TJC Bulletin October 2025
November 6, 2025
TJC Bulletin December 2025
January 5, 2026
SHINING A LIGHT ON IMPUNITY
RECENT CASES & UPDATES
Ecuadorian Journalist Darwin Barque Shot Dead
On November 26, 2025, Darwin, an Ecuadorian cameraman and Guayaquil al Rojo Vivo editor, was shot dead around 12:30 a.m. in southern Guayaquil. Attackers opened fire at a street intersection, leaving him face down with multiple gunshot wounds.
Two Kurdish Journalists Face Legal Action After Reporting Torture Allegations
Two Kurdish journalists, Öznur Değer and Osman Akın, are facing criminal charges in Turkey over a 2024 report alleging torture by security forces in Mardin, with prosecutors arguing the article constitutes targeted defamation rather than protected journalism. Press-freedom advocates warn the case reflects a broader pattern of repression against pro-Kurdish media and risks further silencing independent reporting on abuses in Turkey’s southeast.
AWARDS
Afghan Journalist Salma Niazi Wins Dual Global Honors for Courage and Truth
Afghan journalist Salma Niazi has been awarded the 2025 One Young World Journalist of the Year Award and the Lyra McKee Award for Bravery for her reporting under Taliban repression. From exile, she continues to amplify Afghan women’s voices despite ongoing risks to herself and her team.
Gaza: The Most Dangerous City for Journalists
Yemen Journalists’ Union and IFJ Rally Around Female Reporters Facing Threats
The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate and the International Federation of Journalists convened a solidarity meeting under the 16 Days of Activism campaign to condemn escalating gender-based attacks on women journalists in Yemen and announce a new complaint mechanism to provide protection, legal support, and accountability for those facing harassment, incitement, and smear campaigns.
Press Access to Gaza Still Blocked after Two Years of War
More than two years into the war, Israel’s Supreme Court has again upheld a government ban preventing international journalists from independently entering Gaza, a move press-freedom groups condemn as an unacceptable violation of transparency that leaves reporting almost entirely in the hands of besieged local journalists under extreme risk.
Violation Toll in Ukraine: 868 Attacks on Journalists Since Russian Full-Scale Invasion
A new Institute of Mass Information monitoring update reports that Russian forces have committed at least 868 crimes against journalists and media outlets in Ukraine since 2022, underscoring a systematic campaign of killings, attacks, and intimidation aimed at silencing independent reporting during the war.
KEY STATISTICS | 2025
HIGHLIGHTS
Global Recognition for Press Freedom Defenders as PEN Canada Honours Journalists and Advocates
PEN Canada has honoured a New Canadian Media reporter and awarded the 2025 Marie-Ange Garrigue Prize to Iraqi Kurdish activist Diary Marif, highlighting international solidarity with persecuted journalists and reinforcing global efforts to defend press freedom against repression and intimidation.
A Nigerian Reporter Jailed Under Cybercrime Laws After Governance Exposé
The Committee to Protect Journalists has urged Nigerian authorities to immediately release journalist Friday James Alefia, warning that his continued detention on cybercrime charges linked to corruption reporting reflects a broader pattern of using vague laws to criminalize journalism and intimidate the press ahead of national elections.
TOTAL JOURNALISTS KILLED WORLDWIDE (2020 – PRESENT)
707 TOTAL JOURNALISTS KILLED (2020 – PRESENT)
