Sara Qudah is the Middle East and North Africa Regional Director for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). A journalist and media development expert, she joined CPJ in 2025 from Internews, where she was the MENA program manager. Qudah began her career as a journalist in Jordan, working for various media outlets across the region…
Joan Chirwa is CPJ’s southern Africa correspondent. She is also the founder of the Free Press Initiative Zambia, a non-profit media organization. Previously, she worked as managing editor of Zambian newspaper The Post, and editor-in-chief of The Mast. Chirwa holds a master’s degree in mass communication from Britain’s Leicester University, a diploma in journalism from Evelyn…
Lamiya Adilgizi is CPJ’s Russia correspondent, based in Berlin. Her previous work has been featured by the BBC, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Forbidden Stories, openDemocracy, and other international outlets. She speaks Azerbaijani, Turkish, Russian, German, and English. Follow her on LinkedIn.
Asal Abasian (they/them) is CPJ’s Researcher for Iran, a role they have held since March 2025. Prior to this, Asal joined CPJ in January 2023 as a part of the MENA team. They contribute to the BBC Persian Service and work as a freelance journalist with the Netherlands-based media outlet Radio Zamaneh. Before living in exile—first in Turkey and later…
Luna Safwan has worked on journalist assistance at CPJ since 2024. She is a former journalist, holistic safety trainer, and risk assessment expert. She previously worked as a safety trainer with IREX, Free Press Unlimited, and other international organizations. In 2013, she won the Samir Kassir Award for press freedom.