WAN-IFRA and global freedom of expression organisations have written to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to free cartoonist Atena Faraghdani who is in prison for publishing a symbolic cartoon online. Atena has been sentenced to 12 years 9 months in prison, awaiting final verdict from the court of appeal.

Human rights and freedom of expression groups, amongst them WAN-IFRA, are calling on the Moroccan authorities to drop all charges against journalist and editor Ali Anouzla and to end their judicial pursuit of him and his news publication.

The Board of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), meeting in Paris on 12th December 2015, calls for renewed global solidarity with the Turkish press in the wake of continuing attacks and the government’s hard-line stance against independent, free media.