News

November 15, 2024 - Montenegro-  Montenegro has been rocked by the recent assault on freelance journalist Ana Raičković, triggering a wave of outrage from press freedom advocates. On November 2, 2024, Raičković and her cameraman were attacked outside the Podgorica court by a real estate developer and his security guards while investigating a controversial construction permit linked to local political and business interests. The assailants physically assaulted her cameraman and attempted to seize their equipment, while Raičković sustained minor injuries and psychological distress. The attack exposed glaring failures in preserving journalists’ safety when shining light...

November 15, 2024 - Mozambique/Nigeria - Amid volatile protests following Mozambique’s contested October 2024 election, two Nigerian correspondents from News Central TV faced sudden detention while reporting in Maputo, drawing significant international attention and prompting calls for press freedom protections. On November 14, 2024, News Central TV journalist Bongani Siziba and cameraman Sbonelo Mkhasibe, both based in South Africa, were detained by Mozambican authorities alongside translator Charles Mangwiro. The trio was covering anti‑government demonstrations when police seized them at gunpoint, blindfolded them, and took them to an undisclosed location. Held overnight, they were denied medication...

November 14, 2024 - India - Two journalists from Bihar—Mithun Mishra and Manish Kashyap—faced arrest and legal retaliation for reporting on flood mismanagement and alleged religious conversions, reflecting growing concerns over press freedom in India’s hinterlands. In October 2024, Mithun Mishra, a local journalist and YouTuber known for grassroots reporting, was arrested after covering flood-hit regions in the Muzaffarpur district. Mishra had filmed local protests against the government's inaction in relief distribution and exposed alleged evangelical activities in nearby villages. His live reporting gained traction online, sparking public outrage but also inviting state backlash. Authorities...

November 14, 2024 - Iran - The Persian Service of Voice of America (VOA) is mourning the loss of their former colleague, journalist Kianoosh Sanjari, who tragically died by suicide in Tehran on November 12, 2024. His death is stirring concerns about his isolation and the pressures faced by journalists working under repressive conditions. Sanjari had previously worked for VOA Farsi in the United States; his career ended amid unconfirmed allegations of espionage. Unable to find work within Iran, he returned to Tehran in 2016. Colleagues described him as deeply distressed over his inability to...

November 14, 2024 - UN/Mexico/Switzerland - At a UN press conference in Geneva on 14 November 2024, the atmosphere was grim: 80% of journalist murders worldwide go uninvestigated, human rights officer Renaud de Villaine warned, calling it a “persistence” of impunity both in war zones and peaceful nations. He emphasised that journalism remains perilous everywhere—from conflict zones like the Middle East and Ukraine to peaceful nations such as Mexico, where reporters exposing corruption, drug cartels, and environmental crimes continue to be targeted. De Villaine cited UNESCO data showing that a journalist is killed every four...

November 13, 2024 - Turkey - The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), alongside six press freedom and free speech organizations, urged Turkish authorities to immediately release court reporter Furkan Karabay, who was detained during a November 8 police raid in Istanbul and jailed pending trial the following day. Karabay, a journalist with independent outlet 10Haber, was accused of “making targets of those who were tasked to combat terrorism,” “insulting a public servant,” and “knowingly distributing misleading information to the public,” after he named prosecutors involved in the investigation of an opposition mayor via social media....

November 13, 2024 - Lebanon - Lebanese radio journalist Sakina Mansour Kawtharani, a correspondent for Radio al-Nour, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit her family home in the town of Joun, southern Lebanon. The attack, which also claimed the lives of her two young sons and multiple other family members, has sparked outrage across Lebanon and international media freedom circles. According to reports from Middle East Eye and Al Jazeera, the strike targeted a residential building sheltering displaced civilians. In total, 15 people were killed, including eight women and four children. Mansour had...

November 12, 2024 - Egypt - In a striking escalation of Egypt’s repression of press freedom, a Cairo criminal court has sentenced a journalist to life imprisonment in absentia, despite the journalist reportedly being in government custody at the time of the ruling. The sentence was issued without the journalist being allowed to appear in court or defend himself—an act widely denounced by human rights groups and legal experts as illegal under both Egyptian and international law. The identity of the journalist has not been publicly disclosed, likely due to safety concerns, but media watchdogs...

