and ended up in hospital instead of working.
Anna was regularly the target of intimidation, pressure, and threats. In addition, Russian state channels actively sought to discredit and tarnish her reputation. She was often referred to as an “enemy agent,” an even more dangerous label in Russia at the time.
In 2014, four people were arrested in connection with her murder, however, no real investigation has been conducted to date, and no one who directly ordered the murder has been brought to justice.
Natalya Estemirova
The situation in Russia has not improved much since Politkovskaya’s murder. Under Putin’s regime, critical journalists have been the target of constant repression and attacks. Among them is human rights activist and journalist Natalya Estemirova. She was abducted and murdered on July 15, 2009, as she was leaving her home in the Chechen capital, Grozny. Her body was found later that day in the republic of Ingushetia. The journalist was 50 years old.
Natalia covered human rights violations in Chechnya, in particular, cases of abductions, disappearances, torture, and murders of citizens.
Oleg Orlov, head of the human rights organization Memorial, noted in an interview with Radio Liberty that investigating the kidnappings of people by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s troops put journalists in particular danger.
“Ramzan Kadyrov was personally dissatisfied with Natasha Estemirova’s work. In a private conversation, Ramzan Kadyrov even directly threatened her. Natalya told us what Kadyrov told her: ‘Yes, I have blood on my hands and I am not ashamed of it. I have destroyed bad people and will continue to do so in the future.’ Then he addressed Natalia with insulting and threatening statements.”
Following the journalist’s murder, international organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, called for an independent and transparent investigation. Despite repeated calls, the case remains under investigation, and no one has been punished for the murder.
“My Only Crime is the Fact that I am a Journalist” — Maria Ressa
We should start talking about Maria Ressa, a Filipino journalist with experience of political repression, with her famous autobiographical book, How to Defeat a Dictator, which has become one of the symbols of the ongoing protests in Georgia.
In the book, Ressa describes her own struggle against an authoritarian regime. She discusses in detail how social media was used to spread disinformation and the journalist’s personal life to discredit her. Despite everything, Ressa did not give up and continued to fight for the truth.
The book is a source of inspiration for citizens fighting for freedom and democracy. The author makes it clear that independent media and the unity of people can even shake the regime and power of dictators.
Maria Ressa was born in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. At the age of 9, she moved to the United States with her family. After studying at Princeton University, she returned to her homeland.
Ressa has worked as a local correspondent for CNN since 1995. She was particularly active in covering the rise of terrorism in Southeast Asia.
In 2012, he co-founded an online multimedia news portal called Rappler. Under her leadership, Rappler consistently criticized the activities of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, especially his drug policy. The media outlets have reported on the violence and abuses that the police have committed against citizens with Duterte’s consent. Rappler has also covered the story of the army of pro-Duterte trolls who have been influencing public sentiment by spreading fake news. In addition, Ressa has exposed how the regime has abused its power and used social media to attack its opponents.
“Press freedom does not only concern journalists, it’s not just about us. It’s not just about me, it’s not just about Rappler. Press freedom is the foundation of every Filipino’s right to the truth — so that we can hold the powerful and influential accountable.”
In July 2017, Duterte accused Rappler of being “wholly American-owned,” a move prohibited by the Philippine constitution. This led to an investigation by the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In January 2018, the SEC revoked Rappler’s license. The case went to the Court of Appeals. The dispute dragged on for years. Finally, in 2024, the Philippine Court of Appeals overturned the SEC’s decision and reinstated Rappler’s license. The decision was hailed as a major victory for press freedom.
The attempt to close Rappler was not the final step in the repression against Ressa. Writing about the truth cost Maria Ressa several charges against her — legal proceedings began in 2018. According to human rights activists, this was a “premeditated attack” on freedom of speech. In 2020, the journalist was found guilty of an article published in Rappler in 2012. The material concerned a Filipino businessman, whom the journalist, along with his colleague, exposed in connection with various crimes. The businessman sued the publication and the journalists for defamation. They faced up to 6 years in prison, but were released on bail. Ressa appealed the case to the Supreme Court. So far, the Supreme Court has not made a final decision.
Ressa’s fight has not been in vain. In March of this year, police arrested former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is accused of killing thousands of people during his presidency (2016-2022) as part of his “war on drugs” campaign. Activists say people were killed on suspicion, without court orders or search warrants. Duterte is also accused of persecuting political opponents and cracking down on independent media.
Maria Ressa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021. She currently lives in the United States. However, she is actively involved in the fight for media freedom in the Philippines.
