News

May 20, 2025 - Sudan -  On May 18, 2025, Sudanese freelance photojournalist Al-Shykh Al-Samany Saadaldyn Mousa Abdulla, known professionally as "Sheikho," was killed in a drone strike while covering a pro-Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) event organized by the Sudan Shield Forces in the Al-Butna area of central eastern Sudan. The attack, suspected to have been carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), also resulted in the deaths of at least seven SAF soldiers and injuries to 14 others. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for an immediate and thorough investigation...

May 19, 2025 - Turkey - Turkish journalist İsmail Arı, a reporter for the independent outlet BirGün, has been subjected to death threats following his investigative reporting on alleged bribery and corruption involving a public official. His exposé, which scrutinized questionable financial dealings and political connections, sparked backlash that quickly escalated into serious security concerns for both Arı and his family. Shortly after the article was published, Arı began receiving threatening messages warning him to stop his reporting. One chilling message referenced his home address and suggested that Ankara, the capital where he resides, is...

May 19, 2025 - India -  Dharmendra Singh Chauhan, a seasoned journalist based in Haryana, was shot dead outside his home in Luhari village, Jhajjar district, on the night of May 18, 2025. The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from journalist unions and press freedom advocates, who are demanding swift justice and increased protections for reporters. According to reports, Chauhan, associated with the regional outlet Fast News India, was taking a routine walk near his home after dinner when unidentified assailants attacked him. Witnesses said they heard multiple gunshots before finding Chauhan critically injured on...

May 19, 2025 - Palestine/Israel - On December 26, 2024, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) strongly condemned the Israeli military's killing of five journalists in Gaza, labeling the act a deliberate war crime. The journalists were killed when an Israeli airstrike targeted a broadcast vehicle near Al-Awda Hospital in Al-Nuseirat camp, central Gaza Strip. This incident is part of a broader pattern of violence against Palestinian media workers. Since the onset of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza on October 7, 2023, over 210 journalists have been killed, with many more injured or displaced. The...

May 18, 2025 - Palestine/USA -  On May 17, 2025, American journalist Eric Maddox was detained by the Israeli army while documenting a march organized by illegal Israeli settlers in the Old City of Hebron, located in the southern West Bank. Maddox, an activist and podcaster from California, was filming what was described as a "provocative march" when he was assaulted by settlers and subsequently arrested by Israeli soldiers. Footage shared on social media platforms, including the Quds News Network, shows Maddox surrounded by Israeli soldiers who handcuffed and detained him. Issa Amro, founder of...

May 18, 2025 - Crimea/Russia -  Lutfiye Zudiyeva, a Crimean Tatar journalist and human rights defender, continues to face sustained harassment and intimidation from Russian authorities in occupied Crimea due to her reporting and activism. Zudiyeva is a key member of the Crimean Solidarity movement and a contributor to the Ukrainian outlet Graty. Her work focuses on documenting politically motivated prosecutions and systemic abuses, especially those targeting the Crimean Tatar population following Russia’s 2014 annexation of the peninsula. On February 22, 2024, Zudiyeva’s home in Dzhankoy was raided by officers from Russia’s Center for Combating...

May 18, 2025 - Palestine - The ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza has claimed the lives of five more Palestinian journalists, pushing the total number of media professionals killed in the Strip since October 7, 2023, to 222. These latest casualties highlight the increasingly perilous conditions for journalists attempting to report on the ground. Among those killed was photojournalist Aziz al-Hajjar, who died alongside his wife and children after Israeli warplanes targeted their home in the Saftawi neighborhood of northern Gaza. Al-Hajjar’s death marks yet another instance of entire families being wiped out in...

May 17, 2025 - Iran/UK -  British authorities have charged three Iranian nationals with planning acts of violence against journalists affiliated with Iran International, a London-based Persian-language media outlet critical of the Iranian government. The suspects—Mostafa Sepahvand, Farhad Javadi Manesh, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori—were arrested on May 3 and charged under the UK’s National Security Act with assisting a foreign intelligence service and conducting surveillance to support potential attacks. According to prosecutors, the trio gathered intelligence between August 2024 and February 2025 in preparation for a possible attack on individuals associated with Iran International....

