In a powerful appeal to the international community, Dr. Nonkululeko Mantula (THP), Co-Chairperson of the BRICS Journalists Association has condemned what she describes as “a deliberate campaign of censorship and silencing” targeting media practitioners from the Global South. Her statement follows a wave of EU sanctions and sharp rhetoric from U.S. leadership aimed at undermining the BRICS bloc and its associated institutions.
Speaking on behalf of the BRICS Journalists Association, Dr. Mantula decried the sanctions imposed by the European Union on July 15th—measures that target individuals and organizations allegedly involved in “foreign information manipulation.” Among those sanctioned are media entities and journalists affiliated with BRICS countries, raising concerns over freedom of the press and the right to independent information dissemination.
This is a knock below the belt for global journalism and for freedom of speech as a whole,” Dr. Mantula said in a prepared statement. “
The BRICS Journalists Association operates outside the sphere of state control, with a clear mandate to amplify truthful, diverse, and unfiltered reporting. Sanctioning journalists is a direct violation of international conventions and United Nations commitments.