News

January 20, 2026 - Guinea - Journalists in Guinea-Bissau are facing increasing threats to press freedom following a military takeover on November 26, 2025, as the High Military Command imposed a ban on unauthorized press conferences and public statements that it says could “jeopardize peace and social cohesion.” The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged the junta to rescind this order, warning that it undermines freedom of expression and access to information during a period of political instability. The ban, issued on January 9, 2026, prohibits journalists and media professionals from holding press conferences...

January 20, 2026 - Philippines -  Media freedom organisations in the Philippines have renewed urgent **calls for the release of community journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, whose trial is reaching a decisive moment more than six years after her arrest in February 2020 on controversial national security charges. Cumpio’s case has attracted both local and international scrutiny as advocates question the legitimacy of the legal proceedings and the prolonged nature of her detention. Frenchie Mae Cumpio, based in Tacloban City, was initially detained alongside four civil society activists earlier in 2020 and charged with illegal possession...

January 20, 2026 - General - On January 14, 2026, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) joined a coalition of more than 30 press freedom, human rights and civil society organisations in issuing a joint appeal to Iranian authorities calling for the immediate and unconditional release of journalists, human rights defenders, civil society activists and others imprisoned for peaceful expression, journalism or protest activities amid a widening crackdown on dissent. The appeal also urged Tehran to fully restore internet and telecommunications services across the country, which have been severely restricted in connection with mass nationwide...

January 20, 2026 - Iran - Reza Abdolreza “Reza” Valizadeh, a **49-year-old dual Iranian-American journalist and longtime critic of Tehran’s security apparatus, remains in detention in **Iran’s notorious Evin Prison after being arrested on September 22, 2024, by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during a visit to his homeland. Valizadeh’s case has drawn international attention as an emblematic example of state repression against independent journalists and dual nationals accused of vaguely defined “national security” offenses. Valizadeh had returned to Iran in March 2024 for the first time in 15 years to care for his...

January 20, 2026 - Philippines - Erwin “Ambo” Delilan, a well-known journalist and radio station manager in the Negros Occidental province of the Philippines, was arrested by police late on January 19, 2026, on charges of “unjust vexation”, provoking widespread criticism from press freedom advocates who argue the case undermines journalists’ rights and press independence. Delilan, who manages Hapi FM 104.7 in Bacolod City and contributes reporting to Rappler, was taken into custody at his home in Barangay Alicante, E.B. Magalona, after the warrant was served just before midnight, prompting immediate concern from media organisations....

January 20, 2026 - Kashmir - Several Kashmiri journalists working for prominent Indian national newspapers have been summoned by Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police in recent days in a move that press advocates and political figures describe as an attempt to intimidate and suppress independent reporting in the region. The actions centre on coverage of a controversial police exercise to collect detailed information on mosques and their management in the Valley, a topic that has sparked political and community concern. On January 14, 2026, Bashaarat Masood, a senior journalist with The Indian Express based in...

January 20, 2025 - Palestine -  The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) has launched a new mobile application called “Raqeb” to help Palestinian journalists and human rights defenders safely document and report press freedom violations and related abuses, in response to a sharp increase in restrictions, arrests, and harassment faced by media workers in the occupied Palestinian territories. The app was unveiled on January 19, 2026, as part of broader efforts to strengthen accountability and protection mechanisms for those covering human rights issues and conflict-related developments. Raqeb — meaning “The Observer” —...

January 20, 2026 - General - A documentary film about the life and work of Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna has won a major award at the 2026 Lumière Awards in France, bringing global recognition to both her journalism and the devastating circumstances of her death. Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, directed by Iranian-French filmmaker Sepideh Farsi, documents Hassouna’s life in the Gaza Strip during the prolonged conflict and was honoured in the documentary category at the ceremony. The film’s accolade cements its status not only as a work of cinematic merit but...

January 20, 2026 - Lebanon - The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Lebanese affiliate, the Union of Journalists of Lebanon (UJL), have condemned a series of attacks and threats by the Israeli army against journalists reporting in southern Lebanon, highlighting growing risks for media professionals covering the ongoing conflict along the Lebanon–Israel border. The incidents documented by late December 2025 reflect a pattern of intimidation, violence, and threats that have endangered journalists’ lives and obstructed their reporting. The IFJ press release recounts three separate incidents in which journalists were directly threatened or came...

