News

July 19, 2025 - Benin - Beninese journalist Cosme Hounsa, editor of the newspaper La Boussole, was arrested earlier this week following an online harassment complaint lodged by Minister-Counsellor Rachidi Gbadamassi. Hounsa was taken into custody by the National Centre for Digital Investigations in Cotonou under charges of harassment via electronic means. On July 18, Hounsa was released from detention, though the investigations and legal processes continue. Judicial sources confirm he may be summoned again as the investigation remains active. This case is part of a wider crackdown on press freedom and digital dissent in...

July 19, 2025 - Bahrain -  Bahraini journalist Fatima Al‑Yaqoub, speaking at an international panel organised by the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, emphasised that women in media must serve as genuine symbols of resistance rather than ornamental figures. Addressing the panel titled “Media: An Effective Tool for Unity and Resistance,” she underscored the importance of media as a “fourth power” in societal discourse and warned against letting adversaries dominate this sphere. Al‑Yaqoub referred to historical examples such as the U.S. Creel Committee of 1916 to illustrate how the media has been used...

July 19, 2025 - Pakistan -  A harrowing moment during live TV coverage in Pakistan has gone viral, capturing a reporter being swept away by powerful floodwaters near Chahan Dam in Rawalpindi’s Koh Sulaiman region. Footage shows Ali Musa Raza, reporting for Rohi-TV, wading into neck-deep water to convey the severity of the disaster when the increasing current overwhelmed him, dragging him under the surface while the broadcast continued. The incident occurred amid relentless monsoon rains that have battered Pakistan since late June. The downpour has claimed at least 116 lives, 54 in Punjab province alone...

July 19, 2025 - Italy -  In a recent interview with Habilian, Italian journalist and Marx21 editor Marco Pondrelli argued that Israel employs terrorism as a deliberate strategic tool in its regional agenda. He claimed that Israeli military actions in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran are not isolated incidents but part of a broader policy aimed at weakening resistance movements and asserting dominance in the Middle East. Pondrelli stated that Israel targets civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and media outlets to destabilise societies and erode morale. He dismissed Israeli justifications that these operations are focused...

July 19, 2025 - USA  -  On July 17, 2025, a protest over U.S. immigration enforcement led to the arrest of at least 13 individuals, including two journalists, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The demonstration centered around the controversial detention of Ayman Soliman, an Egyptian immigrant and former hospital chaplain at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Soliman, a torture survivor and former journalist during Egypt’s Arab Spring, was arrested by ICE during a routine check-in on July 9, sparking widespread criticism. Protesters gathered on the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, which connects Cincinnati, Ohio, to Covington, Kentucky, to demand...

July 19, 2025 - Pakistan - In a surreal and alarming development in Pakistan, several parrot sellers have had their bank accounts frozen simply for selling birds to Asad Ali Toor, a prominent independent journalist known for his criticism of state institutions. The bizarre incident underscores the growing use of financial repression against dissenting voices and their associates. Toor, a well-known journalist and vlogger, discovered in April 2025 that both his own and his mother’s bank accounts had been frozen. The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing reportedly carried out the order without warning...

July 18, 2025 - India -  Veteran journalist and YouTuber Ajit Anjum is facing serious legal trouble after an FIR was filed against him on July 13, 2025, by a booth-level officer in Sahebpur Kamal, Begusarai district, Bihar. The FIR accuses him of criminal trespass, obstruction of public duty, inciting communal disharmony, and spreading misinformation. These charges were filed under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Representation of the People Act. Anjum had visited a Special Summary Revision (SSR) camp and filmed a video highlighting alleged irregularities in the voter list process. He questioned...

July 18, 2025 - USA -  Michael Tanner, the former Chief Operating Officer of the Park City School District, has initiated a defamation lawsuit against freelance journalist Michelle Deininger. Filed on July 17, in Summit County’s Third District Court, the suit accuses Deininger of publishing false and damaging statements in her reporting for The Park Record and other media outlets. Tanner served as COO from 2019 until March 31, 2025, overseeing the district’s construction projects and security measures. His role was eliminated as part of a reduction in workforce, a move that his lawsuit contests,...

