News

December 20, 2025 - Jordan -  Amid mounting concern from media advocates and political actors across the Arab world, Jordanian authorities have detained Lebanese journalist Mohammed Faraj without disclosing the legal basis for his arrest or his current status, prompting widespread criticism and calls for his release. Faraj, known for his work as a presenter and documentary maker with the Lebanese news outlet al-Mayadeen, was stopped by officials at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman when returning from Beirut with his wife, journalist Rana Abi Jumaa. Following an intensive search and questioning, he was taken...

December 19, 2025 - USA -  Florida authorities have dismissed criminal charges against photojournalist Daniel Smith, ending a legal case that had drawn concern from press freedom groups and civil liberties advocates. Smith, who was covering a protest in Tampa on September 5, 2025, was arrested and charged with multiple offences, including resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, after police alleged he failed to comply with instructions while photographing demonstrators near the Hillsborough County Courthouse. The charges were formally dropped on December 22, 2025, following sustained advocacy by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and partner...

December 19, 2025 - China/USA - A Chinese citizen-journalist who fled to the United States in fear of retaliation for documenting alleged human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims has had part of his deportation threat rescinded, but his legal status remains unresolved as he continues to pursue asylum. Guan Heng, a 38-year-old journalist from Henan Province known for filming footage of alleged detention facilities in China’s Xinjiang region, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in August 2025 after entering the country without legal status. He has been held in a New York...

December 19, 2025 - Turkey -  Prominent Turkish journalist Levent Gültekin was detained by police in Istanbul this week following controversial remarks made on his YouTube channel, an incident that has drawn attention to ongoing restrictions on media expression in Turkey. Gültekin’s brief detention occurred late on December 17, 2025, when security forces took him into custody at a café in the Bebek district of the city, reportedly on suspicion of publicly disseminating “misleading information” related to political commentary he posted online. The exact legal basis for the allegation remains unclear, and Gültekin has publicly...

December 19, 2025 - Bangladesh -  Violent unrest in Bangladesh has escalated sharply in December 2025, claiming the life of a journalist and intensifying fears over press freedom and public safety amid nationwide protests. The turmoil erupted following the killing of a Hindu youth during demonstrations, triggering widespread clashes, arson, and targeted attacks across multiple regions. As protests spread, journalists increasingly found themselves caught in the violence, facing direct threats while reporting on the unfolding crisis. One of the most serious incidents occurred in Khulna, where journalist Imdadul Haque Milon was shot dead by unidentified...

December 19, 2025 - Guatemala -  Guatemalan journalist Jorge Agustín Zapeta Aguilar, 56, was found dead on December 16, 2025, in a rural stretch of El Aguacatal in the Suchitepéquez department, days after his family reported that he had received threats and subsequently went missing. Local media and press freedom advocates have condemned the killing, underscoring deepening concerns about journalist safety in Guatemala. According to local reporting, Zapeta was last seen alive on December 14, and his disappearance triggered urgent searches by relatives after he failed to make contact. His body was discovered alongside a...

December 19, 2025 - Bangladesh - Violent protests that erupted across Bangladesh in December 2025 following the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi have dramatically escalated, including unprecedented attacks on the country’s principal media institutions that have effectively silenced major newspapers and drawn condemnation from press freedom advocates. Late on December 18 and into early December 19, mobs of demonstrators stormed and set fire to the offices of two of Bangladesh’s leading newspapers — Prothom Alo and The Daily Star — in the Karwan Bazar area of Dhaka. Witnesses reported that attackers vandalised entrance...

December 18, 2025 - Latin America - Latin America and the Caribbean have once again been identified as the most dangerous region for journalists working outside active war zones in 2025, according to press freedom analysts and regional reporting. By the close of the year, at least 17 journalists were murdered across the region, a figure that represents more than a quarter of all journalist killings globally outside conflict zones, highlighting persistent threats to media workers covering critical local and national issues. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) statistics indicate that Mexico accounted for the highest number...

