News

August 17, 2025 - Ethiopia -  Two Ethiopian journalists were abducted within a week in what rights groups say reflects an intensifying assault on press freedom. According to an exclusive report by Borkena, the first journalist, Abdulsameed Mohamed, host of the "Kidame Gebeya" program on Ahad Radio 94.3, was forcibly taken on 11 August 2025. He is a seasoned broadcaster with three decades of experience across major outlets, including Ethiopian Television, Radio, EBS TV, Ahadu Radio, and YouTube platforms. Just two days later, on 13 August 2025, Yonas Amare, a reporter for The Ethiopian Reporter known...

August 17, 2025 - Palestine -  In an exclusive interview with the Tehran Times, Abdul‑Qader Fayez, head of Al Jazeera’s office in Tehran, asserts that the killing of journalists in Gaza—including that of correspondent Anas al-Sharif—is no accident, but a deliberate feature of Israel’s military and political strategy under Prime Minister Netanyahu. Fayez emphasizes that Palestinian media workers are being treated as “military targets simply because they reject Israel’s narrative.” He highlights growing consensus among international human rights groups and media watchdogs that these killings reflect a systematic policy, pointing to repeated unfounded accusations branding journalists...

August 16, 2025 - Palestine -  Journalists in Gaza live with a heightened and pervasive fear: their protective gear, once seen as a shield, now marks them as targets. This was vividly captured in the wake of a drone strike on August 10 that killed four Al Jazeera staff in a tent outside al‑Shifa Hospital. Israeli military officials admitted targeting the tent, defending the action with unsubstantiated allegations that one of the victims, Anas al‑Sharif, was a Hamas member. The Committee to Protect Journalists denounced these allegations as part of a broader campaign to delegitimize...

August 16, 2025 - Palestine -  A growing body of reporting suggests Israel has engaged in a systematic campaign to delegitimize and endanger journalists in Gaza by portraying them as Hamas operatives. Investigations by Israeli‑Palestinian outlet +972 Magazine and others reveal the existence of a covert "legitimisation cell" within Israeli military intelligence, established after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. Its mission was to gather information—even of dubious credibility—to smear Palestinian journalists as terrorist affiliates, thus providing cover for strikes against them and deflecting international criticism. One intelligence source candidly described the aim as maintaining...

August 16, 2025 - China/USA -  President Donald Trump has promised to intervene on behalf of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who remains on trial under China’s sweeping national security law. Speaking in a radio interview, Trump stated that he would “do everything I can to save him,” making clear that Lai’s case has already been raised in official discussions. He acknowledged that taking up the matter would upset Chinese President Xi Jinping, but said that defending Lai is a matter of justice and press freedom. His remarks come as Washington and Beijing continue...

August 16, 2025 - Syria/USA -  At the National Press Club in Washington, the family of Austin Tice marked the thirteenth anniversary of his disappearance with new revelations from recently declassified intelligence. Tice, a freelance journalist and former Marine, vanished in Syria in 2012 while covering the conflict. His parents, Debra and Marc Tice, were granted access to raw intelligence files earlier this year by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The files, though heavily redacted and unverified, suggest that U.S. agencies received information almost daily about Tice’s captivity, including reports of his medical treatment...

August 15, 2025 - Somalia -  A Somaliland journalist, Ahmed Mohamud Dool, has been detained without charge since August 5, 2025, prompting the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to call for his immediate and unconditional release. Ahmed was taken into custody in Hargeisa after responding to a police summons at the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters. The Somaliland Journalist Association (SOLJA) and a local journalist familiar with the case confirmed his arrest. He runs a well‑followed Facebook page — with approximately 98,000 followers — reporting on local issues such as killings, insecurity, and protests. His lawyer,...

August 15, 2025 - Vietnam -  Vietnamese authorities issued a special arrest warrant for journalist Doan Bao Chau, accusing him of propagandizing against the state. The warrant was issued by the Hanoi municipal police and charged him with making, storing, disseminating, or spreading information aimed at opposing the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. This development was reported by state media and confirmed by Doan via messaging app to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Doan Bao Chau, a former freelance photographer for international agencies including the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France‑Presse, and a former reporter for...

