Over the last few years the Trust has increased its activities in Russia, the Caucasus, and other countries in Eurasia, and we are now helping more freelancers in the region than ever before.

Our ability to operate in this difficult - and sometimes dangerous - region was strengthened by a four month research project in 2009. Funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, we travelled to Azerbaijan, Russia and Kazakhstan where we met with local NGOs, journalists organisations, media development organisations, media employers and local freelancers to get a better understanding of the issues and dangers facing freelance journalists in these countries and how we could work more effectively to help and support them.

Since 2009 we given 26 grants to freelancers and their families in the following countries:

• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Georgia
• Kyrgyzstan
• Russia
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan

Read more about some of our beneficiaries in Eurasia:

Russia - Mikhail Beketov: Attacked
Kyrgyzstan - Jildiz Bekbaeva: In Crisis
Georgia - Giga Chikladze and Sasha Klimchuk: Killed