Every month, the One Free Press Coalition draws attention to unresolved cases of crimes against journalists. This month, the list includes the cases of Omar Radi, Solafa Magdy and Maria Ressa.
1. Austin Tice (Syria)
This month marks eight years since freelance American photojournalist Austin Tice went missing while reporting on the civil war in Syria. The then-31-year-old had contributed to The Washington Post, McClatchy publications and Al-Jazeera English. Tice’s family believes he is still alive, and the U.S. State Department is also operating under the assumption that Tice is still alive. The F.B.I. has offered 1 million US dollars as a reward for information leading to his return.
2. Maria Ressa (Philippines)
Filipino-American dual citizen Maria Ressa returned to court on July 30 for a second cyber libel case, after a June 15 criminal conviction stemming from an article published in 2012. Her privately owned news website, Rappler, had reported about a local businessman’s alleged ties to a former judge. Ressa and her former colleague Reynaldo Santos Jr. were each ordered to pay 7,950 US dollars and serve at most six years in jail; all of that is pending appeal. In July more than 70 organizations launched a campaign and petition supporting independent media under attack in the Philippines.
Maria Ressa talks to reporters after a court appearance