May 17, 2025 - Syria - Syria has strongly condemned the disappearance of a Syrian journalist reportedly abducted in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a serious violation of international law and a direct assault on press freedom. The journalist, who was working near the ceasefire line, went missing earlier this month under unclear circumstances. The Syrian Ministry of Information announced that the journalist had been reporting on Israeli activities in the occupied region when contact with him was abruptly lost. His whereabouts remain unknown, raising fears of enforced disappearance. Damascus has accused Israeli forces...

May 17, 2025 - Sweden/Turkey -  A Swedish journalist has returned home after being released from a Turkish prison, where he had been held for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The arrest raised fresh concerns over press freedom and political repression in Turkey, particularly the use of defamation laws to target foreign and domestic journalists alike. The journalist, known for his reporting on human rights and conflicts in the Middle East, was detained in southeastern Turkey earlier this year while covering politically sensitive topics, including Kurdish issues and government policy. He was accused of...

May 17, 2025 - India -  In a significant development in Telangana, two women journalists—Revathi Pogadadanda and Thanvi Yadav—were arrested on March 12, 2025, for allegedly circulating a derogatory video targeting Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. The video, featuring an elderly farmer making offensive remarks about the Chief Minister, was reportedly shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by Revathi, managing director of Pulse Digital News Network, and amplified by Yadav, a reporter with the same organization. The video went viral, leading to public outcry and subsequent legal action. A complaint was filed by...

May 16, 2025 - Tunisia -  Concerns are mounting over the rapidly worsening health of a Tunisian journalist currently on hunger strike in prison. After more than 25 days without food, the journalist’s condition has reportedly reached a critical stage, with recent updates indicating hospitalization due to severe health complications. The journalist, who has been in detention on charges widely seen as politically motivated, began the hunger strike in protest against what rights groups have called unjust imprisonment and the erosion of press freedoms in Tunisia. Alongside other political detainees, the journalist is demanding fair...

May 16, 2025 - Bosnia & Herzegovina -  Journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina are increasingly being recognized as key allies in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV). With rising public awareness and policy efforts still falling short, media professionals are stepping up to raise their voices, challenge harmful narratives, and advocate for change. Recent initiatives across the country have focused on equipping journalists with the skills and tools needed to report responsibly and effectively on issues related to GBV. These efforts include training programs, community forums, and institutional support that aim to strengthen ethical, trauma-informed...

May 16, 2025 - Zimbabwe -  The recent arrest and prolonged detention of a journalist in Zimbabwe have sparked growing alarm over the country’s intensifying crackdown on independent media. The journalist was taken into custody in February 2025 after interviewing a war veteran who criticized the president. Authorities charged the reporter with “transmitting data messages inciting violence or property damage” under the Cyber and Data Protection Act—legislation increasingly used to target dissenting voices. Human rights observers have denounced the arrest as arbitrary and politically motivated, arguing that it exemplifies the misuse of legal tools to...

May 16, 2025 - UK/Syria -  British journalist Richard Medhurst’s case has emerged as a significant test for press freedom and the use of anti-terror laws in the UK. Medhurst, known for his critical reporting on Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon, was arrested in August 2024 under the Terrorism Act 2000. He faces serious charges, including alleged support for a banned organization, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to 14 years. In addition, Medhurst is being prosecuted for refusing to provide passwords to his electronic devices, a stand he defends as essential...

May 16, 2025 - Cambodia -  On May 16, 2025, Cambodian environmental journalist Ouk Mao was arrested by plainclothes military officers at his home in Stung Treng province. The officers, arriving in an unmarked vehicle, detained Mao without presenting a warrant, stating only that "their boss wanted to speak to Mao about a piece of land." He was subsequently taken to the Stung Treng Provincial Gendarmerie Headquarters and remains in custody awaiting a court hearing. Mao, 49, has been a prominent figure in exposing illegal logging and land grabs in Cambodia's protected areas. His investigative...

May 16, 2025 - General -  Journalists in conflict zones are increasingly targeted, facing violence, injury, and death. A Lebanese war reporter, who lost a limb while covering frontline battles, has highlighted the growing impunity for attacks on journalists. He emphasizes that such assaults are not only attacks on individuals but on the truth itself. The United Nations has condemned these acts, urging nations to hold perpetrators accountable and ensure journalists can work without fear. In Gaza, the situation is dire. Over 160 journalists have been killed since October 2023, with many targeted despite wearing...

