News

December 29, 2025 - Turkey -  A Turkish court has ordered the temporary release of journalist Eren Erdem pending appeal in a high-profile criminal case stemming from comments he made about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, marking a significant procedural development after months of legal uncertainty and detention. The decision, issued on December 30, 2025, comes as legal advocates and press freedom organisations intensify scrutiny over laws used to prosecute journalists for speech related to political leaders. (ABC News; JournalismPakistan; Stockholm Center for Freedom) Erdem, a veteran Turkish reporter and commentator known for critical reporting on...

December 29, 2025 - Guinea-Bissau - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has issued a formal appeal for comprehensive safeguards for journalists in Guinea-Bissau, warning that press freedom is under severe threat following the military coup on November 26, 2025. In statements released by RSF, the organisation described a deepening climate of media repression and urged both national authorities and international partners to take concrete actions to protect independent reporting and uphold the public’s right to information. RSF’s concerns stem from a rapid decline in media freedoms since the coup, which saw the dissolution of democratic institutions...

December 29, 2025 - Turkey -  A Turkish journalist was briefly detained by local law enforcement authorities earlier this week over allegations of insulting municipal officials in their published reporting, prompting criticism from press freedom advocates who say the incident highlights ongoing legal risks facing media workers in Turkey. The journalist, identified as [Name Withheld by Source], was taken into custody in Ankara on December 29, 2025, after publishing an article that criticised comments and conduct by city government representatives. Turkish police detained the reporter for questioning under provisions of the Turkish Penal Code that...

December 29, 2025 - Palestine -  A new report by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) asserts that Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 have resulted in the deaths of at least 706 relatives of Palestinian journalists, a development that has intensified debate over the risks faced by media workers and their families amid ongoing conflict. The PJS, speaking through its Freedoms Committee, described the killings as part of a systematic pattern of violence that goes beyond incidental war casualties and amounts to collective punishment aimed at silencing Palestinian reporting. According to...

December 28, 2025 - USA - Veteran television journalist Marvin Scott was honoured with the Key to the City of New York in a ceremony recognising his distinguished career and lasting contributions to journalism and the community. The award was presented by New York City Mayor Eric Adams on December 28, 2025, at City Hall, in front of family, colleagues, and civic leaders who gathered to celebrate Scott’s impact on local and national media. Scott, a long-time anchor and correspondent with PIX11 News, has spent decades reporting on major events, breaking news, and issues affecting...

December 28, 2025 - Palestine -  A senior Channel 12 journalist in Israel has filed a defamation lawsuit against several media personalities and commentators who publicly accused him of spreading “blood libel” against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in connection with his reporting on the Sde Teiman incident. The legal action, initiated in an Israeli civil court on December 28, 2025, reflects mounting tensions over media coverage of military operations and the boundaries of permissible criticism in a highly charged public environment. The lawsuit was filed by [Name Withheld for Privacy in Coverage], a veteran...

December 28, 2025 - Germany/Palestine -  A 25-year-old German journalist and activist, Anna Liedtke, has publicly accused Israeli forces of rape and systematic abuse during her detention following the interception of the Freedom Coalition Flotilla in international waters in 2025. Liedtke, who was aboard the humanitarian vessel Conscience attempting to reach the Gaza Strip, said she was held by Israeli authorities for five days and subjected to sexual violence amid prison transfers. According to her first public testimony since the incident, Liedtke was abducted when Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza-bound aid ship, roughly 100 nautical...

December 27, 2025 - Pakistan - A two-day leadership training workshop for women journalists concluded successfully in Pakistan, bringing together media professionals from across the country to strengthen leadership capabilities, ethical reporting practices, and gender-responsive approaches in newsrooms. Organised by the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) with support from national media partners, the event took place from December 28 to 29, 2025, at the National Press Club in Islamabad. The workshop aimed to empower women in journalism by equipping participants with practical tools and strategic insights essential for navigating editorial leadership roles and advancing in media...

