Berlin,
16. Oktober 2025
The JX Fund – European Fund for Journalism in Exile supports media professionals who have been forced to leave their countries due to war, repression, or censorship in continuing their independent work in exile. The Rudolf Augstein Foundation co-founded the fund in March 2022 together with Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Schöpflin Foundation and is a shareholder of the organization. As a partner, the foundation is committed to press freedom and the protection of independent journalism worldwide.
On October 16th, the Russian Ministry of Justice listed the JX Fund as an “undesirable organisation”. This designation prohibits any activity by JX Fund in the Russian Federation and criminalizes cooperation with the organization under Russian law. It is part of an escalating campaign to suppress independent voices and dismantle the remaining spaces for free expression in Russia – a fate that has already affected many of our partners in international media and civil society, such as Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Osteuropakunde (DGO), Amnesty International, as well as several Russian exiled media.
No specific justification was provided for JX Fund’s inclusion on the list, nor were any of its staff members informed in advance. JX Fund’s work has always been conducted outside Russian jurisdiction, with all necessary measures taken to ensure full legal compliance and to protect individuals potentially affected by the law. In light of this designation, JX Fund will continue its established practice of operating entirely abroad and will not fund, collaborate with, or undertake any activities involving entities or individuals based in Russia.
As a consequence of this designation, all Russian citizens and legal entities are advised that any cooperation – including employment, grant funding, or project participation – now constitutes a violation of Russian law and may lead to administrative or criminal prosecution. Reposting, publishing, or sharing JX Fund materials on social media or websites directed at Russian audiences, or linking to our publications as well as citing these, may also be interpreted by the authorities as participation in the organization’s activities and therefore carries legal risk for Russian citizens.
The designation illustrates how far the authorities are willing to go to silence independent journalism and cut Russian society off from international exchange and diverse perspectives.
While JX Fund will continue to comply with the legal restrictions in place within the Russian Federation, its mandate to support independent journalism remains active in the international sphere. The organization will continue to strengthen exiled media and safeguard the flow of reliable information.
These media secure access to reliable information and preserve spaces for truth and accountability amid censorship and disinformation. Their work upholds the principles of free expression and independent journalism that are fundamental to democratic societies. By documenting realities that authoritarian regimes seek to conceal, they reinforce civic resilience and help international audiences understand and respond to unfolding crises.
The criminalization of JX Fund highlights how deeply threatened authoritarian regimes are by innovation, investigative reporting, and digital resilience in exile. The tools and investigations developed by the media we support have revealed corruption, repression, and transnational interference – precisely the efforts this measure seeks to suppress.
JX Fund calls on democratic governments, institutions, and partners to increase their support for exiled and displaced media as indispensable actors in a free and informed global public sphere.
You can find more information about the JX Fund here.