News

September 26, 2025 - Egypt -  On 24 September 2025, Egyptian authorities detained Ismail Alexandrani, a prominent investigative journalist, writer, and researcher, at a security checkpoint in Matrouh Governorate. He was later charged with “joining a terrorist group,” “spreading false news,” and “using a website to promote terrorist ideas,” and remanded for 15 days pending investigation. This detention marks a renewed crackdown on Alexandrani, who has already spent seven years imprisoned from 2015 to 2022 following a conviction by a military court on politically charged charges, including publishing military secrets. His re-arrest is widely seen by...

September 25, 2025 - Belgium -  The Kurdish Women Journalists Association (ROJIN) has condemned the detention of Heval Arslan, a founding member of ROJIN and presenter at Medya Haber TV, and urged Belgian authorities to release her immediately. Arslan was summoned to the Ninove police station on the evening of September 22, where she was detained without a court order. During her arrest, her personal belongings were confiscated, she underwent a strip search, and was placed in a cell. Officials allegedly threatened that she might be extradited, first to France and then onward to Turkey....

September 25, 2025 - Russia -  Journalist and Circassian activist Larisa Tuptsokova, who has resided in Georgia for over 14 years, has learned that Russian authorities have opened a criminal case against her on charges of involvement with an extremist organization. The notice was reportedly sent to her parents’ home in Maykop, Adygea, even though she has not been officially informed of the charges or permitted access to the case documents. Tuptsokova is also a philologist and teacher of the Circassian (Adyghe) language, in addition to her work as a journalist. She publicly stated that...

September 25, 2025 - Moroccan -  Moroccan journalist Younes Ftaite, editor-in-chief of the Bladna24 news outlet, was detained by authorities early on September 25, 2025, and then released later that same day. He confirmed the events via his Instagram account, stating that he had been taken in for questioning regarding his recent reporting and social media publications. The detention, though short-lived, raised alarms among press freedom defenders and fellow journalists, who viewed it as a possible act of intimidation against independent media voices in Morocco. Local news outlets reported that authorities have not publicly disclosed...

September 25, 2025 - Serbia -  Since June 1, 2025, at least 28 journalists in Serbia have reported being specifically targeted by police during coverage of anti-government protests, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Local press freedom groups describe such incidents as occurring almost daily in August. Many of these attacks involve journalists covering police violence. Rather than protecting these reporters, authorities are accused of harassment, beatings, phone seizures, and arbitrary detention. The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia reports 19 physical assaults in 2025 so far, already exceeding the full count of 17 in...

September 25, 2025 - General -  Over a month after an Israeli strike hit Gaza’s Nasser Hospital and killed five journalists, the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters are renewing their call for a transparent account from the Israeli authorities. The two media agencies issued a joint statement demanding clarity and accountability, emphasizing that the journalists were present in a location protected under international law and were performing essential reporting duties. The strike, which occurred on August 25, 2025, in Khan Younis, came in two waves. The initial attack hit a newsroom position, interrupting a live...

September 25, 2025 - Palestine -  A new campaign has been launched urging Israel to allow international journalists into Gaza, highlighting the urgent need for independent coverage of the war’s impact. The appeal, produced by BBC alongside other major news outlets, comes amid growing concern that the absence of foreign reporters has left Palestinian journalists to shoulder the reporting burden alone under conditions of extreme danger. Veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby narrates the film at the heart of the campaign, calling attention to the critical role of open access in ensuring accountability and transparency during conflict....

September 24, 2025 - Iraq/Kurdistan -  Journalist Sherwan Sherwani, known for his investigative reporting in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, was arrested on charges of undermining public order, local media reports say. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) must immediately free him, human rights organizations and press‐freedom advocates assert. According to Menarights, Sherwani was detained following his coverage of political and security affairs. His arrest comes amid a climate of increasing pressure on critical voices in the region. Sherwani’s work has often examined official conduct, and his detention is viewed by many observers as retaliation for...

September 24, 2025 - Peru -  A journalist in Peru, Dennis Muñoz, has been subject to intimidation after bullets were left at both his workplace and his home, according to LatAm Journalism Review, citing Pachamama Radio. The incident took place in the early morning hours: one bullet was found at the main entrance of the radio station Radio Universal in Ayaviri, and two bullets were placed at Muñoz’s house. The placements appear calculated to provoke fear. Muñoz is director of the news program Chekaq Willakuykuna – Rijchariy Melgarino.  In recent weeks, he has reported on...