December 27, 2025 - Lebanon/Jordan -  Family members of Lebanese journalist Mohammad Faraj, who has been held in Jordanian custody since December 2025, have publicly expressed deep concern for his health and safety, urging authorities to provide clarity on his condition and treatment amid continued uncertainty over the reasons for his detention. Faraj, a presenter and documentary producer with the Al-Mayadeen news network, was stopped by Jordanian officials upon arrival at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman from Beirut and has remained in detention without formal charges or a transparent legal process. Relatives of Faraj...

December 27, 2025 - Palestine -  The Palestinian Journalists Union (PJU) has sharply criticised the Government of Israel for what it describes as systematic efforts to silence Palestinian media, accusing authorities of escalating attacks, detentions, and restrictions that undermine press freedom in the occupied Palestinian territories. The union’s denunciation comes amid intensifying tensions and ongoing hostilities in the region, and highlights concerns about the safety and rights of journalists operating under protracted conflict conditions. In a public statement issued on December 26, 2025, the PJU accused Israeli forces of repeatedly targeting Palestinian media workers through...

December 26, 2025 - India - The prime accused in the murder case of Indian journalist Sahadev Dey, identified as S. Gangaya, has died while in custody at the G B Pant Hospital in Port Blair, authorities confirmed, bringing a dramatic development to a case that had gripped local and national media over allegations of targeted violence against a reporter. The death occurred on December 29, 2025, after Gangaya was transferred from Police Headquarters Quarters to the hospital earlier in the week for treatment of an unspecified illness. Gangaya had been detained in connection with...

December 26, 2025 - Russia - Ukrainian authorities have formally notified in absentia the head of a Russian detention centre of suspicion for torture and murder in connection with the deaths of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna and her colleague Ivan Matveyev, in a move that underscores Kyiv’s ongoing efforts to pursue accountability for war-related crimes. The notification was issued by Ukraine’s Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation, which say they have gathered evidence linking the facility’s leadership to systematic ill-treatment of detainees, including Roshchyna and Matveyev, while they were held in...

December 26, 2025 - Palestine - Rescue teams in the southern Gaza Strip have recovered the remains of 25 Palestinians from beneath the rubble of a collapsed home in Khan Younis, underscoring the enduring human cost of prolonged conflict and the challenges facing recovery efforts under the current ceasefire. Among the bodies identified were journalist Hiba Al-Abadleh and her mother, both of whom were reportedly killed during earlier Israeli military operations in the enclave. Civil Defence officials said the excavation was part of a wider effort to locate victims of earlier bombardments whose remains have...

December 25, 2025 - Pakistan -  A district and sessions court in Muzaffargarh, Punjab, has acquitted four suspects previously charged in the murder of local journalist Ashfaq Ahmed Sial, a decision that has drawn criticism from press freedom advocates and media professionals who say the verdict undermines efforts to secure justice for violence against journalists. The court’s ruling was delivered on December 25, 2025, concluding a case that began after Sial was fatally shot in a targeted attack in mid-2024. Ashfaq Ahmed Sial, a well-known reporter in the Muzaffargarh district, was ambushed and shot by...

December 25, 2025 - Nigeria -  A Nigerian travel journalist, Matthew Ojoduma, was detained in the Benin Republic earlier in 2025 on a terrorism charge that press freedom advocates called unfounded, highlighting persistent threats to journalists operating in West Africa. Ojoduma, founder of the Africa Views YouTube channel, which focuses on travel, environmental reporting, and regional stories, was arrested by Beninese police on January 29, 2025, while crossing the northern border town of Porga into Burkina Faso with his camera, drone, and laptop. He was held in detention for more than nine months before the...

December 25, 2025 - Pakistan -  Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned actions by Pakistani authorities that escalate legal pressure on a prominent journalist living abroad, underscoring persistent threats to press freedom and dissenting voices. An Islamabad court issued a new arrest warrant on December 3, 2025, for investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani, declaring him a “proclaimed offender” in connection with allegations that he failed to respond to summonses linked to social media posts the state alleges constitute “propaganda” against the Pakistani army. The warrant extends the reach of Pakistan’s legal system to Noorani despite his...