December 18, 2025 - Belarus -  Investigations by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and affiliated digital security researchers have revealed that Belarusian state security forces are deploying previously undisclosed spyware to infiltrate the mobile devices of journalists and media workers, escalating concerns about digital surveillance and press repression in the country. The spyware, identified and analysed by RSF’s Digital Security Lab (DSL) in collaboration with the Eastern European organisation RESIDENT.NGO was discovered on the smartphone of a Belarusian journalist known to have been interrogated by the State Security Committee (KGB). Rights advocates say this development illustrates a...

December 18, 2025 - India - Independent journalist Pankaj Mishra (50) died in Dehradun following a violent attack at his home, prompting police to arrest two suspects and launch a detailed investigation into the incident. The assault occurred late on December 15, 2025, when a group of men forcibly entered Mishra’s residence in the Doon Vihar area of Jakhan and allegedly subjected him to a severe beating. The attack resulted in critical injuries that led to his death in a hospital in the early hours of December 16, 2025. According to the complaint lodged by...

December 18, 2025 - Africa -  A coalition of 127 women journalists from across Africa has publicly expressed solidarity with Burundian reporter Sandra Muhoza, urging Burundian authorities to free her unconditionally as she faces fresh legal proceedings this week. The letter, published on December 18, 2025, highlights deep concern over her longstanding detention and frames her continued imprisonment as an affront to press freedom and democratic norms. Muhoza, whose appeal is scheduled to be heard on December 19, 2025, remains in custody despite earlier judicial decisions that should have resulted in her release. Muhoza, a...

December 17, 2025 - USA -  A tragic incident in Alabama has claimed the lives of a well-known American sports reporter and her husband in what authorities are describing as an apparent murder-suicide, with their young child found unharmed at the scene. Christina Chambers, 38, a respected sports journalist who covered professional and collegiate athletics for major media outlets, and her husband, Daniel Chambers, were discovered dead in their home in Mobile County on December 16, 2025, local law enforcement confirmed. Their 3-year-old child was found safe inside the residence and taken into protective custody....

December 17, 2025 - USA - Charges against photojournalist David “Dave” Decker in connection with a protest at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center in Miami have been dropped, ending a legal ordeal that raised concerns among press-freedom advocates about journalists’ rights to document demonstrations and police responses. Decker was arrested in early December 2025 during a protest outside the Krome Service Processing Center, an ICE detention facility west of Miami, where immigrants were being held amid ongoing debates over U.S. immigration policy. He had been covering the demonstration for his publication when...

December 17, 2025 - Belarus/Georgia -  The European Parliament has awarded its 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to two imprisoned journalists from Belarus and Georgia, honoring their courage and resilience in the face of repression for carrying out their professional duties. The prize has been awarded to Andrzej Poczobut, a Belarusian journalist and activist, and Mzia Amaglobeli, a Georgian journalist, both of whom are currently detained over their reporting. The decision highlights growing concern within the European Union over the continued persecution of journalists across Europe and its neighboring regions. In announcing the...

December 17, 2025 - Palestine -  Detailed testimony from a Palestinian journalist and other former detainees has intensified scrutiny of alleged abuse in Israeli detention facilities, including claims of torture and sexual violence that rights groups and survivors say form part of a broader pattern of mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners. These allegations have surfaced through interviews with media outlets and public forums, prompting calls for independent investigations and accountability. Journalist’s TestimonyPalestinian freelance journalist Sami al-Sai, who was held without formal charges in Israeli prisons after his arrest in the occupied West Bank on February 23,...

December 17, 2025 - Myanmar -  Rights advocates and press freedom defenders have renewed global calls for the immediate release of photojournalist Sai Zaw Thaike, who remains imprisoned in Myanmar following a harsh sentence handed down by the country’s military-controlled judicial system. Sai Zaw, a respected photographer for the independent news outlet Myanmar Now, was detained in May 2023 while documenting the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha in Rakhine State. He was subsequently tried in a single-day proceeding and sentenced to 20 years in prison with hard labour on charges including spreading false information and causing...

December 17, 2025 - Afghanistan -  The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has welcomed the release of two media professionals from Rasa Television who had been detained for approximately ten months, underscoring significant ongoing pressures on independent news workers under the current Afghan authorities. Ghulam Mohiuddin Sahibzada, editor-in-chief of Rasa TV, and reporter Jihadmal Habibi were freed on 15 December 2025, after completing lengthy detention that rights groups describe as arbitrary and linked to their journalistic work. Both had been held at Bagram Prison following their arrest in February 2025 by forces associated with the Taliban’s...

