News

August 28, 2025 - Somalia -  The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) reported that a woman journalist based in Mogadishu was arrested and physically assaulted after she exposed an armed robbery committed by uniformed personnel. According to SJS, when the journalist challenged the authorities about the basis of her detention, she was grabbed by the neck and physically threatened by two armed officers. The assault underscores a deeply disturbing pattern in Somalia, where media professionals are increasingly targeted for reporting on abuses by those in positions of power. SJS strongly condemned the incident, calling it an...

August 28, 2025 - Ukraine/Russia -  The International Press Institute (IPI) warmly welcomed the release of two Ukrainian journalists — Dmytro Khilyuk and Mark Kaliush — who were recently freed from Russian detention. The announcement on August 27, 2025, marked a hopeful moment in a long-standing humanitarian plight. IPI celebrated the exchange as a positive but limited step toward restoring press freedom. While acknowledging the relief of seeing Khilyuk and Kaliush return home, IPI also renewed its urgent call for the immediate and unconditional release of nearly thirty additional journalists still held in Russia—many detained...

August 28, 2025 – Palestine – Israel’s military has come under scrutiny for reportedly establishing a covert intelligence unit—dubbed the “Legitimization Cell”—tasked with manufacturing narratives to justify the deaths of journalists in Gaza. Over 200 journalists have reportedly died during Israel’s military operations, prompting alarm over claims that Palestinian reporters are being deliberately targeted. According to independent Israeli Palestinian outlet +972 Magazine, the unit was created in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks to salvage Israel’s international image. Its key function: discredit journalists by asserting—even tenuously—that they have links to Hamas. Political scientist Ahron...

August 28, 2025 - Palestine -  The latest Haaretz column highlights a deeply unsettling reality: Western media is failing Gaza—treating local journalists not as valued colleagues, but as disposable headlines. Khoudary, the author, accuses foreign outlets of rapidly discarding their commitment to Gaza-based reporters once tragedy strikes, abandoning them instead of standing by a shared humanity. This collapse of trust carries grave consequences. As Gaza has become the deadliest place for journalists in the 21st century, with over 170 to 220 local reporters and media workers killed since late 2023, Palestinian journalists have borne the...

August 28, 2025 - USA -  The United States Department of Homeland Security has announced a new proposal that would significantly change the way foreign students, exchange visitors, and journalists are granted permission to remain in the country. Under the current system, these visas operate on a “duration of status” model, meaning holders can stay in the U.S. as long as they maintain their programs or assignments. The proposed rule seeks to impose fixed time limits, marking a major policy shift that would bring stricter oversight and greater restrictions. For students and exchange visitors, the...

August 28, 2025 - Palestine -  In the ongoing Gaza conflict, where the death toll among journalists continues to climb, Reuters has made a critical shift in its security protocol. After witnessing a surge in fatalities among media professionals, the news agency has ceased sharing the real-time locations of its reporting teams operating in Gaza with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). This decision underscores how dire the situation has become for journalists on the ground. NBC News first reported this change following multiple high-profile incidents in which journalists were killed by Israeli strikes. Among the...

August 28, 2025 - Palestine -  On August 25, 2025, the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis—the only fully functioning hospital in southern Gaza—was struck twice in quick succession by Israeli forces in what is known as a “double‑tap” strike. The first attack hit the hospital’s upper floor, and just minutes later, a second shell struck the same area while rescue workers and journalists rushed in, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 civilians, including five journalists. Among those killed were: Hussam al‑Masri, a Reuters cameraman. Mariam Abu Dagga, a 33-year-old freelance journalist for the...

August 27, 2025 – Maldives - At least five journalists were detained during protests against the proposed Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill, which critics say grants the government disproportionate control over the media. The detentions occurred as demonstrators, journalists among them, gathered outside the People’s Majlis and later the Presidential Office to oppose the bill’s passage. Among those detained were Muzayyin Nazim of Dhauru News, Mohamed Shahuzaan and Ahmed Aaidh of Adhadhu, and veteran journalist and former Media Council member Moosa Rasheed of Citizen News. They were released after receiving legal warnings, although police...

