News

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...

July 16, 2025 - Nicaragua -  On 12 July 2024, Nicaraguan independent journalist and feminist activist Fabiola Tercero Castro vanished immediately after a police raid on her home in Managua. Seven officers reportedly seized her work equipment—including a computer—and she has not been seen or heard from since. Tercero was under house arrest at the time and forced to report daily to a police station, though no official charges were ever filed against her. RSF (Reporters Without Borders) describes her case as a possible forced disappearance and calls on Nicaraguan authorities to clarify her status....

July 16, 2025 - Ecuador -  In July 2025, Ecuador's Morona Santiago province witnessed a series of coordinated cyberattacks targeting local media outlets, resulting in the mass deletion of news content from their digital platforms. The affected outlets—La Mañana MS, Exprésate Morona Santiago, and Radio Sentimientos—reported that takedown requests were filed on the basis of alleged copyright violations. However, these media organizations contend that the true intent behind these actions was to suppress critical reporting on local authorities, particularly the Morona Santiago local and regional governments. This incident is part of a broader pattern of...

July 15, 2025 - Pakistan -  The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has raised urgent concerns about mounting threats to press freedom in Pakistan, citing a sharp rise in violence, harassment, and legal intimidation targeting media professionals. According to the IFJ’s latest Pakistan Press Freedom Report, shared with the Chief Justice of Pakistan, 34 violations were recorded between May 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025. These included 7 targeted killings, 8 incidents of non-fatal violence, and several cases involving defamation, threats, arrests, and institutional assaults. The IFJ warned that these escalating violations are fostering a...

July 15, 2025 - India - Indian journalist and YouTuber Ajit Anjum has been booked by Bihar police for allegedly disrupting an official electoral roll revision process in Begusarai district. An FIR was lodged against him on July 14 after a confrontation at a government office that led to accusations of interference with the duties of public servants and violating the Model Code of Conduct. According to police reports and statements from the Election Commission, Anjum visited a polling booth in Teghra, Begusarai, and recorded videos during an ongoing summary revision drive for the electoral...

July 15, 2025 - Palestine - The National Press Club’s Press Freedom Centre has issued a strong call for the immediate release of Palestinian journalist Ali Al-Samoudi, who has been detained by Israeli authorities since May 18, 2024. Al-Samoudi, a veteran journalist based in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, has worked for over two decades with several local and international outlets, including Al-Quds newspaper. He is known for covering Israeli military operations and reporting on Palestinian life under occupation. The Press Freedom Centre emphasised that Al-Samoudi’s arrest is part of a broader and deeply...

July 15, 2025 – Burkina Faso – Kalifara Séré, a columnist for the private television channel BF1, has reappeared in Ouagadougou after being missing for over a year. He was abducted on June 19, 2024, during a wave of disappearances targeting journalists critical of Burkina Faso’s military leadership. His sudden return on July 11, 2025, offers some relief, but six other journalists remain missing under similar circumstances, prompting renewed calls for accountability. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and IFEX have both expressed deep concern about the pattern of enforced disappearances. While Séré has not publicly commented...

July 15, 2025 - Palestine -  A CNN news team was assaulted by Israeli settlers in Sinjil, near Ramallah, while covering the death of 20-year-old Palestinian‑American, Saif Musallet. Jeremy Diamond, a Jerusalem‑based correspondent who previously reported from the White House, was among those targeted. Diamond shared that the rear window of their vehicle was smashed as they fled unharmed, warning, “This is just a sliver of the reality many Palestinians face in the West Bank amid rising settler violence.” The attack unfolded over the weekend of July 12–13, after Musallet was beaten to death by...

July 15, 2025 - Kyrgyzstan - Kyrgyzstan has launched a sweeping assault on free press this July, tightening media controls through new legislation and judicial interference targeting independent outlets. On July 11, President Sadyr Japarov signed amendments to the national Code of Offenses imposing fines for “false information” disseminated via mass media or online platforms. The law authorizes fines of around 20,000 Kyrgyz soms (≈ US$228) for individuals and 65,000 soms (≈ US$743) for organizations. Advocates argue the law is vaguely defined and threatens to stifle dissent under the guise of curbing misinformation. Concurrently, a Bishkek court ordered the liquidation of...

July 15, 2025 – Lebanon - Petra Abou Haidar, a journalist working for the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI), was violently assaulted in a shocking road rage incident in the Furn El Chebbak area of Lebanon. The attack was carried out by a man and a woman riding an unlicensed motorcycle, who accused Abou Haidar of cutting them off in traffic. Following a verbal altercation, the man physically assaulted Abou Haidar by punching and kicking her, while the woman also participated by biting her. Bystanders intervened to stop the attack, after which the suspects fled...

July 15, 2025 – USA – The Washington Post is investigating a targeted cyberattack that compromised the email accounts of several of its journalists. The intrusion, discovered on June 12 and disclosed internally by Executive Editor Matt Murray on June 15, affected Microsoft-based email accounts used by reporters covering sensitive domains such as foreign affairs, national security, and economic policy, including China-related coverage. The breach is suspected to have been conducted by a foreign government, echoing a similar attack on News Corp in 2022 that targeted journalists working on China-related topics. Internal investigators believe the...