August 15, 2025 - Palestine - In a powerful episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour released on August 15, 2025, host David Remnick features Palestinian journalist Mohammed R. Mhawish, who recounts his harrowing experience during Israel’s invasion of Gaza following the October 7 attack. Mhawish, reporting for major outlets including Al Jazeera and The Nation, bore witness to the devastating humanitarian impact unfolding before his eyes. His account takes a dramatic turn when his own home is targeted in an Israeli airstrike. Miraculously, he survived the bombing and managed to flee Gaza, continuing his journalistic work from outside. The episode...

August 15, 2025 - Mexico -  The State Attorney General’s Office in Michoacán has confirmed the arrest of the alleged murderer responsible for the killing of journalist Armando Linares López, who was shot dead outside his home in Zitácuaro in March 2022. The suspect, known only as Magdiel “N,” was detained during an operational action in the same municipality where the crime took place. Authorities stated that Magdiel “N” will soon face a judicial proceeding to determine his legal situation. Linares had been the director of the digital news outlet Monitor Michoacán. His murder came only six...

August 15, 2025 - Russia -  Russia’s Ministry of Justice declared Reporters Without Borders (RSF) an “undesirable organization,” a move that effectively outlaws the group’s activities in the country. The decision had been made weeks earlier, on July 23rd, by the Prosecutor General’s Office, but was only made public in mid-August. With this ruling, RSF joins a growing list of more than 250 foreign and international organizations barred from operating in Russia. Founded in 1985 and headquartered in Paris, RSF is one of the world’s most recognized press freedom organizations. It campaigns against censorship, defends...

August 14, 2025 - General - On Sunday, Gaza was shaken when an Israeli airstrike killed five Al-Jazeera journalists, sparking urgent condemnation from global journalist organizations. The attack occurred despite these media workers’ efforts to deliver vital on-the-ground reporting, often under extraordinarily perilous conditions. The incident highlights the growing dangers faced by journalists in Gaza and raises critical concerns about the erosion of press freedom. David Walmsley, president of the World Editors Forum, expressed strong condemnation of the killings. He emphasized that even under “insurmountable odds,” journalists strive to tell the world’s stories—and reminded us...

August 14, 2025 - USA -  U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced his support for allowing journalists into Gaza to observe humanitarian efforts directly. Speaking from the Oval Office on August 14, 2025, Trump said he would be “very fine with journalists going” into the region. He acknowledged the significant risks journalists face but expressed a clear preference for independent reporting from inside Gaza. Since the conflict escalated in October 2023, Israel has barred most foreign journalists from entering Gaza. Access has been strictly limited, with reporters required to travel under Israeli military escort and...

August 13, 2025 - China - The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has issued an urgent appeal to Hong Kong authorities to drop all charges against 77‑year‑old publisher Jimmy Lai and release him immediately and unconditionally as his national security trial enters its final phase. Lai is facing serious charges—sedition and collusion with foreign forces—which, if upheld, could result in a life sentence. His trial, which began in December 2023 and was originally expected to last 30 days, has extended to nearly 150 days due to repeated delays. CPJ highlighted Lai’s deteriorating health after nearly...

August 13, 2025 - Palestine -  On 13 August 2025, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reported that Anas al‑Sharif, a 28‑year‑old Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza and member of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS), submitted a formal complaint to the PJS three days before his assassination in an Israeli strike. In his heartfelt letter, al‑Sharif highlighted the relentless threats he and his family endured since the war's onset on 7 October 2023. Al‑Sharif described how these threats began early in the conflict, including a targeted strike on his home, which resulted in the death...

August 12, 2025 – Palestine - In a powerful editorial titled “Israel Is Wiping Out the Witnesses”, The Guardian delivers a stark indictment of Israel’s ongoing targeting of journalists in Gaza, warning that these killings are systematically erasing independent voices from one of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones. The piece frames the assassination of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, alongside his colleagues, as part of a deliberate effort to silence those documenting the realities of the war. According to the editorial, over 180 Palestinian media professionals have been killed in nearly two years of conflict,...