Mzia Amaghlobeli — “Fight Before It’s too Late”
Speaking at the Vatican’s anniversary on January 25, Maria Ressa spoke about Mzia Amaghlobeli, a Georgian journalist, founder and director of Netgazeti and Batumelebi , who is currently in prison. Ressa said:
“There are mass protests on the streets of Georgia. Journalists and activists are being beaten and arrested. During the protests, the journalists were holding my book, titled How to Defeat a Dictator. Investigative journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli begins the 14th day of her hunger strike in prison today. She said: “Because I can’t remain silent.”
Formula
This picture is from Mzia’s first court hearing. She is holding Maria Ressa’s famous book in her hand, and it was this shot that became the basis for her becoming a symbol of protest today.
“The fact that I am accused of today is the result of the repressive, treacherous, violent processes directed against humanity, speech and expression that have been developing for the past year and are taking hold in our daily lives like a dictatorship. I am not going to accept the regime’s agenda. […] Freedom is more valuable than life.”
Mzia Amaghlobeli founded the newspaper Batumelebi in 2001, at the age of 26, together with his colleague Eter Turadze, at a time when Adjara was governed by Aslan Abashidze. Batumelebi was distinguished from other magazines and newspapers of the time by its openness to criticism, coverage of sensitive topics, and non-influence of any political group. Later, Mzia became the publication’s media manager.
“It happened unintentionally, gradually. At first, we worked together as journalists. I wrote faster, Mzia took longer, and we argued about it all the time. Instead, she was able take care of everything else, think about how to increase the newspaper’s circulation, how to find business partners, she always had a backup plan and an outline of what needed to be done. So, gradually, Mzia became a media manager,” Eter Turadze tells Batumi residents.
A few years later, in 2010, Mzia Amaghlobeli, along with her co-founders, founded the online publication Netgazeti, and for the first time, a regional publication managed to spread throughout the country without losing its niche as a critical media outlet.
Mzia Amaghlobeli is currently being held in a criminal case and faces 4 to 7 years in prison. She was arrested on January 11 for pasting a sticker in Batumi, and on January 12 for slapping the Batumi Police Chief, Irakli Dgebuadze.
Within a few days, Batumi residents and Netgazeti released a video and information that during the second arrest, Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze was cursing Mzia in the police yard. In addition, the words can be heard in the video: “Bloody… may I be a son of a b*tch, if I do not catch her with blood, I will fu*k her mother’s *ss.”
The chairwoman of the Young Lawyers’ Association, Nona Kurdovanidze, stated after visiting the journalist in Rustavi Prison that the imprisoned female journalist was a victim of mistreatment – Dgebuadze spat in her face, and, according to his orders, she was not given water and was not allowed to use the toilet.
Since the arrest of Mzia Amaghlobeli, a campaign to discredit her has been actively being carried out by representatives of the Georgian Dream, or through so-called troll bots on social networks. The party leaders tried to frame the slap as an attack on the police officer and demanded an apology from Amaghlobeli, to which Mzia made the following comment at one of the court hearings: “They don’t apologize to the abuser, I want you to know this to evaluate my mood.”
Mzia Amaghlobeli, who was in prison, went on a hunger strike for 38 days. She ended her hunger strike on February 18 after the tragedy that occurred in the City of the Dream in Batumi.
“In the wake of the tragedy in Batumi, in the City of the Dream, where two minor children fell into a ditch and died, hearing the public’s concern for my health and life is incredibly difficult for me. These days, with the help of doctors, I will try to somehow restore my nutrition. I thank the “prisoners of conscience” for their solidarity, and I ask them to end their hunger strike as well. I feel a special responsibility towards my like-minded colleagues, friends, and family. I do not want my hunger strike to weaken you, you must also fight in my place,” the letter, which was distributed by Mzia’s colleagues after the hunger strike ended, read.
On May 7, it became known that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has initiated another new administrative case against Mzia. The agency accuses him of pasting a sticker on an auxiliary building in front of the Police Department on January 11, 2025, allegedly distorting its appearance. The case was filed in court under Article 150, Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.
Mzia Amaghlobeli is the first female journalist in Georgia to be imprisoned. Since her arrest, the words “Freedom for Mzia” have become one of the main slogans of the protest movement, and her resistance has become an important symbol not only for media representatives, but also for citizens involved in the protests.
“I believe that as long as there are still people who will tell us that we are not alone, we will be able to preserve and develop our profession and country. That is why I call on my citizens to cooperate with the media and journalists to expose all those individuals, circles and groups who have made corruption, injustice and violence the norm; those who rob us, impoverish us and betray us. I call on Georgian business to take responsibility for saving free, critical media. I appeal to the modern, civilized world – do not leave us alone, face to face with Russia and the authoritarian regime that serves its interests. Do not lose the voice of freedom from Georgia.”