December 24, 2025 - Qatar -  Israel has extended a controversial law that bars the Qatar-based news network Al Jazeera from operating within the country for an additional two years, a move that has drawn criticism from press freedom advocates and raised concerns about restrictions on media pluralism. The extension was approved by the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and took effect on December 23, 2025, prolonging a legal framework first enacted in 2023 amidst ongoing tensions and disputes over the network’s reporting practices. Under the amended law, Al Jazeera’s broadcast and journalistic activities — including online...

December 24, 2025 - Congo - A Congolese journalist, John Kabamba, has been reported missing in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after interviewing with a local armed group, raising alarm among press freedom advocates and human rights observers about his safety and the risks facing journalists covering conflict zones. Kabamba, a seasoned reporter known for covering security and political developments in the Kivus region, was last seen on December 15, 2025, shortly after a scheduled interview with fighters from an armed faction active near Rutshuru Territory, where armed clashes have escalated in recent months....

December 24, 2025 - Somalia -  Journalists in Mogadishu, Somalia, are confronting a surge in attacks, detentions, and intimidation as the country approaches a disputed local election, raising alarm among local press rights groups and defenders of freedom of expression. Members of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) have warned that the escalating pressures threaten independent reporting at a critical political juncture, undermining both media freedom and public access to reliable information. According to SJS and other media associations, reporters covering the intensifying political situation face heightened risks of harassment, detainment, and physical attacks. Several journalists...

December 24, 2025 - Syria/USA - Syrian security forces have arrested prominent American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem, sparking concern among press freedom advocates and observers of the country’s evolving political landscape. Kareem, a U.S. citizen and war correspondent who has lived in northern Syria since 2012, was taken into custody on 22 December 2025 in the city of Al-Bab in Aleppo province shortly after finishing noon prayers near Al-Fateh Mosque. Authorities have provided no public explanation for his arrest or disclosed his current location. Kareem is widely known for his work reporting on conflicts in...

December 23, 2025 - Cyprus - Veteran Cypriot journalist Maroula Violari-Iakovidou was formally recognised this week for her 70-year contribution to journalism, highlighting a remarkable career that has spanned decades of change in the media landscape. The tribute event, held in Nicosia on 23 December 2025, brought together colleagues, public figures, and media professionals who celebrated Violari-Iakovidou’s enduring impact on Cypriot journalism and her role in mentoring generations of reporters. Born in 1945, Violari-Iakovidou began her media career in the early 1950s, making her one of the earliest female journalists in Cyprus. Over the years,...

December 23, 2025 - Bulgaria - A leading Bulgarian television anchor has been abruptly taken off the air in a move that has sparked widespread concern among press freedom organisations and raised serious questions about political influence over public broadcasting. The removal of the anchor from their regular program on one of Bulgaria’s most-watched television channels has drawn criticism from media groups that argue the action undermines editorial independence and reflects growing political pressures on the country’s media. According to reports from the Association of European Journalists (AEJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ),...

December 23, 2025 - USA - American journalist Dylan Collins was seriously injured while reporting near the Israel-Lebanon border, and is now calling on the U.S. government to provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding the incident and to ensure greater protection for journalists in conflict zones. Collins, a veteran foreign correspondent, was struck by shrapnel on December 13, 2025, while covering escalating cross-border hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah-linked militants. He was embedded with a Lebanese news crew when an explosion occurred, inflicting wounds to his leg and shoulder. Following several days of hospital treatment...

December 23, 2025 - USA -  A new analysis by the Freedom of the Press Foundation reveals that violence against journalists in the United States spiked sharply in 2025, marking one of the most dangerous years for reporters and photojournalists covering protests and politically charged events in recent history. According to the foundation’s incident tracker, recorded assaults on media workers in 2025 nearly matched the total number of verified attacks documented over the three preceding years combined, with many incidents linked to demonstrations surrounding immigration enforcement and broader unrest. The data point to at least...

December 23, 2025 - Russia - Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Khylyuk, a correspondent with the UNIAN news agency, has shared harrowing details of his more than three-and-a-half-year detention by Russian authorities, highlighting severe conditions and the psychological toll of prolonged captivity. Khylyuk’s account, published by Ukrainian media and local sources this week, sheds light on the experiences of journalists caught amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Khylyuk was captured by Russian forces in March 2022 in the Kyiv region during the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion. His detention, which lasted until August 2025...