News

January 29, 2026 - Palestine - Palestinian journalist and filmmaker Bisan Owda, known for her extensive social media reporting from Gaza, has said her TikTok account was permanently banned, a move she linked to recent changes in the platform’s ownership and moderation policies in the United States. Owda’s account, which had amassed around 1.4 million followers, was widely used to share firsthand reporting on life and civilian conditions in the Gaza Strip amid ongoing conflict. She disclosed the ban in posts on other social platforms, including Instagram and X, saying she was informed of the...

January 28, 2026 - Turkey - Turkish authorities have indicted two YouTube journalists and an interviewee on criminal charges alleging they insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and denigrated religious values during on-camera street interviews, reflecting an intensifying use of criminal law to curb critical media content. The case was brought by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office roughly two months after the journalists’ arrests in December 2025. The two media figures, Hasan Köksoy and Arif Kocabıyık, run independent YouTube channels—Kendine Muhabir (“Correspondent to Himself”) and İlave TV—that specialise in street interviews capturing public opinion. A...

January 28, 2026 - Azerbaijan - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) organised coordinated actions on January 28, 2026, in Paris (France), Berlin (Germany), and Bern (Switzerland) to draw international attention to the plight of 25 jailed journalists in Azerbaijan, underscoring concerns about deteriorating press freedom and government repression. These demonstrations took the form of installation exhibits and symbolic displays that recreated the small, harsh prison conditions alleged to be faced by independent media professionals behind bars. RSF officials said the actions aimed to make visible what they describe as the Azerbaijani state’s use of imprisonment as...

January 28, 2026 - Mexico - A 25-year-old Mexican journalist, Carlos Leonardo Castro, was shot dead on January 8, 2026, in Poza Rica, Veracruz, highlighting the ongoing dangers faced by media professionals in one of the most perilous regions for the press. Castro, who directed the Facebook news outlet Código Norte Veracruz and reported on security and crime issues, was ambushed by unidentified armed men who opened fire on him inside a restaurant where he was dining. His assailants then fled the scene, and local law enforcement, including state police and the National Guard, responded...

January 28, 2026 - USA - The Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) and other media freedom advocates have characterized the killing of Alex Pretti—a bystander whose fatal shooting by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis in late January 2026—as not only a tragic loss of life but as part of a broader attack on press freedom and independent documentation of news, particularly in environments where official narratives and government actions are under intense public scrutiny. Critics argue that such targeting of those who record events with cameras or mobile phones chills...

January 28, 2026 - Pakistan - Pakistani journalist Nadir Abbas Baloch, who runs a YouTube channel reporting on human rights issues, has been subjected to repeated summons and alleged harassment by state authorities and hostile actors, raising concerns among press freedom advocates about targeted intimidation of independent media workers. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on January 27, 2026, urged Pakistani officials to stop their harassment of Baloch and to protect his ability to continue reporting without fear of retaliation. Baloch was first summoned by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on December 12,...

January 28, 2026 - Iran - Iran’s ongoing government-imposed near-total internet shutdown, in effect since January 8, 2026, has coincided with a fresh wave of arrests targeting journalists and photographers as authorities intensify their crackdown on nationwide protests and dissent. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Iranian officials to immediately release at least three journalists detained under unclear charges, as independent information continues to trickle out from inside the country. According to the CPJ, Hassan Abbasi, Artin Ghazanfari, and Hamed Araghi were arrested amid the communications blackout, though details about formal charges,...

January 28, 2026 - Turkey - Turkish television journalist and commentator Sedef Kabaş was briefly detained by authorities in Istanbul on January 26–27, 2026, after prosecutors opened an investigation into several of her social media posts, charging her with “insulting the president” and “inciting the commission of a crime” under Turkey’s penal code. The İstanbul Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office cited specific posts on the platform X that authorities said violated laws on defamation and public order, though critics argue these laws are used to curb dissenting speech. Kabaş was taken into custody late at...