September 24, 2025 - USA -  Journalist Mario Guevara, detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since June following his arrest while livestreaming a protest in Georgia, has published a powerful handwritten letter from detention detailing his ordeal, emotional toll, and determination to continue reporting. Guevara’s detention comes despite all criminal charges against him being dropped and an immigration judge granting him bond—moves that did not lead to his release. The Board of Immigration Appeals instead reopened a 13-year-old deportation order, effectively nullifying the bond and ordering his removal to El Salvador. In his...

September 24, 2025 - Ecuador -  Ecuadorian reporters Elvira del Pilar Nole and Juan Carlos Tito, both forced into exile due to threats and persecution linked to their investigative work, were recently honored with the prestigious 2025 Press Freedom Award. The award, presented by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), recognizes their resilience in continuing to speak truth to power despite severe suppression. Del Pilar Nole, a journalist and human rights advocate, fled Ecuador after facing criminal defamation lawsuits and intimidation for reporting on corruption. Tito, her colleague, similarly confronted legal harassment and threats tied to...

September 24, 2025 - General -  The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, in partnership with the Google News Initiative, is launching a free online course titled Google AI Tools for Journalists: Optimizing Editorial Workflow, Content Creation, and Audience Engagement. Running from October 20 to November 16, 2025, the four-week bilingual (English/Spanish) program offers practical instruction in integrating Google AI into newsroom work. Designed for journalists, editors, freelancers, and newsroom staff, the course will cover how to streamline editorial tasks, boost investigative reporting, and increase audience interaction through AI tools. Instructors from the Google News...

September 24, 2025 - General -  At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the State of Qatar and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) came together in a high-level ministerial initiative to spotlight the grave dangers faced by journalists in Gaza. Qatar, represented by H.E. Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad, reaffirmed that deliberate targeting of journalists violates international humanitarian law and called on the global community to ensure accountability for those responsible. She stressed that safeguarding journalists is not only a moral obligation but also a critical step in ensuring transparency during...

September 24, 2025 - Congo - Pacifique Muliri, a reporter with the Congolese Press Agency and freelance contributor to Africa Mining Intelligence, has been forced into hiding since early July 2025 following threats tied to his investigatory work in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. His investigation focused on gold-mining operations at the Lomera site in Kabare territory, South Kivu province, where he explored possible collusion between armed rebel groups and authorities in Kinshasa. During that period, Muliri’s home in Bukavu was assaulted by soldiers linked to the M23 and Congo River Alliance (AFC) militia factions,...

September 23, 2025 - Nigeria -  In his address at the Beatrice Bassey Ita Best Investigative Journalist Award ceremony in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, Union of Journalists (NUJ) President Alhassan Yahya affirmed that investigative journalism is essential to inclusive, sustainable democracy. He argued that probing reporting fosters transparency, accountability, and good governance—pillars without which democratic systems weaken. Yahya also used the platform to highlight the grave risks and pressures confronting Nigerian journalists today. He cited censorship, harassment, detention, and even threats to life as daily hazards in the work of uncovering the truth. Despite...

September 24, 2025 - Australia -  In Australia, the Federal Court has ruled that the national broadcaster, ABC, must pay journalist Antoinette Lattouf A$220,000 after finding her dismissal unlawful. Lattouf, hired on a short-term contract in December 2023, was terminated just three days in after she reposted a Human Rights Watch statement on Instagram about Israeli actions in Gaza. The judgment included A$150,000 in pecuniary penalties against ABC, added to the A$70,000 awarded earlier for non-economic loss. The court determined that ABC breached the Fair Work Act and its own enterprise agreement by failing to...

September 24, 2025 - Myanmar -  Border News Agency journalist Mu Dra was forcibly taken from her home in Maungdaw, Rakhine State, on 20 September, in a reported abduction carried out by Myanmar’s Arakan Army (AA), according to statements from the news agency and CPJ. She was taken in the late morning—around 11:00 a.m.—and remains held incommunicado at an intelligence office controlled by the AA. Mu Dra is known for her reporting on conflict, human rights abuses, and issues affecting vulnerable groups in Rakhine State, including forced recruitment and intercommunal violence. The Border News Agency...