August 27, 2025 - Indonesia -  A wave of protests in Jakarta over lawmakers’ controversial housing allowances escalated into violent clashes that left one journalist injured and hundreds of demonstrators detained. According to the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), police arrested approximately 370 people, including nearly 200 minors, during the unrest that broke out on August 25. Demonstrators, largely students and activists, accused parliament members of corruption and condemned what they see as widening inequality in Indonesia. The protests centred on the revelation that lawmakers receive monthly housing allowances of around 50 million rupiah...

August 27, 2025 – Palestine/United States - Investigative reporting by Middle East Eye reveals that U.S. security contractors operating an aid distribution center in Gaza interrogated a source of Middle East Eye journalist Mohamed Salama, seeking information about his identity and whereabouts, just days before Salama was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Salama, who reported for both MEE and Al Jazeera, had relied on anonymity for his own safety while investigating sensitive issues. A person he interviewed, who subsequently became a source, revealed they were briefly detained and questioned by American contractors about Salama’s identity....

August 27, 2025 – United Kingdom/Palestine - David Hearst, editor-in-chief of Middle East Eye (MEE), has issued a blistering letter to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer following the deaths of two MEE journalists killed in Gaza. In the open letter, Hearst posed a series of pointed questions, demanding an international investigation into Israel’s repeated targeting of journalists. He also sought clarity on whether the UK's Ministry of Defence holds surveillance flight data from early August, which has not been disclosed. The move came amid mounting concern over the unprecedented loss of media lives: since October...

August 27, 2025 – Indonesia - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has denounced the violent assault on eight journalists who were covering an inspection of a lead smelting plant in Serang, Banten, an operation investigating alleged violations in hazardous and toxic waste management. The journalists represented a broad media spectrum, including Radar Banten, Tribun Banten, Bantennews.co.id, SCTV, Tempo, Antara, Banten TV, Jawa Pos TV, and Detik. RSF emphasized that the attack not only endangers media professionals but severely undermines environmental accountability and public awareness. On August 21, 2025, as ministry officials departed the site, security personnel...

August 27, 2025 – Bangladesh -  A Dhaka Cyber Tribunal has cleared journalist Elias Hossain of all charges under the Digital Security Act (DSA), ending a high-profile legal ordeal that began nearly three years ago. Judge Nure Alam delivered the acquittal on August 27, citing that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to substantiate the charges against him. Court official Mohammad Jewel Miah confirmed that no witnesses appeared to testify on the scheduled date, prompting the court to close the testimony phase and deliver a clean verdict for Elias. The original case was initiated...

August 27, 2025 – Paraguay - Journalist Jéssica Martínez was violently struck in the chest by a security guard of Justice Minister Rodrigo Nicora while attempting to report outside the Emboscada Antigua Penitentiary. The attack occurred unexpectedly during her routine coverage and was captured on video, sparking immediate outrage among media professionals and observers.  In response to mounting pressure from her colleagues, who demanded at a minimum an institutional apology, the Ministry of Justice issued a statement via WhatsApp. In it, Minister Nicora expressed regret for the "inappropriate action of his guard." The incident prompted...

August 27, 2025 – Argentina - Photojournalist Pablo Grillo, who suffered life-threatening head trauma after being struck by a tear gas canister fired by military police during a pensioners’ protest against President Javier Milei’s government in Argentina in March, has undergone his eighth surgery amid a plateau in neurological recovery. Despite hopes raised by an August 13 procedure implanting skull prosthetics, his family announced on August 27 that Grillo was "not recovering as expected" and urgently required another surgical intervention to address critically low cerebrospinal fluid levels. Following the operation earlier this week, Pablo’s father,...

August 27, 2025 – Palestine -  Fulwell Group CEO Leo Pearlman has deleted a controversial LinkedIn post in which he claimed that slain Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif was a “terrorist masquerading as a journalist.” The post drew immediate outrage from media professionals and human rights advocates, who condemned it as a dangerous smear against a reporter killed while covering Israel’s war in Gaza. Pearlman removed the post after intense backlash, but criticism continued across social media, with many denouncing his remarks as irresponsible and dehumanising. Journalists and press freedom defenders warned that such rhetoric...

Augst 27, 2025 - Palestine - An investigative exposé by +972 Magazine and Local Call reveals that the Israeli military established a clandestine unit—dubbed the “Legitimisation Cell”—with a disturbing mandate: to collect intelligence that smears Gaza-based journalists by falsely portraying them as Hamas operatives, effectively rationalizing their targeting in airstrikes. This tactic is widely viewed as a propaganda tool—part of Israel’s broader hasbara (public diplomacy) strategy—rather than a legitimate security measure. The operation of the “Legitimisation Cell” is both calculated and chilling. Following heightened international condemnation over the killing of reporters, the unit allegedly scoured for...

