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.
Read the Full Statement Below:
Don’t Sensor Our Voices, Don’t Restrain Our Freedom!
The Cry of BRICS Journalists
Date:18 July 2025
There is a great move towards South-to-South collaboration and multi-polarism. Organizations such as BRICS plus have proven that the Global South has the political will to collaborate and emancipate their GDPs while collectively setting an agenda to self determination.
The commendable stance of the BRICS bloc has been seen as a threat by Western countries who have for decades benefited from the resources and systematically designed vulnerabilities of countries in Africa and the Global South. This has resulted in fear mongering, silencing, maiming and sanctioning of countries, individuals and organisations critical to self determination and information dissemination.
Evident to this has been the recent utterance by the USA President Donald Trump, “This is really a big day, we take the giant step to cement the American dominance of global finance and crypto technology ,as we sign the landmark genus act into law… We have this little group called BRICS, its fading out fast, but BRICS, they want to take out the dominance of the dollar and the standard of the dollar… I said anybody that’s in the BRICS consortium of nations we are going to tariff you 10%… No we are not gonna let the dollar slide… Secure the dollars status as the worlds reserve currency for generations to come. The reserve currency is so important, you know if we lost that it would be like losing a world war, we can never let anyone play games with us and that’s why when I heard about this group from BRICS, six countries basically, I hit them very very hard and if they ever really form in a meaningful way it will end very quickly…”
Then to add salt to injury, on the 15th July 2025, the European Union imposed sanctions (No. 2025/1444) on nine individuals, and six entities accused of “being responsible for Russia’s destabilising actions abroad, including through Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference”. These new sanction bring the total number of current EU restrictive measures to a total of 47 individuals and 15 entities deemed by the Council of European Union to be part of “Russia’s destabilising activities”.
The sanctioned individuals and entities are now subject not only to a travel ban on EU territories, but also will have their assets frozen and prohibited to the provision of funds or economic resources, directly or indirectly given to them or for their benefit.
All this is evident that there is a shear pursuit for dominance and perpetual oppression by the West to tame the growing strength of the Global South. This should be a propelling force for countries in the BRICS bloc, Africa and the greater Global South to rise in unity and take a stance against the decades of blatant bullying.
Freedom of speech has been the pride of modern democracy, and the role of journalist has been critical in ensuring that news reaches the four corners of the earth. The African Union, UNESCO under the United Nations and individual countries have made great strides in policy making to protect journalists and give them the freedom to report, even in conflict zone.
However the recent sanctions imposed by the EU on the very impactful International Organisation, BRICS Journalist Association is a knock below the belt for the journalism fraternity and the freedom of speech.
The BRICS Journalist Association is a public formation outside of the sphere of state policy, with the mandate to be a uniting body for journalists in the BRICS countries and media practitioners from the entire globe. The organisation has made the dissemination of truthful information its focus and has been achieving it by partnering with esteemed organisations such as the Global Fact Checking Network, the Global Digital Forum and incorporating diversity by employing chairpersons from various countries.
The major concern about the EU sanctions is the deliberate silencing of journalists to freedom of speech enshrined in the United Nations’ Action Plan.
In a letter of fact-based urgent compelling appeal written by Ivan Melnikov, Director of the Department for the Protection of Journalists Rights, BRICS Journalists Association, addressed to the Secretary General of the United Nations, he writes “Over the past few months alone, the BRICS Journalists Association has sent several dozen appeals in defense of the rights of journalists from various BRICS countries to various authorities, as well as sometimes to the UN and UNESCO, in connection with beatings, hostage-taking, and murders of journalists, and has sent appeals on the facts of illegal actions directed at media workers and their illegal criminal prosecution with requests to take protective measures for journalists and condemn attacks on the press…
The BRICS Journalists Association expresses its concern to you, in view of the ongoing events related to the violation of the rights of journalists and the right to freedom of speech.
I am sending you this information by jurisdiction.
I am informing you of the following: In accordance with the norms of the Geneva Conventions, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of the United Nations, the Convention for the Protection
of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Declaration on Mass Media and Human Rights, the Declaration of the Committee of Ministers on the Protection of Journalists in Situations of Conflict and Tension, and other norms of international law…”
It is an appeal based on existing UN policy, an appeal that should be acknowledged and addressed with urgency before the sun sets on journalists and media practitioner worldwide.
Since 1993, the UN has developed various databases to monitor the state of freedom. Some of the insights provide detailed documents from Member States on the status of the judicial proceedings, which permit insights into levels of impunity per-country. While UNESCO has signed Memorandums of Understanding with the African court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Economic Community of West African States Court of Justice, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the IberoAmerican Judaical Summit to strengthen policies related to freedom of expression, access to information, safety of journalists and ending impunity for crimes committed against them.
The UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity addresses the fundamental aspects of prevention, protection and prosecution, making the UN well poised to take decisive action against the reprobate sanctions imposed by the Council of European Union.
Journalists from across the globe need to take a stand, collaborate efforts and amplify their voices against every unscrupulous act of the West to silence them in reporting the lived experiences of the people and speaking truth to power.
Don’t sensor our voices, don’t restrain our freedom!
Dr Nonkululeko Mantula (THP)
Co-Chairperson BRICS Journalists Assocciation, CEO & Founder GSQ Media,
Broadcasting Journalist- https://bricspress.live
© 2025 Argumentum
