World Press Freedom Day 2024 marks exodus of journalists from Russia to Israel

This year’s World Press Freedom Day has significant significance as 601 journalists have fled Russia seeking safety in Israel. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has highlighted the ongoing repression of the press in Russia.

World Press Freedom Day is celebrated annually on May 3. The United Nations General Assembly declared it a global observance in December 1993 to remind governments around the world to defend freedom of the press. But during Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, the government has demonstrated its commitment to dismantling press freedom.

Since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has continually violated fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression. It has also restricted the ability of independent journalists and media outlets to do their work and operate within the country. Most independent media outlets in Russia have been banned, blocked, discredited or subjected to military censorship.

These actions have forced many journalists to flee Russia, while those who remain often hide their identities. From the start of the war until the end of 2022, 464 journalists immigrated to Israel and 137 more fled Russia to Israel since January 2023, according to Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration. These journalists seek security and freedom to work with integrity in Israel.

Journalists who remain in Russia do so at great personal risk. Reporters Without Borders claims that 64 journalists have been detained and seven have disappeared in Russia since 2022.

In 2023 alone, Russian authorities arrested 34 journalists. Among those detained are two Americans: Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich, accused of espionage, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsou Kurmasheva, accused of failing to declare herself a “foreign agent.”

Sofya Kanevsky, a journalist for Novaya Gazeta Europa, a publication banned in Russia, spoke to The Media Line about press repression in Russia. Kanevsky moved to Israel in 2018 and lived there for a year before returning to Russia.

“I attended the 2019 protests in Moscow, where I witnessed ruthless repression,” Kanevsky said. “I saw how my friends reported on the events, which inspired me to work for Novaya Gazeta.”

Novaya Gazeta, a Russian newspaper known for its liberal and democratic stance, covers socio-political issues, human rights and investigative journalism. The newspaper and its staff have won numerous awards, but six of its journalists have been murdered, probably because of their work.

The newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Dmitry Muratov, won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for his “efforts to preserve freedom of thought as an indispensable condition for democracy and peace.” Muratov and the newspaper staff auctioned off the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize medal and donated the proceeds ($103.5 million) to UNICEF to help Ukrainian refugee children.

On September 5, 2022, Moscow’s Basmanny District Court revoked Novaya Gazeta’s media license, effectively banning it in Russia. This measure was based on a complaint from Roskomnadzor, the government’s surveillance and censorship agency.

Kanevsky recalled that when the war began in Ukraine, blatant media repression began in Russia. The government enacted laws against “fake news” and “discrediting the Russian military,” labeling people as foreign agents and jailing more journalists.

Russia has enacted repressive laws against independent media, especially those considered “foreign agents” or “undesirable organizations.” Journalists who work for “undesirable” organizations can be imprisoned for their reporting. Media outlets and journalists labeled “foreign agents” must comply with onerous, resource-draining auditing and labeling standards.

We face many restrictions, working day and night, exhausted and afraid of making a mistake.

“We are facing many restrictions, working day and night, exhausted and afraid of making a mistake like calling a war a ‘war’ instead of a ‘special military operation’ as the authorities demand,” Kanevsky said.

When Russia banned Novaya Gazeta, its team split to create new publications abroad. Kanevsky then joined Novaya Gazeta Europa, headed by former deputy editor Kirill Martynov. In June 2023, Russian authorities labeled Novaya Gazeta Europa an “undesirable organization.”

“I flew back to Israel, where I can now write more honestly about the war in Ukraine,” Kanevsky said.

Kanevsky noted, however, that writing about Russia from abroad is a challenge.

“We’re starting to live in a bubble, but we’re trying to maintain ties with family and stay grounded,” he shared.

Kanevsky senses civic independence and freedom in Israel that are absent in modern Russia.

“Here you can protest without fear of being hit with batons,” he said, admiring how openly Israelis express themselves.

“I think it’s a national trait here. You cannot do to the people what the State did in Russia. “They rebel against any sign of dictatorship,” he added.

Vladimir Raevskiy, a renowned journalist, was also forced to leave Russia. The radio and television host and two-time TEFI-Region award winner moved to Israel in February 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Although he has lived in London since August 2024, Raevskiy still feels patriotic towards Israel, which welcomed him during a difficult time. “Israel is my country. I am your citizen. Even in our darkest moments, from external threats to our mistakes, I remain a proud citizen,” he told The Media Line.

Raevskiy told The Media Line about the war between Israel and Hamas: “Despite leaving Israel, I want to be there when the drones fly and war breaks out.”

He was an active journalist in Russia, focusing on culture and history. He made television documentaries, hosted weekly radio shows on Silver Rain, and wrote columns for various publications. He also conducted interviews for the publication. jellyfishnow banned as a “foreign agent” and “undesirable organization.”

“I worked in culture and history, I rarely talked about current events, but historical and cultural issues are closely linked to politics. I tried to emphasize this connection through deeper methods, avoiding simplistic analogies like “Hitler as Putin.” “This all collapsed in one morning,” Raevskiy recalled.

Vladimir lost everything when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Already traveling to Israel at that time, he stayed there with only two suitcases, immediately interrupting his work in Russia.

“Our whole life turned upside down. We had just finished production on our most important film, Free theater in a non-free country. It was scheduled to be released in April 2022 and we were going to return to Russia at the beginning of March, but everything was cancelled,” he said.

Raevskiy immediately understood that he could not continue his work in Russia with integrity. He also knew that widespread state repression, especially against journalists, would become more frequent and brutal.

I couldn’t say live that today is a wonderful day when they bomb Mariupol and hit the maternity hospital.

“I couldn’t say on the air that today is a wonderful day when they are bombing Mariupol and hitting the maternity hospital,” Raevskiy said.

Once in Israel, Raevskiy worked on several media projects before focusing on his social networks, which eventually grew into a small media company. He shares his ideas and talks about culture on Instagram, YouTube and Telegram. He also leads tours and has begun performing historical monologues in several countries.

The future of free journalism in Russia depends entirely on the political regime

“The future of free journalism in Russia depends entirely on the political regime. Our profession is as discredited as possible,” Raevskiy said.

He acknowledged that despite censorship and danger, Russia has produced many journalists who do excellent work under repressive conditions.

In Israel, Raevskiy has not worked as a journalist and has had difficulty finding a suitable publication.