January 28, 2026 - Palestine - The Foreign Press Association (FPA) has sharply criticised the Israeli Supreme Court’s continued delays and the government’s insistence on barring foreign journalists from independent access to the Gaza Strip, asserting there are no valid security reasons for the restrictions. The group, which represents hundreds of international media professionals reporting in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, made its case in submissions ahead of the court’s latest postponement to rule on its petition. Israel has maintained a blanket ban on foreign correspondent entry into Gaza since the outbreak of the...

January 28, 2026 - Belarus - Human rights organisations have formally recognised Yanina Pazniak, the **20-year-old daughter of Belarusian journalist Kiryl Pazniak, as a political prisoner, underscoring the deepening repression against independent media and dissenting voices in Belarus. The designation was confirmed by rights defenders, including the Viasna Human Rights Centre, which monitors political detentions in the country. The move highlights ongoing concerns about the Belarusian government’s use of criminal charges to suppress freedom of expression and intimidate journalists and their families. Yanina’s detention dates back to September 4, 2025, when the Belarusian KGB designated...

January 28, 2026 - Azerbaijan - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg has delivered a significant judgment against Azerbaijan, finding that the state used criminal prosecutions to retaliate against prominent investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova and thereby violated her rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. The court’s decision, issued on January 27, 2026, underscores longstanding concerns about the misuse of law to target critical media voices and reaffirms press freedom protections across Council of Europe member states. Ismayilova, well known for reporting on high-level corruption and power dynamics in Azerbaijan, was...

January 27, 2026 - Palestine/Canada - Canada’s national public broadcaster, CBC News, has been covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the severe limitations on media access to the Gaza Strip that have affected both local and international reporting. The ongoing conflict, which began after the October 7, 2023, attacks and has resulted in the highest number of journalist casualties in a single conflict in modern history, has made Gaza one of the deadliest places for media professionals. According to aggregated data from organisations tracking journalist deaths in the war, several hundred journalists and media workers—mostly Palestinians—have...

January 27, 2026 - Lebanon - An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on January 26, 2026, killed Ali Nour al-Din, a journalist and television presenter associated with the Hezbollah-linked Al-Manar TV network, Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah reported. The attack occurred in the city of Tyre, where an Israeli drone reportedly struck a vehicle carrying al-Din, who also served as a religious show host and community figure. Hezbollah condemned the killing as a “treacherous assassination” and warned that the escalation now targets members of the media community, drawing strong criticism from Lebanese officials who said Israeli...

January 27, 2026 - Afghanistan - Afghanistan’s Taliban-controlled Ministry of Information and Culture has revoked the operating licences of the majority of organizations that provide support to journalists and media professionals, sharply restricting the country’s already constrained press environment. The decision, announced on January 26, 2026, affects most media support bodies, leaving only a handful authorised to continue functioning under the new regulatory order. According to statements from the ministry, the reviews that led to licence cancellations were prompted by complaints from journalists and media outlets about the performance of these support organisations. The ministry...

January 27, 2026 - Bangladesh - At least 10 journalists were injured in a violent attack in Narsingdi District, Bangladesh, on the evening of January 26, 2026, while members of the Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) were returning from their annual Family Day event. The incident occurred in front of Dream Holiday Park in Madhabdi after a dispute over unexpected parking fees and alleged extortion demands, according to police and eyewitness accounts. CRAB members from various Dhaka-based media outlets had parked their vehicles in a privately managed space near the park following the celebration....

January 27, 2026 - Bangladesh - A major dispute has emerged over media accreditation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, with Bangladeshi journalists reportedly denied accreditation to cover the cricket tournament due to the Bangladesh team’s withdrawal and broader tensions surrounding the event. The tournament is scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, 2026. According to reports from Bangladesh news outlets, the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected the accreditation applications of nearly all Bangladeshi media personnel who had sought to cover the World Cup. Bangladesh Cricket...

January 26, 2026 - Slovakia - A Slovakian court has ordered a fresh review and retrial in the widely reported 2018 murders of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová, marking a significant development years after the high-profile case shocked Slovakia and sparked protests over corruption and justice. The retrial focuses in part on allegations against the suspected mastermind behind the killings, renewing scrutiny of unresolved aspects of the investigation and trial proceedings. The case originates from February 21, 2018, when Kuciak, a reporter known for his work on corruption and organised crime...

