Dili, May 5, 2025 (Média Democracia) – In the same context of commemorating World Press Freedom Day 2025, the Provedor for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ) expressed concern over Timor-Leste’s drop in the press freedom index to 39th place, and urged journalists to stay committed to truth, while calling on all entities not to restrict journalists’ public service roles.
In an interview, PDHJ began by extending greetings to all journalists for their hard work, but voiced concern about the country’s drop from the top 20 to rank 39. This, he said, was not new information for PDHJ but rather predictable, indicating that press freedom in Timor-Leste is under threat. He pointed to recent years where many Timorese journalists encountered problems with the government, including two female journalists who received threats from SEATOU and the police, while others were summoned by the Public Prosecutor or received interventions from SECOMS.
“These issues cannot continue. If journalists face such problems repeatedly, it will impact press freedom. According to Reporters without Borders, our drop to rank 39 shows that Timorese journalists are under threat,” said Guterres during the commemoration at the Portuguese Embassy.
He emphasized that journalists must continue sharing information with the public, but this must be based on facts and evidence. He also stressed that journalists must remain independent and not align with political parties.
“I want to remind journalists that those we spoke about today are references because they proved that journalists must be neutral and take a stand. The stance they took in the past was the truth. Truth cannot be negotiated and must not be dependent on any party it must remain independent. That’s the journalist’s most important duty,” he said.
He also highlighted that even if there is no direct government interference, the notes from Reporters without Borders show that articles in the current Media Law can pose threats to journalists. Therefore, the law must be revised.
“We must all look at these problems. In 2021, our ranking was 21st, then it dropped to 27th in 2022, and in 2023 it dropped again to 30th. Even though we’ve tried to improve, now we’re down to 39th. This shows that our press freedom is under threat and that journalists’ work is being limited. This is also visible in the economic sector, where some media companies don’t give editorial freedom to their editors to publish news according to their newsroom policy. Others face political interference from the government limiting journalists’ work,” said Guterres.
In his message, PDHJ urged all journalists to continue working with dedication. In today’s era of globalization and media competition, where everyone wants to publish news quickly, he encouraged journalists to always verify facts before publishing. He concluded by stressing that seeking and reporting the truth is the fundamental duty of every journalist.
Reported by: Domingas
Photos: Domingas