Journalists in Trouble is a monthly report of incidents targeting Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalists and their work, and developments affecting press freedom in our coverage region. Subscribe for exclusive updates.         ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    

WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

Marking World Press Freedom Day on May 3, RFE/RL recognized the dedicated efforts of the Trump administration and the global press freedom community leading to the release of five RFE/RL journalists from unjust detention in 2025. Three RFE/RL journalists remain imprisoned for their work: Farid Mehralizada in Azerbaijan, Reza Valizadeh in Iran, and Nika Novak in Russia.

AZERBAIJAN: Court Upholds Nine-Year Sentence for Farid Mehralizada

On April 3, Azerbaijan’s Supreme Court rejected imprisoned RFE/RL journalist Farid Mehralizada’s appeal, upholding his unjust nine-year sentence. Farid has already spent over 700 days behind bars and missed the birth of his first child while imprisoned.

RFE/RL President & CEO Stephen Capus said of the decision:

“This ruling will only prolong the painful separation forced on Farid’s family for crimes he did not commit. Azerbaijani authorities should move swiftly to undo this grave injustice and allow Farid to return home.”

Reflecting on World Press Freedom Day, Farid released the following statement:

“In Azerbaijani prisons, once it becomes known that someone is a political prisoner, it makes little difference whether they were an opposition party member or a civil society representative in their free life—they are all simply labeled as ‘journalists.’ This, in itself, speaks volumes: today, journalism has evolved into a deeply risky profession, and the term ‘journalist’ has, in effect, become synonymous with ‘political prisoner’ in Azerbaijan.”

Former Voice of America correspondent Ulviyya Ali also remains unjustly imprisoned by Azerbaijani authorities. She faces up to 12 years in prison over false charges.

TAKE ACTION: RFE/RL encourages you to write to Farid by following the link here, and to Ulviyya at the link here.

IRAN: Reza Valizadeh Recognized on “10 Most Urgent” List of Journalists Under Threat

As the war with Iran enters its third month, former RFE/RL journalist and U.S. citizen Reza Valizadeh remains wrongfully detained in Tehran’s Evin Prison. The prison, which is notorious for physical and psychological mistreatment of detainees, is located in a neighborhood which has come under heavy bombardment since the war began, reportedly with “severe psychological effects” on the inmates.  

Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, Reza was featured on the One Free Press Coalition’s “10 Most Urgent” list, which highlights cases of journalists under threat for seeking to tell the truth. His story has also recently been covered by CNN, Fox News, and NewsNation.

Reza’s attorney, Ryan Fayhee, released the following statement:  

“World Press Freedom Day reminds us that journalism is not a crime—and neither is telling the truth. Reza Valizadeh’s wrongful detention is part of a broader effort to silence independent voices, and it underscores why defending press freedom is inseparable from defending fundamental human rights. Reza’s continued detention serves no legitimate purpose. His release is an easy, humanitarian step on which the United States and Iran should be able to agree—and doing so could help open space for addressing the far more difficult issues now fueling broader conflict.”

You can keep up with Reza’s case by visiting this website or by following this X account.

RUSSIA: Nika Novak Remains in Special Detention

RFE/RL journalist Nika Novak remains in “special detention” in a notoriously harsh penal colony in Siberia, facing limited freedoms and heightened surveillance by prison authorities.  

Formerly imprisoned RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva spoke from her own experience in Russian custody:

“Every day that I was behind bars, I counted on the world outside not to forget me. I survived because people never stopped speaking my name. Now, we must do the same for Nika Novak, a brave journalist suffering the daily torture of silence, isolation, and cold in a Russian prison. We must keep fighting for her. That is what kept me alive, and it is what Nika needs now.”

TAKE ACTION: RFE/RL encourages supporters to write to Nika by following the link here.

UKRAINE: RFE/RL Journalist’s Home Hit by Russian Air Strike

On the night of April 15-16, RFE/RL correspondent Borys Sachalko’s home in Kyiv was hit by a Russian air strike that destroyed his apartment and killed a young neighbor. 16 people were killed and more than 100 others injured in the wave of attacks across Ukraine that night. April 28 marked four years since RFE/RL journalist Vira Hyrych was killed when a Russian air strike hit her apartment building in Kyiv on April 28, 2022.

In Case You Missed It:

• Alsu Kurmasheva was featured on a panel at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia to discuss the use of national security laws to silence the press. Watch here.
• On May 5, Alsu Kurmasheva and Pavel Butorin, Chief Executive Producer, Russia Programming, will accept the 2026 James Foley World Press Freedom Award. You can stream the event here.
• U.S. Senator Brian Schatz introduced a resolution in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day that highlighted the cases of Farid Mehralizada, Reza Valizadeh, and Nika Novak.

My name is Nathan Shoemaker, Advocacy Officer here at RFE/RL and the author of Journalists in Trouble. Thank you for reading and subscribing to our newsletter and for standing with persecuted journalists.   If you are interested in amplifying the stories of our imprisoned journalists, you can reach us by emailing advocacy@rferl.org.