Attacks against journalists and independent media are not a new phenomenon. With time, however, the nature of such threats has evolved and the attacks have become more insidious. More often than not, they receive very little attention, and are harder to track, because of their litigious nature. With this in mind, we have decided to begin documenting such legal attacks against journalists in Southasia, in partnership with the South Asia Media Defenders Network (SAMDEN). For this, we also wish to collaborate with you, our readers. #JournalistsOnTrial is intended to be a starting point for broader discussions around the nature of intimidation that journalists face, and we begin with the following five countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
There is a growing pattern of governments and corporations in Southasia – and indeed, around the world – of abusing laws on cybersecurity, national defence, and defamation to stifle journalistic work. Governments rely less on overt censorship, and instead pursue 'legal' routes – including false and malicious cases – to attack journalists and media groups, circumventing the usual protections afforded by press laws. Large corporations, meanwhile, have taken to bombarding journalists and media organisations with long-drawn-out, exhausting and expensive lawsuits to drain their already limited resources.