News

September 10, 2025 - Palestine - New revelations show that the BBC ignored an internal request to correct a false claim that Al-Jazeera journalist Anas Al-Sharif had worked with Hamas before he died in Gaza. The claim, which has been repeatedly denied by Al-Jazeera, appeared in BBC coverage and was circulated on its website, live blog, and even a TikTok verification video, raising serious questions about editorial standards and the handling of sensitive information involving journalists in conflict zones. According to Novara Media, an internal email sent on August 18 to the BBC’s “collective newsroom...

September 10, 2025 - Nigeria - A journalist in Kebbi State, Hassan Mai-Waya Kangiwa, has been detained following the release of a video that exposed deplorable conditions at Kangiwa General Hospital. The footage showed an elderly patient lying on a bare metal bedframe without a mattress, sparking outrage among locals and civil society. The arrest was reportedly ordered by the state’s governor, Nasir Idris, after the video circulated widely on social media. Activists, opposition figures, and human rights groups have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom. Omoyele Sowore, a well-known opposition...

September 10, 2025 - Nigeria - Nasir Hassan Yelwa, a journalist and member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), was arrested by police officers on Tuesday while covering a peaceful religious procession in Abuja. The event was organized by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, alongside other Muslim worshippers to mark the Maulid, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. According to eyewitnesses, Yelwa had been formally invited to document the Maulid procession. Around 2 p.m. in the Apo area of the capital, police intercepted him and took him into custody. He...

September 10, 2025 – Italy – Hundreds of Italian journalists gathered in Rome on Tuesday to honour media workers who have lost their lives during the Gaza conflict. The demonstration, organized by the Italian Journalists Association and Articolo 21, saw participants reading aloud the names of their colleagues killed, in a public show of mourning and protest. Organisers said that 289 media workers have died in connection with the conflict. According to Articolo 21 spokesman Beppe Giulietti, there has never been such a high number of journalists killed in a single conflict. He emphasised the...

September 10, 2025 - Nepal -  Nepal has been rocked by violent protests following the government’s controversial decision to ban 26 major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, Reddit, and Signal. While TikTok and Viber remained accessible, the move sparked outrage among the country’s youth, who took to the streets in massive demonstrations. The protests, led largely by students and young activists, quickly escalated into clashes with security forces outside Parliament and across Kathmandu. On September 8, 2025, the unrest turned deadly. Authorities deployed tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and even...

September 10, 2025 ‒ Turkey ‒ A Turkish court has handed down a one-year, eight-month suspended sentence to journalist Mehmet Baran Kılıç on charges of “unlawful acquisition and dissemination of personal data,” following his reporting on a pro-government university official. The verdict relates to Kılıç’s investigative work exposing alleged misconduct by the official, including misuse of public resources. The court found that Kılıç had obtained documents through means deemed “unlawful” under Turkish law and then published details of them. Although the sentence is suspended, meaning Kılıç will not serve time if he avoids further infractions...

September 10, 2025 - India -  In a major development in a long-drawn case, the special CBI court in Siwan is scheduled to pronounce sentences today, September 10, 2025, against three individuals convicted for the 2016 murder of veteran journalist Rajdev Ranjan. The verdict follows the court’s August 30 ruling that found Vijay Kumar Gupta, Sonu Kumar Gupta, and Rohit Kumar Soni guilty of the crime, while three others—Laddan Mian (Azharuddin Baig), Rajesh Kumar, and Rishu Kumar Jaiswal—were acquitted due to insufficient evidence. Ranjan, the Siwan bureau chief of the Hindi daily Hindustan, was fatally...

September 10, 2025 - Gabon -  Reporters Without Borders (RSF) recently travelled to Libreville to meet with President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema and government ministers to assess progress and propose reforms for press freedom in Gabon. Since President Nguema took office in August 2023, Gabon’s ranking in the RSF World Press Freedom Index has improved dramatically—jumping 80 places, from 121st in 2020 to 41st in 2025. During the meeting on 9 September, RSF’s delegation—led by Director General Thibaut Bruttin and Sub-Saharan Africa Director Sadibou Marong—commended Gabon’s recent advances. These include better conditions for journalists, the...