January 26, 2026 - Niger - A Deutsche Welle (DW) correspondent based in Niamey, Niger, Gazali Abdou Tasawa, was arrested by Nigerien authorities on January 23, 2026, in connection with a news report he filed on Nigerian refugees living in makeshift conditions. The detention has drawn sharp criticism from press freedom advocates, who say it reflects a broader crackdown on independent journalism under the country’s military junta. Tasawa, who reports for DW’s Hausa-language service, was questioned by police the day before his arrest about a report published on January 15 detailing the plight of Nigerian...

January 26, 2026 - General - Media freedom groups led by the International Press Institute (IPI) and partners are calling on the European Union to include stronger legal and practical protections for journalists and independent media within the European Democracy Shield, a key EU initiative aimed at defending democratic systems and tackling disinformation. These recommendations were outlined in a response to a draft report on the Shield’s framework, submitted by IPI together with the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and other press freedom organisations. The Democracy Shield, proposed by the European Commission, is intended to...

January 26, 2026 - Qatar - Two major media institutions in Doha, Qatar, have announced significant expansions of their 2026 training programs, aiming to bolster professional media skills and support career development for journalists and media professionals. The initiatives reflect a broader push to strengthen media competencies amid rapid technological change and evolving industry demands. The Al Jazeera Media Institute launched its comprehensive 2026 training plan, unveiling a substantial expansion in both scope and scale. The plan will offer 294 training courses covering 155 specialised titles, including 42 new courses and a series delivered in...

January 26, 2026 - Qatar - The Israeli government has renewed and expanded its measures against the Qatar-based Al Jazeera Media Network, extending a ban on the network’s operations inside the country for a further 90 days and broadening restrictions to digital platforms and online access. The decision was announced at the end of January 2026 under legislation that allows authorities to block foreign broadcasters considered a threat to national security. The ban, first implemented in May 2024 at the height of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, originally prohibited Al Jazeera’s television broadcasts and led to...

January 26, 2026 - Philippines - A Regional Trial Court in Tacloban City, Philippines, has convicted Filipino journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and human rights advocate Marielle Domequil on charges of financing terrorism, issuing prison sentences ranging from approximately 12 to 18 years. The verdict was delivered on January 22, 2026, concluding a legal case that had drawn widespread international attention and condemnation from press freedom groups. The case originated in February 2020 when Cumpio, then executive director of the local news outlet Eastern Vista and a radio news anchor, and Domequil were arrested alongside other...

January 26, 2026 - Lebanon - In Lebanon, a prominent journalist has been targeted by authorities for publicly criticising President Joseph Aoun’s political stance, drawing renewed debate over freedom of expression and the treatment of media professionals amid ongoing political tensions. Lebanese pro-resistance commentator Hassan Illaik was summoned by a military or investigative judicial body after the publication of a video sharply criticising Aoun’s approach to national sovereignty and security. The summons, issued in late January 2026, alleges that Illaik’s comments amounted to “insulting the president,” a charge that critics say undermines basic rights to...

January 26, 2026 - Italy/USA - Two Italian journalists working for the public broadcaster RAI were reportedly threatened by officers from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while covering federal enforcement activities in Minneapolis, Minnesota, earlier this month, sparking political controversy and public backlash in Italy. The incident, which was captured on video, has drawn strong reactions from opposition politicians and press freedom advocates in Rome. According to footage posted on social media by the Italian news programme In Mezz’Ora, correspondents Laura Cappon and Daniele Babbo were inside a vehicle attempting to document ICE...

January 25, 2026 - Bangladesh - Journalists’ safety and professional protection in Bangladesh have come into sharper focus as the country prepares for its national elections in early 2026. Media professionals and civil society stakeholders recently convened at the Shafiqul Alam Auditorium of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) to emphasize the urgent need for enhanced safety measures, legal support, and responsible reporting ahead of a period that experts describe as high-risk for press freedom and election coverage. At the event, media representatives and legal advocates highlighted rising field-level dangers such as legal harassment, uncertainty, and threats...