#HoldTheLine Coalition Sounds Alarm Over Escalating Legal Harassment of Maria Ressa

By: 02/02/2021

Ahead of another cluster of court proceedings against Rappler founder and CEO Maria Ressa, the #HoldTheLine coalition calls for an end to the escalating and incessant campaign of legal harassment against her in the Philippines.

This week alone, Ressa is required to appear in court in the Philippines on three separate dates. On February 3, she will appear in connection with four tax charges. On February 4, she must return, alongside Rappler reporter Rambo Talabong, for an arraignment hearing in the newest of the three cyber-libel cases open against her. On February 5, she must appear remotely for a pre-trial hearing in a separate cyber-libel case.

“The #HoldTheLine Coalition condemns the growing legal harassment of Maria Ressa, which is clearly intended to silence public interest reporting and commentary aimed at holding the Philippine government to account. This cluster of hearings highlights the absurdity of the cases against her, which constitute legal abuse of a courageous independent journalist and the news outlet she founded. We stand with Maria Ressa and Rappler, and we call for the charges against them to be dropped and this unrelenting pressure brought to an end once and for all,” said the steering committee.

These are only the latest examples of escalating legal pressure on Ressa, who has been subjected to 10 arrest warrants over the past two years. She faces a possible six-year prison sentence if her cyber-libel conviction from July 2020 is not overturned, and two further cyber-libel charges have since been brought against her. Ressa could be looking at a lifetime in prison if convicted on all charges against her.

The #HoldTheLine coalition of more than 80 groups led by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), stands with Ressa to #HoldTheLine and defend independent journalism in the Philippines.

Sign and share the #HoldTheLine petition calling on the Philippine government to drop all charges against Ressa and Rappler.

Note: This statement is issued by the #HoldTheLine steering committee but it does not necessarily reflect the position of all or any individual Coalition members or organizations. For further details, contact Courtney Radsch (cradsch@cpj.org), Julie Posetti (jposetti@icfj.org), and Rebecca Vincent (rvincent@rsf.org).

News Category

Press Release

Latest News

Sharon Moshavi on Journalism, Disinformation and Why Facts Still Matter

Sharon Moshavi, the president of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), recently joined the Ink and Insights podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of journalism and the evolving information ecosystem. The interview, hosted by author and storyteller Sumit Sharma Sameer, touched on the growing role of AI in both enhancing and undermining journalistic work, the importance of audience-centric innovation and why young reporters must build subject-matter and tech fluency to stay resilient in the industry.

ICFJ Knight Fellow Sannuta Raghu Says “Fidelity to Source” is Vital When Using AI

Newsrooms globally have begun exploring ways to convert their journalism into different formats using AI: for example, from text articles to videos, podcasts, infographics and more. As they do so, the core challenge isn’t just accuracy – it’s rigor. Journalists strive to get facts right and attribute them clearly, avoid bias, verify claims, and maintain transparency. When AI is used to convert a work of journalism from one form to another, the same rigor may not carry over.

A Reporter's Guide to The History of Tariffs

For most of human history, governments have taxed goods crossing their borders. Tariffs — taxes levied on imports or exports — have financed empires, protected domestic industries, and punished foreign rivals. They’ve sparked wars, crashed economies, and redefined alliances. Yet today’s tariff war between the United States and the world doesn’t fit neatly into any of the old molds. Rather than being a tool to nurture domestic industry or fill government coffers, tariffs are now being wielded as weapons in a sprawling contest over global power and economic dominance.