November 14, 2024 - Northern Ireland

Journalist Tanya Fowles, who uncovered serious flaws in the police handling of Katie Simpson’s case—whose death was initially misclassified as a suicide—alleges she has been under police surveillance in connection with her work on the case.

Fowles believes this surveillance aimed to expose her confidential sources, particularly as tensions escalated over her relentless reporting. Her case is now with the McCullough Review, which investigates the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) targeting of journalists and lawyers. This comes amid revelations of over 4,000 monitored calls and data applications on journalists by the police service.

Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the alleged surveillance of Tanya Fowles. Journalists are vital in holding institutions accountable; surveillance and intimidation tactics threaten democracy and the public’s right to know. We call on the PSNI and the McCullough Review to ensure full transparency and accountability, and urge lawmakers to strengthen protections for journalists.