Journalists Covering Their Country From Exile

by Silvia Duarte  /  August 8, 2011  / No comments


The Rwandan supreme court sentenced journalist Jean Bosco Gasasira to 30 months in prison on June 3rd 2011 for charges of calling for civil disobedience and insulting the president.

Gasasira called it a “desperate decision issued by old media predators.” Although he has been living in exile for more than a year, it seems the Rwandan government has not abandoned its desire to silence him.

On World Refugee Day, celebrated on June 20, Reporters Without Borders payed tribute to those journalists like Gasarira who manage to continue working as journalists after being forced to flee their home countries. By so doing, they defy those who tried to silence them.

For this report, Reporters Without Borders interviewed journalists, news media and organizations which it has helped and with which it works on a regular basis.

About the Author

Silvia Duarte is the managing editor of Sampsonia Way. She received her degree in Communication Sciences from Rafael Landivar University in Guatemala and her masters in Latin American studies from the Autonomous University of Madrid in Spain. Duarte was editor of El Periódico de Guatemala’s Sunday magazine from 2001 to 2006 and has written scholarly and journalistic articles in Germany, Spain, and the United States. She came to Pittsburgh in 2007 with her partner writer-in-exile Horacio Castellanos.

View all articles by Silvia Duarte

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