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Governments and other organizations across the world are perfecting techniques to prevent journalists from shining a light on corruption and human rights abuses. From trumped-up charges, removing work licences to murder, here are 10 ways journalists are repressed and prevented from reporting freely and fairly.

Physical attacks

In some countries such as Syria, Turkmenistan and Somalia, governments, military forces and armed groups attack and even kill journalists who are seen to be critical of their policies and practices.

Take Action Online Stop the targeting of journalists in the Syrian conflict!

Read Amnesty's report Shooting the Messenger: Journalists targeted in Syria

Message to Amnesty International supporters:
Report on mission to Sudan reveals indiscriminate bombing of civilians 

by Alex Neve, Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada

It is so crucial that Amnesty International makes sure that we will not forget this terrible crisis; because many would like it to be forgotten.

We have heard that sentiment numerous times over the past few days as we have been in and out of the offices of governments that are members of the UN Security Council, and various UN officials and experts.  I have been in New York for three days this week, with Amnesty colleagues from our offices here and in London, pushing and prodding for international action to bring the grave human rights crisis and humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan’s Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States to an end.

By Lamri Chirouf, Amnesty International’s delegate in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Last month we drove northwest from Ramallah to visit the small village of Budrus, which gained international attention a decade ago when residents started protesting against the fence/wall erected by Israel.

Regular protests there against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank continue, and clashes between village youths and members of the Israeli army have become a weekly, if not daily, occurrence.

The main reason behind the protests is still the wall, described by the Israeli government as a security fence and by Budrus residents, and Palestinians throughout the West Bank, as an ‘apartheid wall’ and a way for the Israeli government to annex more Palestinian lands.

Amnesty's Egypt researcher Diana Eltahawy blogs from Cairo

On Sunday I attended the Cairo funeral of four Coptic Christians killed on Friday night in Khousous, a small town north of the city.

I had been planning to travel to Khousous to find out more about the sectarian violence which led to the deaths there.

Instead, I found myself caught up in more violence at the funeral itself — with mourners on one side, and unknown assailants and, later, security forces on the other.

Before the clashes erupted, feelings of grief, anger and injustice were palpable inside Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo, which was filled with mourners. Tears, prayers and wailing were drowned out by chants against the government and the Muslim Brotherhood, and vows to avenge the dead.

Shortly after the caskets and funeral procession made their way out of the cathedral, violence broke out nearby between some of the mourners and assailants reported to be residents of the area.