August 27, 2025 - Lebanon/USA -  A visit by US Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, simultaneously serving as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and envoy for Syria, has ignited political tensions in Lebanon following unexpected remarks during a Beirut press conference. Barrack’s mission to bolster regional stability included promoting an ambitious economic initiative that would offer jobs for potential ex-Hezbollah fighters via investment in a southern Lebanon economic zone. The plan, backed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, aims to soften Hezbollah’s entrenched influence by incentivizing disarmament through sustained economic alternatives. Barrack’s diplomatic agenda also involved...

August 27, 2025 – Poland/Ukraine - The dismissal of Ukrainian-born journalist Vitalii Mazurenko from his role as deputy editor-in-chief at the Polish outlet Obserwator Międzynarodowy has sparked debate about free expression and political sensitivity in Warsaw. The decision came after Mazurenko used the word “pachan,” a Russian criminal slang term meaning crime boss, to describe Polish President Karol Nawrocki during a live interview on Polsat News. The editorial board of the publication quickly issued a statement distancing itself from his words. It stressed that the comment reflected only Mazurenko’s personal view and underscored that the...

August 26, 2025 – Belarus -  Belarusian freelance journalist Aleh Supruniuk has been sentenced to three years in prison following a closed trial on August 8. He was found guilty of “participating in an extremist group” after writing at least 43 articles for the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), which the government declared an extremist organization in early 2023. His sentencing was officially announced on August 25 by BAJ, which continues to operate in exile. Supruniuk, based in Brest, had been detained since January 2025 after an earlier administrative arrest in December 2024, when authorities searched...

August 26, 2025 – Belgium - The International Press Association (API‑IPA) has urgently called on Belgian authorities to halt the expulsion of journalist Margarita Zuaui and her 18-year-old son, following the termination of her residency under family reunification grounds. API‑IPA president Dafydd ab Iago emphasised that Zuaui and her son have fully complied with legal requirements and have been living in Belgium for years, stressing the importance of their right to remain and continue working as journalists under European principles of proportionality and fairness. Zuaui, a Russian national and API‑IPA member since 2023, has resided...

August 26, 2025 - General -  On August 25, 2025, Al Jazeera strongly condemned an Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis that killed its cameraman, Mohammad Salama, along with four other journalists. The attack, described as a double-tap strike where rescuers and journalists were hit after rushing to the initial blast, killed at least 21 people in total. Al Jazeera said Salama’s death raised the network’s toll to 10 journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023, part of a wider pattern of more than 240 journalist deaths in the enclave. In a...

August 26, 2025 – Somalia - Reporting on critical social issues like poverty, hunger, and police brutality in Somalia remains extraordinarily dangerous. According to Index on Censorship, more than 80 media workers have been killed since 1992, and countless others, journalists and ordinary citizens alike, have been forced into self-censorship or exile to avoid arrest, harassment, or worse. A recent government directive now explicitly forbids any public or media discussion of “insecurity” in the capital, Mogadishu. The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Daud Aweis, has warned that violations could result in prosecution and “severe...

August 26, 2025 – Afghanistan - Afghan journalist Shikib Ahmad Nazari, who reports for Nippon TV News and other international outlets, has been detained by Taliban authorities since July 24 following a raid on his Kabul office by approximately 15 intelligence and morality police agents. He was initially held at a morality police detention centre for a week before being transferred to a Taliban intelligence prison, according to reports by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). This arrest drew immediate and sharp criticism from press freedom advocates. CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Director, Beh Lih Yi, demanded Nazari’s...

August 26, 2025 – Palestine -  Israeli journalist Zvi Yehezkeli has provoked outrage after openly endorsing the killing of Palestinian journalists during a “double-tap” Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital. Speaking on i24 News, Yehezkeli portrayed the targeted media workers not as civilians or professionals but as legitimate targets, remarks widely condemned as an attack on journalism itself and a justification for war crimes. His comments reflect a disturbing trend within segments of Israeli media, where the deaths of Palestinian journalists have been celebrated rather than mourned. An article in Haaretz titled “Better Late Than...