September 24, 2025 - Ireland -  In a newly released independent review, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has been found to have searched journalists’ phone numbers in efforts to trace information leaks by officers or staff—though the practice was not deemed “widespread or systemic.” The review, conducted by barrister Angus McCullough KC, was commissioned by Chief Constable Jon Boutcher. It scrutinised PSNI surveillance practices between 2011 and 2024, including how warrants were obtained, covert monitoring, and data searches related to journalists, lawyers, and individuals of “special status.” McCullough’s findings reveal 21 instances in...

September 23, 2025 - Egypt/UK -  British-Egyptian activist and journalist Alaa Abd el-Fattah has been released from prison following a presidential pardon granted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. His reunion with his mother, Laila Soueif, and sister Sanaa Seif took place late on 22 September. Abd el-Fattah had spent much of the past decade in custody, with his most recent detention beginning in 2019 over charges including “spreading false news.”  His case drew repeated national and international criticism, with UN experts deeming his detention arbitrary under international human rights law. Reporters Without Borders (RSF)...

September 23, 2025 - General -  In a riveting episode of Conversations, journalist Nick McKenzie recounts how he took on Ben Roberts-Smith, one of Australia’s most decorated soldiers, in a saga spanning years of investigation, litigation, and public reckoning. McKenzie and fellow reporter Chris Masters followed rumors emerging in 2017 about executions, cover-ups, and misconduct within the Special Air Service (SAS)—Australia’s elite military unit. reporting uncovered allegations of war crimes, intimidation, and abuse, catapulting them into what was later dubbed “the defamation trial of the century.” As the legal battle unfolded, McKenzie and Masters’ defense...

September 23, 2025 - Nepal -  Across South Asia and Gaza, the act of journalism has shifted from observation to confrontation, where reporters not only document turmoil but become frontline casualties in battles over narrative, survival, and power. In Bangladesh and Nepal, recent Gen Z-led protests have exposed journalists to attacks from multiple directions. Security forces have infiltrated newsrooms, coerced coverage directives, and threatened reporters to silence dissenting coverage. Meanwhile, protestors have accused the media of aligning with authorities, leaving correspondents trapped in a no-win dynamic: too critical and they are branded traitors, too cautious...

September 23, 2025 - Iran -  Journalist and women’s rights activist Jina Modarres-Gorji has been released from Sanandaj Central Prison after completing her prison term, following a high-profile case tied to Iran’s protests and press repression. Modarres-Gorji was initially arrested in November 2024 and subsequently sentenced by an appeals court to 16 months in prison for “forming an illegal group with the intent to overthrow the state” and one year for “propaganda against the state.” She was acquitted of “collaboration with hostile groups and governments.” Her original sentence had been much harsher: a Revolutionary Court...

September 23, 2025 - Peru -  Bogotá, September 23, 2025 — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Peruvian authorities to launch a full investigation into violent attacks against 16 journalists covering anti-government protests in Lima on September 20 and 21. The press advocacy group urged officials to ensure that those responsible are held to account, and to safeguard journalists’ rights to report on public-interest issues without fear. The incidents took place during large demonstrations against President Dina Boluarte. Police forces deployed rubber pellets, tear gas, and projectiles to disperse crowds, the National...

September 23, 2025 - Pakistan -  In a new campaign, Amnesty International highlights how Pakistani journalists routinely face heavy surveillance—both digital and physical—as part of their job, with consequences extending to their families, colleagues, and sources. The piece titled “In Pakistan, surveillance is part of the cost of being a journalist” recounts how phone tapping, location tracking, and scrutiny of call logs are used against reporters. When a journalist published a story on the military establishment, an acquaintance was forcibly disappeared for a week after being questioned about communications with the journalist. The campaign details...

September 23, 2025 - Turkey -  Istanbul, September 2025 — Eight Turkish journalists are under legal threat after being charged with “insult” and “disseminating false news” over remarks made during political talk shows. Three broadcasters from TELE1 were arrested after airing a graphic that compared President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Israel’s prime minister; they have since been released pending investigation. Meanwhile, columnists Barış Pehlivan of Cumhuriyet and Timur Soykan of BirGün stand accused of defaming the judiciary during a previous Halk TV discussion, each facing up to four and a half years in prison. Two...