May 16, 2025 - Pakistan/India -  Following the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists, the Indian government has intensified its efforts to counter digital misinformation and propaganda. Central to this response is the blocking of 16 Pakistani YouTube channels accused of promoting false narratives and inflaming communal tensions. According to India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, these channels were found spreading disinformation about India’s internal affairs, including the Kashmir conflict and India’s armed forces. The government’s order stated that the content was deemed harmful...

May 15, 2025 - Palestine -  On May 15, 2025, Palestinian journalist Ahmed al-Halou was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza, becoming the 242nd journalist to die in the conflict since October 2023. Al-Halou worked with the Al-Quds News Network and was among several civilians killed during intense Israeli bombardment that struck various parts of Gaza, including Gaza City and Khan Younis. The strikes caused multiple civilian casualties. In Khan Younis, three members of the Al-Amour family were killed when their house in Al-Fukhari was hit. A young girl, Mariam Abdul Rahman Hussein Al-Buraim,...

May 15, 2025 - Nigeria -  In May 2025, Nigerien authorities detained three journalists from Sahara FM, a private radio station in Agadez, following their broadcast about the country's military cooperation with Russia. The journalists—Hamid Mahmoud (acting editor-in-chief), Mahaman Sani (news presenter), and Massaouda Jaharou—were initially arrested on May 7 after airing a report based on an article by France-based outlet LSI Africa, which claimed that Niger had discreetly ended its intelligence cooperation with Russia and Turkey due to dissatisfaction with military equipment. After their initial release, the journalists were rearrested on May 10, marking...

May 15, 2025 - Turkey -  On May 14, 2025, Turkish journalist Evrim Kepenek was sentenced to 10 months in prison over a news report concerning the alleged sexual abuse and death of a two-year-old child in Istanbul's Beylikdüzü district. Kepenek, who serves as the Women’s News Editor for the independent outlet Bianet, faced charges of violating the confidentiality of an investigation. The court deferred the announcement of the verdict, meaning the sentence will not be enforced unless she commits a similar offense during the probation period. The case centers on Kepenek’s early reporting on...

May 15, 2025 - Turkey - On May 15, 2025, Turkish journalist Furkan Karabay was arrested in Istanbul due to his investigative reporting on government probes into opposition mayors, including Istanbul’s Ekrem İmamoğlu. Karabay, known for his critical stance against the ruling government, has also faced legal repercussions for his outspoken commentary on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his family. Karabay was detained after publishing reports related to the investigation of opposition mayors, which included the arrest of İmamoğlu in March. The charges against him include insulting the president and targeting public officials involved in...

May 15, 2025 - Palestine/Israel - On May 15, 2025, Palestinian journalist Hassan Marzouq Samour was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis, Gaza, along with 13 members of his family. Samour, 45, was a radio presenter and producer for Al-Aqsa Radio. The attack occurred while the family was sheltering in a tent, highlighting the ongoing dangers faced by civilians and journalists amid the intensifying conflict. Samour's death is part of a broader escalation of Israeli military operations in Gaza, which reportedly resulted in at least 70 Palestinian casualties that...

May 15, 2025 - India -  Rejaz M Sheeba Sydeek, a 26-year-old student activist and independent journalist from Kerala, was arrested in Nagpur, Maharashtra, on May 8, 2025, over Instagram posts critical of the Indian government’s military actions. The arrest, which was carried out by Nagpur police, has stirred debate about freedom of expression and the use of anti-terror laws against dissenting voices. Sydeek has been charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), along with several provisions of the newly introduced Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). These include charges for allegedly “preparing to wage...

May 14, 2025 - China -  Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, known for reporting from Wuhan during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, remains in a critical health condition and under mysterious circumstances following the supposed end of her prison sentence. Human rights groups warn that she is at imminent risk of death due to prolonged health complications from a hunger strike she maintained during her detention in protest of unjust imprisonment. Zhang, a former lawyer, was arrested in May 2020 for publishing video reports from Wuhan, which contradicted the Chinese government’s official narrative...