July 18, 2025 - Bangladesh -  Khandaker Shah Alam, a local journalist from Bangladesh, has died after succumbing to injuries sustained in a brutal targeted attack in June 2025. His death has drawn strong condemnation from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which is urging Bangladeshi authorities to investigate the case swiftly and ensure that those responsible are held accountable. Alam, known for his community-based reporting, was attacked under circumstances that suggest he was deliberately targeted. Although the precise motive remains under investigation, the nature of the assault and his journalistic work point to a pattern of...

July 18, 2025 - USA -  Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem came under fire following a heated exchange with a reporter during a press event in Nashville. When the reporter raised concerns from the Latino community about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) allegedly targeting individuals based on skin colour, Noem forcefully interrupted, calling the claim “absolutely false” and warning, “Don’t you dare ever say that again.” Noem insisted that ICE operations are based on reasonable suspicion following investigations and are conducted across the country, not limited to Latino neighbourhoods. However, the visual backdrop of the...

July 18, 2025 - Syria -  On July 16, 2025, Syria TV anchor Dima Abo Dan experienced a terrifying moment of real danger during a live broadcast. As she reported from the studio near Umayyad Square in central Damascus, a powerful Israeli airstrike struck close behind her, sending a shockwave through the building and momentarily freezing her on screen. In vivid detail, Dima recounted her experience to The New Arab, recalling how she entered the studio already tense, aware of Israel’s earlier threats. As she began reading the news, she felt the walls tremble and...

July 18, 2025 - Bolivia -  Journalists across Bolivia are speaking out following inflammatory comments by politician Ruth Nina, a former presidential candidate, who recently accused the media of inciting violence and distorting her public remarks. Her statements came after she controversially warned of possible violence during the upcoming general elections, saying the country would be "counting the dead" rather than votes. Nina’s comments sparked widespread backlash, particularly from press organizations. The National Association of Bolivian Journalists (ANPB) and the Association of International Press Correspondents in Bolivia (ACPI) issued a joint statement rejecting her claims...

July 18, 2025 - Iran -  A delegation of foreign journalists was escorted through Tehran by the IRGC to showcase sites struck in the recent Israeli airstrike campaign, part of Tehran’s effort to shape a narrative of damage, defiance, and resilience. The first stop on this media tour was the IRGC Aerospace Exhibition, featuring missile systems, drones, and satellite technology. Journalists were shown these assets to underscore Iran’s military capabilities and frame the Israeli strikes as an attack on sovereign defence infrastructure. The delegation then visited several bombed sites across the city, including a civilian...

July 18, 2025 - Turkey -  A leaked memo dated June 18, 2025, from Turkey’s Security General Directorate (Emniyet) reveals a covert strategy to circumvent INTERPOL’s political protections to secure a Red Notice against Levent Kenez, a Turkish journalist living in exile in Sweden. The memo, obtained by Nordic Monitor, is signed by İskender Güray Keskin, deputy head of the Interpol–Europol Department, and circulated among Turkey’s intelligence and judicial institutions. Kenez, based in Stockholm and editor of Nordic Monitor, fled Turkey in 2016 to escape fabricated charges. Turkish intelligence had repeatedly attempted—and failed—to obtain INTERPOL...

July 18, 2025 - USA -  Jeremy Lawson, 33, is facing felony assault charges after allegedly attacking conservative journalist Cam Higby during an anti-ICE rally outside a federal building in Seattle on June 11, 2025. Higby, who contributes to Today Is America, was filming the protest when Lawson reportedly struck him. The attack left Higby with a concussion and head trauma, which continues to affect his recovery. Video footage from the scene appears to show Lawson confronting Higby before the physical altercation. Seattle police arrested Lawson on July 16 following an investigation by their Community...

July 17, 2025 - Turkey -  Turkish journalist and prominent commentator Fatih Altayli is facing a potential prison sentence of at least five years after being formally indicted for allegedly threatening President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a YouTube broadcast. Prosecutors claim that Altayli’s remarks in a recent video amounted to a threat against the president’s life—an accusation rooted in Turkey’s controversial laws on presidential insult and threats. In the video, Altayli referenced a historical tradition, noting that Turks had previously deposed or even executed leaders they no longer supported. He was commenting on an unofficial...

July 17, 2025 - USA - Journalist protection advocates and civil rights groups are denouncing the Los Angeles Police Department for repeated attacks on members of the press during immigration-related protests. Demonstrations sparked by aggressive ICE deportation raids in early July saw several journalists reportedly targeted by LAPD officers, despite clearly identifying themselves. Incidents included the arrest of independent reporters, the use of “less-lethal” munitions on media crews, and physical obstruction of press coverage. CNN correspondent Jason Carroll and his crew were temporarily detained while covering a protest in downtown LA. In another incident, Status...