November 12, 2024 - Syria/Turkey - Syrian journalists living in perceived safety within Türkiye face an escalating crackdown marked by harassment, legal threats, and forced deportations. According to the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC), the Turkish authorities—leveraging anti-terrorism laws and migration protocols—have begun interrogating, detaining, and pressuring Syrian reporters, accusing them of overstaying visas or "spreading propaganda." Reportedly, journalists have been summoned to police stations, where they face warnings that any critical reporting—especially on Turkish politics or refugee policy—could result in deportation to Syria. One journalist described living in fear: “If I go out,...

November 12, 2024 - General - The International Press Institute (IPI), in collaboration with Croatian fact-checking outlet Faktograf and German newspaper taz, has launched the Observatory of Disinformation Narratives Against the Media, a digital platform designed to monitor and expose coordinated disinformation attacks targeting journalists and independent media. Supported by the European Media and Information Fund, the initiative aims to systematically document the tactics used to discredit reporters, undermine trust in journalism, and silence critical voices. The Observatory tracks and analyzes recurring smear campaigns, false narratives, and online attacks that are increasingly employed by populist,...

November 12, 2024 - Palestine - Palestinian journalist Mahdi Al-Mamluk, a news manager at Wataneya Satellite Channel, was killed by Israeli gunfire while covering the humanitarian situation near a school-turned-shelter in the Nuseirat area of central Gaza. According to eyewitness accounts and media reports, Al-Mamluk was inside a vehicle marked as press when Israeli forces targeted it. He was reportedly shot multiple times and died on the scene. Al-Mamluk’s death has sparked condemnation from international press freedom organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which confirmed his killing and added his name to the...

November 11, 2024 -Eritrea/Sweden - Dawit Isaak, a dual Eritrean–Swedish journalist and one of the founders of Setit, Eritrea’s first independent newspaper, has been imprisoned without trial since September 2001. His arrest followed Setit’s publication of a letter advocating democratic reforms, alongside other prominent intellectuals and politicians—a purge that led to the shutdown of all independent media in Eritrea. For over 23 years, Isaak’s fate has remained a mystery. Eritrean authorities have provided no official information about his whereabouts, well-being, or legal status. He remains in de facto detention—lacking contact with family, legal representation, or external...

November 11, 2024 - Palestine - Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, Wael Al‑Dahdouh, has received the prestigious 2024 International John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award from the U.S. National Press Club in recognition of his unwavering commitment to journalism under fire. The award, the National Press Club’s highest accolade for press freedom, was formally announced in November 2024 and presented at the club’s Fourth Estate Gala on November 21, 2024, in Washington, where President Emily Wilkins highlighted Dahdouh’s resilience and vowed continued support for journalists worldwide. Dahdouh’s journey has been marked by extraordinary hardship. On October 28, 2023, while...

November 11, 2024 - Philippines - Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a community journalist from Tacloban and host at Eastern Vista, has been entangled in a long-running case dubbed the “Tacloban 5.” Arrested in February 2020 alongside fellow activists, she faced charges of illegal firearms possession and terrorism financing—accusations widely condemned as baseless, aimed at silencing her human rights reporting. For four years, her trial was stalled amid delays, court inefficiencies, and expanding charges. Initially accused merely of possessing firearms, she was later “red‑tagged” as a Communist insurgent and levied terrorism financing charges after a cash stash...

November 11, 2024 - Philippines - Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a community journalist and host with Eastern Vista in Tacloban, has endured a prolonged legal battle since her arrest in February 2020. As part of the “Tacloban 5,” she initially faced charges of illegal firearms possession and graduated to accusations of terrorism financing—allegations widely dismissed by press advocates and rights organizations as politically motivated attempts to suppress dissenting voices and grassroots journalism. Over the ensuing years, Cumpio’s trial was plagued by delays and procedural obstacles. Despite presenting a clean record, her case was entangled in an expansive...

November 10, 2024 - Ukraine/Russia - In a compelling 60 Minutes profile, veteran Ukrainian war correspondent Andriy Tsaplienko speaks to the indispensable role of journalism in his country’s fight for survival. As bombs fall and frontlines shift, Tsaplienko believes that Ukraine’s ability to resist Russia’s invasion is tied not only to its soldiers but also to the power of a free press. Tsaplienko has covered wars across the globe, but when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, he became a war reporter in his homeland. Wounded near Chernihiv by shrapnel, he continues to report from danger...

November 9, 2024 - Palestine - In one of the deadliest 24-hour periods for the press in Gaza, three more Palestinian journalists were killed amid continued Israeli bombardment, bringing the total number of media workers killed since October 2023 to at least 184. Reports from Press TV, Anadolu Agency, and the Palestine Chronicle detail the tragic losses of journalists who remained on the ground to document the war’s toll on civilians. The most recent victim named was journalist Yazan Ibrahim Al-Zwaidi, killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza. Anadolu Agency confirmed his death as...

