| Amid UN
Rot
Application by
Inner City
Press Denied 6
Months Late
Without
Explanation
by
Matthew Russell Lee
UN GATE, Jan 12
–
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.
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.
On
January 12,
2026, more
than six
months after
it was
submitted, the
UN denied
Inner City
Press'
application,
without giving
any reasons.
It said, if
you believe
there is an
error, asking
the manager.
So Inner City
Press
immediately
emailed Tal
Mekel:
"Earlier
today I
received:
#179584 Full
Name - Matthew
Lee | Badge
Length -
Long-Term |
Access Start
Date - 19 Jun
2025 | Access
End Date - 17
Oct 2025
Your
accreditation
has been
rejected
Contact
manager if you
think this is
an
error.
I am writing
to contact you
as manager: I
think this is
an
error.
For
InnerCityPress
dot com I
write more
stories about
the UN than
the vast
majority of
correspondents,
including
resident
correspondents,
you accredit.
I publish
exclusive
stories, many
of them back
on my
journalistic
contacts among
UN
whistleblowers.
Already this
year I have
published
stories about
the mission in
Colombia,
South Sudan,
and the
proposed
merger of
UNFPA and UN
Women.... So I
think it is an
error and I am
asking you to
reverse it, or
as a first
step to
provide an
explanation
for the
denial, in
light of the
above.
On deadline."
Watch
this site.
***
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