July 17, 2025 - Bosnia & Herzegovina - Al Jazeera Balkans (AJB), a highly respected regional broadcaster headquartered in Sarajevo, officially ceased operations on 12 July 2025, bringing nearly 14 years of independent journalism to an abrupt end. The channel aired its final live news broadcast at midday, followed by pre‑recorded programming until the signal was switched off at the month's end. The sudden closure is expected to displace 200–209 media workers, many of whom reportedly learned about the shutdown through media outlets rather than from internal communication by management, raising significant concerns over labor...

July 17, 2025 - Russia/UK -  In a startling development on July 16‑17, 2025, British counterterrorism officers detained and interrogated Steve Sweeney, the head of RT's Lebanon bureau, upon his arrival at Heathrow Airport. RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan reported that Sweeney was accused of “suspected terrorist activities.” Authorities confiscated his phone, laptop, and other devices, and subjected him to an intense interrogation focused on his work for Russia Today and alleged connections to foreign organizations. During the questioning, which lasted approximately four hours, police asked whether RT’s management forced Sweeney to say things against his will...

July 17, 2025 - Iran -  Iranian journalists are facing an alarming rise in repression, both inside the country and beyond its borders. According to recent reports from Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Iran’s government is aggressively targeting reporters through arrests, censorship, family intimidation, and transnational repression. Inside Iran, the crackdown has intensified since the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests and the June 2025 regional tensions with Israel. Authorities have detained hundreds of journalists, accusing them of spreading “fake news” or threatening national security. Among the most prominent cases were Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh...

July 16, 2025 - Iran  - UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has strongly condemned the deaths of Iranian media workers Nima Rajabpour and Masoumeh Azimi, who were killed during an Israeli airstrike on the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) headquarters in Tehran on June 16, 2025. Rajabpour, a 50-year-old news editor, and Azimi, an administrative staff member, were critically injured in the attack and died shortly thereafter. Their deaths highlight the severe risks faced by journalists and media personnel operating in conflict zones, where media infrastructure is increasingly targeted during military operations. Azoulay called for...

July 16, 2025 - Iraq - Iraqi Kurdish authorities have recently arrested and severely beaten three journalists while assaulting a fourth in a series of troubling incidents, according to a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). These actions have sparked significant alarm among press freedom advocates, highlighting the increasingly hostile environment for journalists operating in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. On July 14, Hersh Qadir, head of NRT’s Erbil office, was violently assaulted by three security personnel while covering a protest in Erbil’s Ainkawa district. According to Qadir, a man in plainclothes, who...

July 16, 2025 - France - Nearly 100 prominent public figures, including writers, artists, and intellectuals, have signed an open letter calling for the immediate release of French journalist Christophe Gleizes, who they say has been unjustly detained. The letter, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), expresses deep concern over the ongoing detention of Gleizes, describing it as a violation of press freedom and an attack on journalistic independence. Christophe Gleizes, known for his investigative reporting and commitment to uncovering difficult truths, was detained under unclear circumstances that his supporters argue lack proper legal justification....

July 16, 2025 - Syria - An Al Jazeera reporter narrowly escaped harm when an Israeli airstrike targeted Damascus, Syria, shaking the city and hitting key military and media sites. While covering the escalating conflict, Amin was caught in the chaos as the Israeli military launched strikes on multiple locations, including the Syrian army headquarters and a television studio. The strike occurred amid rising tensions between Israel and Syria, with Israeli forces targeting what they described as “military sites” in response to cross-border threats. The blast caused significant damage in Damascus, rattling buildings and forcing...

July 16, 2025 - Palestine - Veteran Palestinian journalist Dr. Nasser Laham, editor-in-chief of Ma’an News Agency, was released by Israeli authorities after being held for eight days on allegations of “incitement.” Laham, a well-known media figure in the West Bank, was detained at his home in Bethlehem without being formally charged. His arrest and detention drew strong criticism from press freedom advocates, who described it as arbitrary and politically motivated. During his detention, Laham reportedly endured harsh conditions, including solitary confinement and limited access to legal counsel. Human rights organisations condemned the treatment and...