September 10, 2025 - UK -  Reach plc—publisher of the Mirror, Express, Daily Star, Liverpool Echo, Manchester Evening News and numerous regional titles—is planning its “biggest-ever” reorganisation of its editorial operations, putting 321 roles at risk of redundancy and creating 135 new roles, resulting in a net loss of 186 editorial positions. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) estimates that this latest move could put as many as 600 journalists in total at risk, including those affected indirectly by the changes. The restructure aims to reshape Reach’s editorial functions significantly, with priorities including the expansion of...

September 10, 2025 - Peru - In the Puno region of Peru, a growing conflict has emerged between the judiciary and local press workers after a judicial proceeding was launched against Óscar Pareja Castro, director of Diario Los Andes. The litigation was initiated by Judge Juan Francisco Ticona Ura, who is also the former president of the Superior Court of Justice of Puno. The judge is demanding a retraction of a published piece that critiqued his performance as court president. Journalists view this move as an attempt to silence criticism and limit oversight. The dispute...

September 10, 2025 - General -  Media-freedom organisations, including the International Press Institute (IPI) have welcomed the European Commission’s recent €2.95 billion antitrust fine against Google for abusing its dominance in digital advertising technology (adtech). They argue that while the fine is a significant step, it does not go far enough to curb the underlying structural problems. These groups assert that Google’s conduct — including favouring its own ad exchange (“AdX”) and display-ad serving tools — has imposed high costs on advertisers and squeezed revenue streams for independent publishers and news media. They are particularly...

September 09, 2025 – Georgia – At least six journalists were assaulted or robbed while reporting on anti-government protests in Tbilisi in early September, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports. The attacks occurred outside the Tbilisi campaign office of the Georgian Dream party. Among those harmed was Hungarian journalist László Róbert Mézes, who says he was beaten and had his phone stolen even though he was clearly marked as “Press.” He reported sustaining a broken finger and facial injuries. Journalists from outlets including Publika.ge, OC Media, and Netgazeti were also targeted. Keto Mikadze and...

September 09, 2025 - Cambodia/Thailand  - Two journalists from TSP 68 Online, Porn Sopheap and Pheap Pheara, have been arrested on treason charges after sharing a photograph linked to the Thai–Cambodian border conflict. The image reportedly depicted them standing with Cambodian soldiers at Ta Kwai Temple, taken following the July 28 ceasefire. Thai media interpreted the photo as showing unplanted landmines (PMN-2), escalating diplomatic and security concerns. According to the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defence of Human Rights (LICADHO), the journalists face accusations of "supplying a foreign state with information prejudicial to national...

September 09, 2025 - Azerbaijan - A Baku appellate court has denied the appeal from journalists associated with Abzas Media, upholding prison sentences ranging from 7½ to 9 years. Sentences were confirmed for seven media professionals, including director Ulvi Hasanli, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi, investigative journalist Hafiz Babali, economist Farid Mehralizade (also a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondent), and reporters Nargiz Absalamova, Elnara Gasimova, and coordinator Mahammad Kekalov. During the appeal hearing, the defendants publicly denounced the trial, chanting slogans such as “The ban on AbzasMedia’s activities is illegal,” “Journalism is not a crime,” and “Ilham...

September 09, 2025 - Nigeria - The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Oyo State has urgently called for a thorough investigation into the murder of journalist Ojo Peter, fatally shot by armed robbers in Ibadan. The NUJ described the attack as a profound tragedy, emphasising that no journalist should suffer such violence while performing their duties. Meanwhile, the International Press Centre (IPC) has also condemned the deadly incident, demanding accountability. Their statement made clear that those responsible must be brought to justice swiftly. Reports indicate that Ojo Peter, a seasoned reporter for Parrot Extra...

September 09, 2025 - DR Congo - On Monday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged both government and rebel authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to halt their harassment of Congolese journalist Tuver Wundi, who has endured two detentions and dismissal from his position at a national broadcaster in Goma. CPJ’s regional director Angela Quintal condemned the targeting of Wundi, stating, “Detaining [reporter] Tuver Wundi without just cause is a blatant attempt to intimidate the press and deprive the Congolese public of critical information about the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC.” She...

September 09, 2025 - Cyprus -  The Union of Cyprus Journalists (ESK) has formally joined the impending three-hour general strike set for Thursday, as part of a nationwide protest against attempts to alter the Cost-of-Living Allowance (CoLA). The union calls this participation a “crucial and essential mobilisation,” urging both members and non-members to refrain from all journalistic work—except for reporting on the strike itself. The move aims to underscore the essential role of CoLA in preserving wage purchasing power amid rising inflation. In solidarity with other major unions—SEK, PEO, PASYDY, and DEOK—ESK advocates for a...

