On 5 May 2026, Solidarity With OTHERS will host the second edition of Press Freedom Talks at Press Club Brussels, marking World Press Freedom Day with a discussion on one of the less visible yet increasingly urgent dimensions of press freedom: the situation of journalists living and working in exile.
Across Europe, growing numbers of journalists have been forced to leave their countries because of political persecution, censorship, war, criminalisation of independent reporting, and direct threats to their safety. For many, however, exile does not bring full protection. Even after reaching European Union countries, journalists may continue to face surveillance, harassment, intimidation, legal pressure, and threats aimed at family members or colleagues back home. These cross-border practices, often described as transnational repression, show how authoritarian pressure can extend far beyond national borders.
This panel discussion will bring together exiled journalists, experts, and press freedom advocates to reflect on the lived realities of journalism in exile and the challenges of continuing independent reporting under such conditions. The conversation will focus on the daily and structural obstacles exiled journalists face, including insecurity, isolation, limited access to resources, and the ongoing impact of cross-border threats. It will also provide space to identify existing protection gaps and explore policy recommendations needed to strengthen free media, democracy, and the public’s right to information.
The event is rooted in a growing recognition by international and regional actors that the protection of exiled journalists requires greater attention. Important steps have already been taken, and support initiatives have helped many journalists continue their work in exile. At the same time, much remains to be done to ensure meaningful protection, professional continuity, and the ability to work freely, safely, and with dignity.
By centring first-hand experiences, this discussion aims to contribute to a broader understanding of how press freedom must also include those who continue to face repression beyond the borders of the states they fled. Marking World Press Freedom Day, the event will offer an opportunity to come together around this overlooked side of the press freedom debate and reaffirm the importance of protecting critical voices wherever they are.
Date: 5 May 2026
Time: 15:30 CET
Location: Press Club Brussels