January 20, 2025 - Bangladesh -  Ahead of Bangladesh’s upcoming national election, 50 women journalists from across the Chattogram division participated in a specialised training programme focused on election reporting, safety, and information integrity, as part of a United Nations-supported initiative designed to strengthen ethical and credible journalism during polls. The two sessions took place over consecutive weekends in January 2026 and were organised by the media development group Somosti under the UN Ballot Project, with financial and technical support from UNESCO’s Dhaka office. Participants represented a broad cross-section of media outlets, including print, broadcast,...

January 20, 2026 - Turkey -  Press freedom advocates in Turkey report a significant escalation in efforts to restrict independent journalism and expression, with the BİA Media Monitoring Report 2025 documenting a marked rise in legal harassment, criminalisation, and intimidation of media professionals and critics. The annual report, published by the independent media organisation BİA Media Monitoring, concludes that actors aiming to silence journalists have become more brazen in using state mechanisms and legal tools to target reporting and dissent. According to the 2025 monitoring data, journalists faced a normalization of punitive measures, including arrests, prolonged...

January 20, 2026 - USA - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has documented a concerning pattern of violent attacks and intimidation against journalists in Minnesota, particularly in the context of federal immigration enforcement operations and large-scale protests that followed deadly encounters between ICE agents and civilians early in 2026. The report, published on January 20, 2026, marks these incidents as part of a broader deterioration in press freedom conditions in the United States during the opening year of the Trump administration’s second term. According to RSF, at least six journalists and media workers were physically assaulted...

January 20, 2026 - USA -  Former television journalist Don Lemon is at the centre of a federal investigation and possible prosecution for his role in covering and appearing at an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 18, 2026, as authorities grapple with a surge in immigration enforcement and rising public unrest. Lemon’s presence and livestreaming of the event have sparked debate over journalism, protest rights, and the application of federal law. The protest occurred at Cities Church, where demonstrators confronted worshippers and a pastor identified by participants...

January 19, 2026 - Iran - Navid Zarrehbin Irani, a **Bahá’í documentary photographer based in Mashhad, has been arrested by Iranian security forces, raising alarm among human rights and press freedom advocates about religious discrimination and suppression of independent reporting in the Islamic Republic. Irani’s detention, which occurred on January 16, 2026, comes during an ongoing nationwide internet blackout that has further obscured information about his condition and whereabouts. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Irani was apprehended when security forces raided his home in Mashhad and confiscated his personal and professional equipment,...

January 19, 2026 - Syria -  Journalists and civil society figures in northern and eastern Syria have issued a unified warning about the escalation of hate speech and inflammatory rhetoric within Syrian and Arab media, expressing deep concern over its effect on societal cohesion and civil peace amid ongoing conflict and transitional governance. Their statements, delivered during public forums and press statements on January 19, 2026, highlight increasing media discourse that critics argue deepens divisions among Syria’s diverse populations and fuels societal fractures. At the centre of the concerns is rhetoric emanating from media outlets...

January 19, 2026 - USA - A federal immigration enforcement operation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has triggered deepening unrest and fear in Minneapolis, Minnesota, particularly after a fatal shooting by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026, of Renée Good, a resident, an event that significantly intensified federal actions and community response. The heightened enforcement, part of what authorities describe as “Operation Metro Surge,” has seen hundreds of federal agents deployed across the city and has had direct impacts on residents’ daily lives, including students, families, and business owners. Among the...

January 19, 2026 - Taiwan -  A Taiwanese journalist identified by the surname Lin has been detained by prosecutors in Taiwan on allegations that he bribed active-duty and retired military officers to obtain confidential military information for contacts linked to mainland China, marking an unusual and high-profile case involving a member of the press in a national security probe. Taiwan’s authorities view the incident within the broader context of tightened efforts to guard against espionage and infiltration from Beijing. According to the Qiaotou District Prosecutors' Office, a district court ordered the detention of Lin along...