August 12, 2025 – Sri Lanka - Tamil Members of Parliament have sharply condemned Sri Lanka’s Counter-Terrorism and Investigation Division (CTID) after it summoned veteran journalist and human rights advocate Kanapathipillai Kumanan for questioning. The summons, issued in Mullaitivu for an alleged inquiry into his social media posts purportedly “promoting” the LTTE, was denounced as a clear attempt to intimidate and silence independent reporting. Shanakiyan Rasamanickam MP expressed dismay on social media, calling Kumanan “a respected and courageous journalist" and asserting that using terrorism investigations to muzzle press freedom is unacceptable. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam MP similarly...

August 12, 2025 – Palestine -  An Israeli airstrike near al‑Shifa Hospital in Gaza City killed five Al Jazeera journalists, including Anas al‑Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa, prompting a surge of international outrage and calls for accountability. Condemnations were swift and widespread, spearheaded by a diverse coalition of global institutions, governments, and media watchdogs. Major Organisations & Countries Condemning the Attack: Al Jazeera Media Network called it a “targeted assassination” aimed at silencing the truth. The United Nations (Secretary‑General António Guterres and UN Human Rights Office) condemned the killings and demanded an...

August 12, 2025 – Germany/Palestine -  Mass protests erupted in Berlin following the Israeli drone strike that killed five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, including Anas al-Sharif. Demonstrators gathered in the city center, carrying portraits of the slain reporters and chanting slogans condemning what they called the deliberate targeting of media workers. The protests, organised by Palestinian solidarity groups and press freedom advocates, drew hundreds of participants, reflecting the international outrage over the incident. Footage from the demonstrations showed protesters holding banners demanding justice and accountability, as well as calling for an end to attacks...

August 12, 2025 – Nigeria -  Chief James Aiyepeku, father of 26-year-old photojournalist Ayobami Aiyepeku, tragically passed away on August 12, just weeks after his son was brutally killed in Lokoja, Kogi State. The loss compounds a family's grief and highlights the profound human cost of violence against journalists. Ayobami was allegedly lured and murdered by a serving officer of Nigeria’s Correctional Service, Adebayo Pelumi, on July 24. The suspect reportedly fled with Ayobami’s body but was later found dead in a hotel, apparently by suicide. Ayobami's remains were retrieved from the outskirts of the...

August 12, 2025 – Bangladesh -  The family of slain Gazipur journalist Asaduzzaman Tuhin has issued a seven-point demand aimed at ensuring justice, accountability, and safety for his loved ones and fellow media workers. Tuhin, a staff reporter for Dainik Protidiner Kagoj, was brutally killed while filming armed men in Chandana Chowrasta, an event that has drawn national outrage and calls for reforms. At a press conference held at the Gazipur Press Club, Tuhin’s widow, Mukta Begum, demanded the immediate arrest of all individuals involved, along with their financiers. She urged that a charge sheet...

August 11, 2025 - Palestine -  An article by Index on Censorship powerfully frames Israel’s campaign in Gaza as a targeted effort to silence journalists, calling it not just a war on Palestinian media, but on press freedom everywhere. Journalist Youmna El Sayed emphasises that Anas al‑Sharif and his colleagues were killed “because they refused to be silenced,” documenting atrocities like starvation and bombardment that threatened powerful narratives. Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have claimed the lives of more than 260 Palestinian journalists and media workers, individuals armed with little more...

August 11, 2025 - AJMN Al Jazeera journalists and staff gathered at the network’s Doha headquarters for a solemn moment of silence to honour five colleagues killed in an Israeli airstrike outside al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The strike, which occurred near a designated press tent, claimed the lives of correspondent Anas al-Sharif, cameraman Mohammed Qreiqeh, sound technician Ibrahim Zaher, and crew members Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa. The airstrike reportedly targeted the area as the journalists were on assignment. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) later alleged that al-Sharif had ties to Hamas, claims that...

August 11, 2025 – Palestine - A Haaretz analysis has drawn attention to Israel’s calculated restrictions on foreign journalists in Gaza, warning that once international media are allowed in, the targeted killing of journalists will become far more difficult. The piece argues that the ongoing ban is not solely about operational security, but a deliberate strategy to maintain a shield of impunity over military actions against the press. According to the article, local Palestinian journalists have borne the brunt of Israel’s lethal media crackdown during the Gaza conflict, with hundreds killed since the start of...

August 11, 2025 - Palestine - This is what our beloved Anas requested to be published upon his martyrdom. This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice. First, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings. Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people, ever since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and streets of the Jabalia refugee camp. My hope was...