Amid UN Press Freedom Claims Application by Inner City Press to Enter Is 2025 Litmus Test
UN GATE, June 19, 2025 – On World Press Freedom Day, the United Nations of Antonio Guterres claimed to be in support of journalists being able to do their work without hinderance.
But UN Global Communications chief Melissa Fleming put out a video of Guterres equating what he (and she) characterize as disinformation as the threat to press freedom, Guterres has banned Inner City Press from entering the UN since 2018, when it exposed the omission of links to bribery firm CEFC China Energy from his financial disclosure.
On June 19, 2025, Inner City Press submitted an application to cover the UN General Assembly, letter here: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25979730-amid-un-press-freedom-claims-application-by-inner-city-press-to-enter-is-2025-litmus-test/
Law firm Quinn Emanuel, on a pro bono basis, wrote to Fleming and the UN Correspondents Association (with state media of China on its board of directors) seeking a dialogue to reinstate Inner City Press. Later, so did the pro bono law firm of Duane Morris.
There has been no answer to an appeal to Guterres head of security Gilles Michaud. But now, with Inner City Press' UN and SDNY covering, including the Sean Combs trial, being picked up all over the world, the application. See e..g.
June 25, 2025, Cointelegraph, "Change in US crypto laws may affect charges in Do Kwon’s criminal case," "According to reporting from Inner City Press, Judge Paul Engelmayer said he was 'mindful of the GENIUS Act,' suggesting that it could impact Kwon’s charges on securities fraud," https://cointelegraph.com/news/us-crypto-laws-do-kwon-charges
June 13, 2025, Daily Star (UK), "Reports from the Inner City Press said that West walked in whilst Combs had been surrounded by his legal team," https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/us-showbiz/breaking-kayne-west-makes-surprise-35389995
June 6, 2025, Law & Crime, "Some P. Diddy Jurors Appear to Be Taking Rapper’s Side, Court Expert Says," "Weber spoke with reporter Matthew Russell Lee about what he’s noticed in the courtroom," https://youtu.be/65SRA_WyYBc?si=WM2vFKTLkhC5LF35&t=540
June 5, 2025, WFLA-NBC, Rooted in Progress, "Diddy Trial Exclusive: Reporter Inside Courtroom Tells All," "Matthew Russell Lee of InnerCity Press, has been live-tweeting and transcribing the trial daily. He uncovers the things people can't read, the reaction when a heckler got kicked out," https://www.wfla.com/video/diddy-trial-exclusive-reporter-inside-courtroom-tells-all/10780242/
May 16, 2025, Daily Beast, "Jealous Diddy Raged When Cassie 'Danced' With A-Lister," "the defense asked during her cross-examination, according to the Inner City Press," https://www.thedailybeast.com/jealous-diddy-raged-when-cassie-danced-with-a-lister/
May 14, 2025, Paris Match, "Cassie and the nightmare of the freak-offs at P. Diddy's trial," by Clementine Rebillat, "she had recorded 9 albums in total - which were not released - and had never been paid for them. These comments were echoed by the Inner City Press account on X (formerly Twitter), which is following the hearings live," https://www.parismatch.com/People/personne-ne-peut-imaginer-que-je-voulais-ca-cassie-et-le-cauchemar-des-freak-offs-au-proces-de-p-diddy-251350
May 14, 2025, Times of India, "According to courtroom reporter Matthew Russell Lee, Cassie Ventura reveals shocking details in court," http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/121164639.cms
May 12, 2025, Express Tribune (Pakistan), "Diddy trial kicks off," "According to Inner City Press, Geragos explained, “This case is about love, jealousy, and money," https://tribune.com.pk/story/2545421/diddy-trial-kicks-off-is-the-case-about-love-and-jealousy-as-defense-puts-forth-bold-claims
April 8, 2025, Once Noticias (Honduras), "Former Mayor Alexander Ardón arrested after being deported from the US," "merican journalist Matthew Russell Lee , known for covering cases through his InnerCity Press account , reported from the courtroom as Judge Paul Engelmayer read the sentence," https://oncenoticias.hn/nacionales/captura-exalcalde-alexander-ardon-el-paraiso-copan-deportado-estados-unidos/
April 8, 2025, Der Standard (Germany) "An American coup against the drug mafia – with Graz as a hub," "The indictment makes no mention of the 400 kilograms of heroin from the Kronen Zeitung . However, the figure does appear in a report by the Inner City Press," https://www.derstandard.de/consent/tcf/story/3000000264755/ein-amerikanischer-coup-gegen-die-drogenmafia-mit-graz-als-drehscheibe
April 4, 2025, Newsweek, "New Yorker Who Has Been in US Over 50 Years Held by ICE, Faces Deportation," "SDNY Judge Katherine Polk Failla denied Panton's motion to be released with bond while deportation proceedings continue, according to Inner City Press," https://www.newsweek.com/immigration-ice-deport-robert-panton-harlem-jamaica-2055612
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