In defense of press freedom and the physical integrity of journalists, the Nokosphere Consortium strongly condemns any attempt to intimidate, persecute, illegally monitor, or commit violence against members of the press.
The recent revelations regarding allegedly coordinated actions against journalists Lauro Jardim and Malu Gaspar raise a serious alarm: when journalism is treated as a threat by powerful groups, democracy ceases to be a secure promise and begins to coexist with methods of coercion that are incompatible with the rule of law.
Brazil already knows the consequences of this path. In 2008, in the Batan case, a team from the newspaper O Dia - composed of a journalist, a photographer, and a driver - was kidnapped and tortured by militiamen while investigating the territorial control exercised by armed groups in Rio de Janeiro. That episode became a brutal landmark in violence against the press and must never be forgotten.
When the personal data of journalists, sources, or witnesses is accessed, exposed, or used as an instrument of pressure, trust in state protection collapses. No democratic society can tolerate public officials, private structures, or networks of influence being mobilized to intimidate, threaten, or silence those who work to reveal facts of public interest.
The Nokosphere Consortium monitors and investigates cases in Brazil that point to the possible instrumentalization of public officials, state structures, and influence networks in disputes involving powerful actors against ordinary citizens, journalists, sources, and witnesses. Our commitment is to expose oppression, intimidation, and the shadowy zones connecting economic power, political influence, and the state apparatus.
In light of these events, the Nokosphere Consortium expresses its solidarity with Lauro Jardim, Malu Gaspar, and all journalists who continue to carry out their work under risk. We place ourselves at their disposal, within our institutional and humanitarian capacity, to assist members of the press facing threats, persecution, or the need for protection outside Brazil.
Press freedom is not a concession granted by the powerful. It is a democratic guarantee.
Lauro Jardim and Malu Gaspar, we stand with you. The fight for truth is also ours.
Nokosphere Consortium
For press freedom, truth, and the protection of journalists.