November 8, 2024 - UK - The UK government and its human rights advocates have united in a powerful appeal for justice following a series of violent attacks and legal suppressions targeting journalists. Echoing broader international sentiment, these calls emphasize the pressing need to hold perpetrators accountable to safeguard press freedom. In recent months, British officials have urged comprehensive investigations into assaults on media workers, ranging from physical violence and sexual harassment to legal intimidation known as SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation). They argue that such actions create a climate of fear, forcing journalists...

November 8, 2024 - General - UNESCO, in partnership with the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF), has released a groundbreaking Guide for Psychologists in the Emergency Care of Journalists—a critical resource tailored to address the emotional and psychological challenges faced by journalists, especially during crises and online violence. The initiative responds to alarming statistics: over 73% of women journalists report experiencing online threats, harassment, or insults due to their work, with 25% facing physical or sexual violence. These risks compound significantly in conflict zones and during heightened election campaigns. At its core, the guide equips mental...

November 8, 2024 - Albania/Herzegovina/Iceland/Montenegro/Bosnia & Herzegovina - At the 1495th meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on November 7, 2024, the European Union delivered a forceful statement in Vienna emphasizing its deep concern over the deteriorating state of press freedom and human rights across the OSCE region. The EU reiterated its commitment to defending journalists, human rights defenders, and democratic institutions amid rising repression in several member states. The EU delegation called attention to the alarming targeting of journalists through intimidation, imprisonment, physical violence, and legal harassment, especially in countries like Russia and Belarus....

November 8, 2024 - Palestine / Qatar - Qatar delivered a powerful appeal before the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee, urging the international community to reinforce protections for journalists operating in conflict zones. Second Secretary Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al‑Thani emphasized that safeguarding press freedom requires a multi-pronged approach—physical safety, legal assistance, cutting-edge tools, and robust cooperation among states and institutions. Qatar’s proposal builds on its longstanding track record: hosting the landmark 2012 International Conference on the Protection of Journalists and producing the 2016 Doha Declaration. These efforts underlined the country’s dedication to embedding journalist safety into the...

November 8, 2024 - Iraq/Kurdistan - Veteran investigative journalist Wrya Abdulkhaliq of Bwar Media was ambushed in his orchard near Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan, shortly after publishing a groundbreaking exposé alleging obstruction by a Peshmerga Ministry official in a regional water and electricity project. At the hands of two assailants—an official’s nephew and his bodyguard—Abdulkhaliq sustained severe injuries: stabbed repeatedly in the abdomen, struck in the head with a gun butt, and had his car tires punctured to prevent escape. After undergoing surgery involving 21 stitches, he was reported in stable condition. Three suspects, including...

November 08, 2024 - Yemen - In a country locked in a decade-long conflict, the safety of journalists has become a crisis of urgent proportions. On November 8, 2024, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), in collaboration with UNESCO and the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate (YJS), concluded a year-long project aimed at improving occupational safety for media workers in Yemen, training over 160 journalists across Aden, Taiz, Hadramawt, and Marib. The initiative comprised eight workshops culminating in the final session on October 31 in Taiz, attended by 20 media leaders. Discussions underscored the need for comprehensive safety measures: psychological...

November 08, 2024 - India -  Indian investigative journalist Rana Ayyub embarked on a reporting trip to Manipur, only to find herself under constant surveillance by local intelligence personnel. CPJ sources revealed she was followed for four days—through villages, checkpoints, even to the washroom—ostensibly “for her safety,” though intended to intimidate and impede her work. On November 8, her mobile number was leaked on X (formerly Twitter) by a right-wing account known as “Hindutva Knight.” That night, Ayyub received at least 200 unsolicited phone and video calls, explicit WhatsApp messages, deepfake images, and repeated OTP requests flooding...

November 8, 2024 - General - In a powerful call-to-action, the International Press Institute (IPI) urges governments worldwide to confront and eliminate impunity for attacks on journalists. According to IPI, a staggering majority of crimes against media professionals—particularly killings—go unpunished, enabling further violence and eroding press freedom. IPI highlights that impunity serves as a flame to an accelerating blaze: unchecked, it emboldens perpetrators and institutionalizes hostility against journalism. This trend—amplified in authoritarian regimes and conflict zones—is undermining the media's essential role as democracy’s watchdog. A focal point of IPI’s advocacy is environmental and climate journalism,...