December 17, 2025 - Iran -  Iranian authorities detained photojournalist Aaliyah Motabalzadeh on 12 December 2025 in Mashhad, northeastern Iran, in an operation that also swept up a group of activists and human rights defenders, drawing sharp condemnation from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and global press freedom advocates. Motabalzadeh’s arrest occurred as she and others were gathered to mourn the death of prominent human rights lawyer Khosro Alikordi, whose body was discovered in his office earlier in the month. Iranian security forces characterized the detentions as a response to “illegal behaviour” and alleged...

December 17, 2025 - India -  International press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and allied watchdogs have sharply criticised the Indian digital news platform OpIndia, arguing that its extensive campaign against independent journalists and outlets contributes to a broader erosion of media freedom in India. According to RSF’s latest analysis, OpIndia has published more than 300 articles targeting journalists between 2023 and 2025, often energising coordinated online harassment and undermining credible news reporting. These activities have raised alarm among media freedom advocates about the impact of cyber-harassment campaigns on independent journalism and the safety...

December 17, 2025 - Kazakhstan -  Human rights organisations are intensifying criticism of Kazakhstani authorities for a recent surge in actions targeting independent journalists and media outlets, describing the developments as part of a widening crackdown on free expression and press freedom. A coalition of nine international human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW), has publicly condemned a series of police raids, detentions, and administrative pressures that rights advocates say are aimed at stifling independent journalism in Kazakhstan. The tensions escalated in early December 2025 when police searched the Orda.KZ Independent News...

December 17, 2025 - Yemen -  International rights and press freedom organisations have intensified calls for the release of Yemeni journalist Naseh Shaker, who has been held in detention for over two years without transparent legal proceedings, prompting concerns about press freedom and human rights in Yemen. Shaker, a respected freelance journalist who contributed to major international media outlets, has not been seen publicly since his arrest in late 2023, and his case has drawn coordinated criticism from global advocacy groups, including ARTICLE 19, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Human Rights Watch, the Committee...

December 16, 2025 - Ethiopia - Independent media freedom in Ethiopia has suffered a significant setback following a new wave of government restrictions and punitive actions against critical journalists and outlets, according to human-rights and press-freedom organisations. The development marks the latest in a series of measures that observers say erode constitutional protections for free expression and sharply constrict the space for independent journalism. According to Human Rights Watch, Ethiopian authorities have intensified their campaign against media outlets perceived as critical of the government, particularly those reporting on political unrest, ethnic tensions, and human-rights abuses....

December 16, 2025 - General - A new media initiative, the Global Video News Awards, has been launched to celebrate and amplify compelling journalism from the Global South, marking what organizers describe as “a new era” in international storytelling. The awards — unveiled at a high-profile event in Dubai — aim to recognize excellence in video journalism produced in, by, and about regions that are often underrepresented in mainstream global media. Organizers say the initiative responds to persistent imbalances in whose voices are heard and whose stories are valued on the world stage, especially from...

December 16, 2025 - Myanmar -  Myanmar journalist Sut Ring Pan has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted on charges of incitement and terrorism, in a case that has drawn sharp criticism from press-freedom groups and human-rights advocates who say the charges are politically motivated and represent a broader assault on independent journalism in the country. Sut Ring Pan, a respected reporter known for covering civil society issues and unrest in Myanmar’s ethnic states, was arrested in late 2023 amid the junta’s intensifying crackdown on critical media following the 2021 military...

December 16, 2025 - Belarus -  Belarusian authorities have freed prominent journalist Maryna Zolatava after she served more than four years in prison, a move welcomed by international press-freedom advocates as a long-delayed acknowledgment of her right to free expression. Zolatava, a former editor of the independent news outlet Tut.by, was arrested in 2021 along with colleagues from the website following a sweeping government crackdown on independent media. Prosecutors accused her of tax evasion and other financial charges — allegations widely criticized by rights groups as politically motivated attempts to silence critical reporting. Throughout her...