September 09, 2025 - Afghanistan -  At a farewell gathering in Paktia province, Taliban commander Mohammad Omar Mukhlis—linked to the Haqqani network—made a disturbing admission: journalists were targeted for execution, had they not managed to flee the country. Mukhlis, about to be reassigned as head of Kabul’s Third Security District, declared, “We would have killed all the journalists… they were not journalists; they were traitors… but they survived, escaped, and reached their masters.” This statement underscores the grave risks facing media professionals in Afghanistan. Despite the Taliban publicly announcing amnesty, the regime continues a harsh...

September 09, 2025 - Palestine -  In a profoundly moving testimony to The Independent, Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, Wael al-Dahdouh, narrates unthinkable loss and relentless resolve. Known as the “mountain of Gaza” for his unwavering presence amid devastation, the 55-year-old journalist endured a staggering personal tragedy when an Israeli strike—while he was live on air—killed his wife Amina, two children aged 16 and seven, his eight-month-old grandson, and nine other relatives. Just months later, his cameraman and close friend Samer Abu Daqqa was killed in a school strike, and in January 2024, his son...

September 09, 2025 - Europe -  The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), in partnership with the City of Leipzig and the human rights organization Justice & Peace, officially inaugurated Shelter City Leipzig—an initiative designed to offer safe haven to journalists and media workers under threat. This establishment builds upon a decade of support through ECPMF’s Journalists-in-Residence Programme, and now formalizes Leipzig’s position within the international Shelter City network, coordinated by Justice & Peace in the Netherlands. Through the new Memorandum of Understanding, ECPMF will scale up its protective measures, continuing to offer...

September 09, 2025 - Turkey - A Turkish court has imposed a travel ban on journalist Tolga Şardan, following a criminal complaint filed by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK). The complaint stems from a column Şardan wrote, accusing the BTK’s central database—holding credentials for electronic signatures (e-signatures)—of being compromised in a major cybersecurity breach. Şardan had published his piece on September 5, 2025, warning that no user of e-signatures could consider their credentials secure. The BTK immediately dismissed the allegations as baseless and lodged the criminal complaint. On the day he was taken...

September 09, 2025 - Cuba -  Independent Cuban journalist Camila Acosta revealed on September 7–8, 2025, that her home in Havana has been under continuous surveillance by two agents from Cuba’s State Security, known as G2. In a post on her Facebook profile, she shared photographs of the agents and a nearby patrol car, which—according to friends and neighbors—is poised to detain her should she attempt to leave her home. Acosta described the agents in detail: one, a young man wearing a white sweater and likely no older than 22, appeared keen to create an...

September 09, 2025 - Georgia -  Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli—renowned founder and director of the independent outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti—has been selected as one of six laureates of the 2025 Free Media Award, a prestigious honor bestowed by the Norwegian Fritt Ord Foundation and the ZEIT Stiftung Bucerius. The award recognizes her unwavering 25-year commitment to journalistic integrity and ethics, during which she has built two of Georgia’s most trusted news platforms. Amaglobeli has emerged as a symbol of independent journalism in Georgia, but her recognition comes amid a troubling backdrop. She is currently serving...

September 09, 2025 - Azerbaijan -  Azerbaijan’s Baku Court of Serious Crimes upheld the nine-year prison sentence against Farid Mehralizada, a journalist and economist working with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Azerbaijani Service (Azadliq Radiosu). The decision rejected his appeal and solidified one of the harshest penalties handed down against independent media in the country. Mehralizada had been arrested in May 2024 on charges of smuggling, tax evasion, and forgery. From the beginning, he and his colleagues insisted the allegations were fabricated to punish him for investigative reporting that challenged the government’s economic policies and highlighted...

September 09, 2025 - Haiti - The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) issued a powerful condemnation on September 9, 2025, urging urgent protection for Haitian journalist and press freedom champion Joseph Guyler C. Delva amid escalating threats to his life that have forced him to pause his professional activities. Delva serves as the Secretary-General of SOS Journalistes Haiti and holds the position of vice-chair of IAPA’s Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information in Haiti. Since early August, he has faced persistent intimidation, including explicit death threats from unidentified individuals, which compelled him to suspend...