Agnieszka Pikulicka, journalist and fellow at The Coalition For Women In Journalism, shared images of two cars parked outside her house on April 4. The journalist said, lately, it is the typical view from her window. She further shared that they disappear when offered tea. A while later, she tweeted another picture of a man walking towards the car parked outside Agnieszka’s home. The journalist is facing state-backed intimidation for covering the torture of Miraziz Bazarov, an activist and LGBT rights supporter. Miraziz was brutally tortured on March 29 by radicals, and Agnieszka has followed the details of his treatment. CFWIJ condemns this harassment and demands that Uzbek authorities stop this intimidation towards the journalist and allow her to work freely.

Investigative reporter Morgan Large’s car was sabotaged in a manner that could have seriously put her life at risk. This is not the first attack on the journalist either. Within the past year and a half, Morgan endured several such attacks at her workplace as well as her home. Over time, it appears that these malignant efforts to intimidate her into silence have increased in frequency.

Brenna Smith, an investigative intern at USA Today, was viciously harassed by right-wing trolls for her first byline. Brenna wrote an investigative piece on how online crowdfunding is used to aid extremist movements. In her article, Brenna discussed how rioters involved in the Capitol insurrection on September 6, 2021, are using these platforms to raise money to pay for legal fees. Despite efforts from tech companies to ban such campaigns, users continue to change accounts and switch online platforms.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) fellow and the reporter Agnieszka Pikulicka was subjected to intimidation due to the attack against LGBTİQ+ vlogger Miraziz Bazarov she followed and covered. Agnieszka’s boyfriend and her loved ones questioned by the security forces aiming to silence the journalist. The CFWIJ is utterly dismayed by these brutal attacks against the journalist. We demand Uzbek authorities to respect the LGBQİ+ rights and provide a safer environment to everyone.

Felicia Sonmez, a political reporter working for The Washington Post, was ruthlessly trolled online after tweeting an article written about Kobe Bryant’s disturbing rape case. Felicia posted the tweets on January 27, 2020, one day after Bryant’s tragic death. Facing online backlash, Felicia was forced to delete the tweets and was briefly suspended from her job.

Reem Abdellatif, an editor and writer at Skift, recently spoke about the threats and hate she faces online. Reem, a celebrated journalist, was targeted with hate and discrimination after she published her first column in the Israeli daily newspaper, Haaretz. She recounted that the online accounts bombarded her with hateful comments, and a few ex-colleagues criticized her choice of platform to publish her work. Online trolls threatened Reem and warned her to stay away from Saudi Arabia. The journalist was subjected to sexual advances and accused of manipulation against Muslim brethren. CFWIJ reiterates its condemnation of online attacks against Reem. We demand the executives of social media platforms to acknowledge the dangers of such online attacks for their potential to present physical attacks.

A 32-year-old man was arrested by the police for threatening to attack the offices of the Edmonton organizations. Earlier, a journalist of the Edmonton Journal was harassed by a group of men while on duty. These repeated attacks against news media are indicative of a dangerous environment for journalists.

Desislava Panayotova is a journalist for the online news website DEN News. Unidentified men destroyed the glass screen of Desislava’s car, which was parked outside her residence, on Friday, March 12. The incident is the second of its kind. In December last year, Desislava’s car was shot at, leaving bullets in the windscreen. The attack seems to be a tactic to intimidate and threaten the journalist, as nothing was found missing from the car. CFWIJ condemns the dangerous and desperate attempts to discourage the journalist from doing her job. We demand law enforcement to investigate and apprehend the criminals behind the vandalism.

Journalist Claire Koç accused supporters of Turkish President Erdogan of sending her death threats online. The attacks reportedly came after the publication of Claire’s book that details her experience in France as a Turkish immigrant. Claire has since filed a criminal complaint against the perpetrators. CFWIJ condemns the threats against the journalist and demands French authorities apprehend the assailants.

Fatima Roshanian, an editor for the feminist magazine Nimorkh Weekly, is working from home after being identified by extremists. In a list issued by a terrorist organization, Fatima is the eleventh person named. After the list was shared, Fatima confined herself in her home and limited her movement. Fatima has angered the conservative society of Afghanistan with her coverage of bold topics like women and sex. She believes that such lists are purposely shared by sympathizers of extremist organizations to have people killed. The journalist takes the threats very seriously after the recent wave of killings against activists and journalists in Afghanistan. CFWIJ is alarmed by the grave threats targeting Fatima. We urge the Afghan government to take immediate action to ensure journalists’ safety and freedom of the press.

Gazeteci Canan Kaya, İstanbul Sözleşmesi’nin, Resmi Gazete'de yayımlanan Cumhurbaşkanı kararı ile fesh edilmesine yönelik yaptığı sosyal medya paylaşımının ardından tehdit edildi. Gazetecilikte Kadın Koalisyonu olarak Kaya’ya karşı gerçekleşen bu çirkin saldırıyı kınıyor, tüm kadın meslektaşlarımızın yanında olduğumuzu tekrar söylüyoruz. İstanbul Sözleşmesi yaşatır!

Journalist Canan Kaya was threatened after her social media post on the withdrawal of the Istanbul Convention. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the vicious attack against Canan. We stand by all our female colleagues and reiterate once again; The Istanbul Convention saves lives!

Women journalists in Pakistan initiated a campaign the night of March 11, 2021, to defend the annual Aurat March, a protest rally that takes place on the International Women's Day in the country. The march came under threat after doctored videos and propaganda messages began circulating on social media, claiming that it was an anti-religious procession. The issue became worse when right-wing male journalists lent their support to this false narrative.

Inday Espina-Varona, a senior contributing editor for ABS-CBN, has faced persistent harassment and threats. She says the hostile environment towards journalists has worsened since President Duterte took office in 2016. Inday has been targeted online by slurs, hurtful comments and accusations of providing sensitive information to rebel groups. The journalist admitted she lives in constant fear given the precarious position of press freedom in the country. CFWIJ condemns the harassment towards Inday and asks President Duterte to end the crackdown on critical voices.