January 19, 2026 - Pakistan -  The Government of Pakistan has significantly escalated its use of in absentia convictions and arrest warrants against journalists and commentators living abroad—an expansion of legal pressure that underscores growing state efforts to suppress critical reporting beyond its borders. These developments, highlighted in recent coverage by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and corroborated by regional news outlets, have alarmed press freedom advocates and independent media observers. In early January 2026, an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad convicted four foreign-based Pakistani journalists and commentators in absentia in connection with their coverage...

January 19, 2026 - Indonesia -  Journalists in Indonesia are confronting a worsening environment for press freedom, with a sharp increase in violence, intimidation, digital harassment, and legal pressures recorded throughout 2025, according to reports by press freedom advocates and media organisations. The pattern of threats spans physical assaults in the field, online harassment campaigns, and institutional interference that collectively undermine journalists’ safety and independence. The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) documented at least 89 incidents against journalists over the past year, including 30 physical attacks and 29 digital assaults, along with cases of coverage...

January 19, 2026 - France/Turkey - A French journalist, Raphael Boukandoura, was among 10 people detained by Turkish police on January 19, 2026, during a protest in Istanbul against a Syrian government military offensive that targeted Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria. The demonstration took place outside the People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) headquarters in Sancaktepe, where participants were calling for an immediate halt to the offensive and the protection of civilians. Turkish authorities intervened to break up the gathering, leading to multiple arrests, including Boukandoura’s. Boukandoura, who reports for French outlets including Ouest-France...

January 19, 2026 - Nigeria -  The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed an application with the Court of Appeal in Abuja seeking permission to challenge a 2024 Federal High Court judgment that directed it to investigate, prosecute, and prevent attacks against journalists and other media practitioners, reigniting debate over press safety and state accountability. The motion was lodged in late December 2025 by counsel from the Federal Ministry of Justice on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation, and requests an extension of time to appeal after the statutory three-month filing window elapsed. The...

January 19, 2026 - Turkey -  Hundreds of people gathered in Istanbul, Turkey, on January 19, 2026, to mark the 19th anniversary of the assassination of Hrant Dink, the prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist and editor-in-chief of the bilingual newspaper Agos. Dink was shot dead in broad daylight outside the newspaper’s former office in Şişli district on January 19, 2007, an act that provoked widespread national and international outrage and spotlighted threats to press freedom and minority rights in Turkey. The annual commemoration was held outside the Sebat Apartment building, the site where Agos once operated and...

January 18, 2026 - Romania - The International Press Institute (IPI) has issued a formal call for an impartial police investigation into a coordinated online smear campaign targeting Romanian investigative journalist Emilia Sercan, amid widespread condemnation of harassment and death threats directed at her following her reporting on allegations of academic plagiarism involving senior government figures. Press freedom advocates describe the coordinated abuse as both a personal safety threat and a broader attack on independent journalism in Romania. Sercan, a seasoned investigative reporter known for exposing high-profile cases of plagiarism and corruption, has been subjected...

January 18, 2026 - India - A journalist from ABP Anand, Parthapratim Ghosh, and his colleague, photojournalist Ujjwal Ghosh, were attacked by an aggressive mob on January 17, 2026, while reporting on violent protests in Beldanga town in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India. The violence erupted amid demonstrations over the death of a local migrant worker from Jharkhand, whose body was returned to his hometown amid suspicion and grief, prompting locals to block National Highway-12 and railway tracks in protest. Reporters and media personnel covering the unrest were repeatedly targeted by protesters seeking to prevent their...

January 18, 2026 - Bangladesh -  Journalists, editors, and owners of media outlets in Bangladesh have publicly demanded that national authorities provide enhanced protection for the press following a series of violent attacks on major newspapers and escalating threats against media professionals. Their appeal comes amid intensifying political tension and rising hostility toward independent journalism ahead of the country’s February 2026 general elections. The calls for protective action were voiced during a high-profile conference organised in Dhaka on January 17, 2026, by the Editors Council and the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB). Attendees—including journalists...