Freedom of the press is a principle that some consider to be taken for granted on the European continent. Yet year after year, the Reporters Without Borders index turns red. In several regions of Europe, independent journalists risk their lives and their families' safety to continue practising their profession. This is the case for Ekaterina, Aliaksandr and Fatima, three independent journalists forced to work in exile. Across their respective countries, they report similar experiences: imprisonment of journalists, criminalisation of independent press and control over information networks.
- Ekaterina fled Russia at the start of the war against Ukraine, having had only a day to pack her bags. She now works as a correspondent for the independent Russian-language television channel Dozhd, whose offices are based in Amsterdam.
- Fatima lives in exile in Berlin and has not visited her country of origin, Azerbaijan, for eight years. She launched Microscop Media with her colleague Javid Abdullayev while they were in a refugee camp.
- Aliaksandr is an investigative journalist from Belarus. In July 2021, while on vacation in Ukraine with his wife, his editor-in-chief advises him against returning. The reason: his colleagues will be quickly arrested by police and his home will be searched. He has been living in Vilnius for four years.
These three journalists shared their journeys in a documentary by Sphera, a European media network led by Médianes since 2024, as part of Off The Trail, a series of short documentaries telling European stories about identity, social justice, and climate change—stories often overlooked by mainstream media.
