News

April 6, 2025 - Palestine - On April 6, 2025, Palestinian journalist Islam Nasr al-Din Muqaddad was killed in an Israeli airstrike that struck her home in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Her husband and son also lost their lives in the same attack. Muqaddad’s death adds to a growing number of journalists who have been killed during Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which began in October 2023. She became the 254th journalist or media worker reported dead since the conflict started, and the 127th killed in their own home. The day following Muqaddad’s death,...

April 6 , 2025 - Palestine - In February 2025, Palestinian journalist and sports announcer Saeed Hasanein was arrested by Israeli authorities following his appearance on Al-Aqsa TV, a channel affiliated with Hamas. The 62-year-old from Shefa-Amr faces charges of "contact with a foreign agent," "expressing solidarity with a terrorist organization," and "destroying evidence." Israeli prosecutors allege that his interview, which included praise for Hamas and Hezbollah figures, constituted support for terrorist organizations and dissemination of their narratives within Israel. Hasanein's legal team contends that the charges are politically motivated and part of a broader...

April 6, 2025 - UK - In April 2025, a 42-year-old man was arrested in Sheffield, England, and charged with fraud by false representation in connection with the 2001 murder of journalist Martin O’Hagan. O’Hagan, a reporter for the Sunday World, was fatally shot by loyalist paramilitaries while walking home with his wife in Lurgan, County Armagh. Despite this arrest, no one has been successfully prosecuted for his murder. The O’Hagan family has expressed cautious optimism regarding the recent arrest but emphasized that the fraud charge is unrelated to Martin's killing. In a statement, his...

April 06, 2025 - Africa -  Ojinika Okpe, renowned broadcast journalist and anchor of "What’s Trending" on ARISE News, has been awarded the 2025 Investigative Journalist of the Year by the Verbatim Media Group. The accolade was presented during the Verbatim Media Awards (VMA) ceremony on April 3, 2025, at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, coinciding with Verbatim’s 13th anniversary celebration. The Verbatim Board of Editors recognized Okpe for her "outstanding commitment to investigative journalism," highlighting her fearless reporting, depth of analysis, and dedication to uncovering hard truths. Her segment, "What’s Trending," was...

April 06, 2025 - Lebanon -  Zeina Yassine, a pioneering journalist at Lebanon's state-run broadcaster Tele Liban (TL), has resigned, citing institutional bias against her for wearing a hijab. Yassine, who joined TL three years ago, was the first hijab-wearing reporter to appear on the channel and contributed to coverage during the 2023 Israeli assault on Lebanon. In her resignation letter addressed to Information Minister Paul Morcos, Yassine expressed gratitude for her professional experience but highlighted the challenges she faced due to her hijab. She noted that while veiled women are celebrated abroad, they are...

April 06, 2025 - General -  The Correspondent, a 2024 Australian biographical legal thriller directed by Kriv Stenders and written by Peter Duncan, dramatizes the harrowing experience of journalist Peter Greste, who was unjustly imprisoned in Egypt for 400 days on terrorism charges while reporting for Al Jazeera during the Arab Spring. The film stars Richard Roxburgh as Greste, delivering a restrained yet powerful performance that captures the psychological trauma and resilience of a journalist caught in a Kafkaesque legal nightmare. The narrative focuses on Greste's arrest in Cairo, his subsequent trial, and the international...

April 05, 2025 - Iraq -  The Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association (MKG) has released a series of reports detailing a significant increase in violations against journalists in Turkey, particularly targeting women journalists. In March 2025, MKG documented at least 54 violations against journalists, including physical violence, detentions, and digital harassment. These incidents intensified following the March 8 International Women's Day protests and operations against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The report emphasized that journalists are being systematically targeted for simply reporting news. The April 2025 report indicated that nine women journalists remained imprisoned, with 17 others...

April 05, 2025 - Sweden/Turkey -  Swedish journalist Joakim Medin has been released from Turkish custody and returned to Sweden after nearly two months of detention on charges of "insulting the president" and alleged links to terrorism. His release follows sustained diplomatic efforts by Swedish and European officials, highlighting ongoing concerns over press freedom in Turkey. Medin, a correspondent for Sweden’s Dagens ETC, was arrested on March 27, 2025, upon arrival at Istanbul Airport, where he intended to cover protests sparked by the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Turkish authorities accused him of participating...

April 04, 2025 - Burkina Faso -  In April 2025, three prominent Burkinabè journalists—Guézouma Sanogo, Boukari Ouoba, and Luc Pagbelguem—reappeared in a video wearing military uniforms after being detained by the country's military junta. The footage, widely circulated on social media, showed the journalists in an undisclosed location, raising serious concerns about forced conscription and the suppression of press freedom in Burkina Faso. Sanogo and Ouoba, serving as president and vice president of the Burkina Faso Journalists Association (AJB), were arrested on March 24, 2025, following their criticism of increasing restrictions on media freedom. Pagbelguem,...

April 04, 2025 - Qatar/Palestine -  Zvika Klein, editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, has spoken out following his brief arrest and interrogation in early April 2025, claiming he was targeted unfairly due to his reporting. His detainment is linked to the broader “Qatargate” scandal, which alleges that aides to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received illegal benefits from the Qatari government to improve its image in Israeli media. Klein, a respected journalist, became the first Israeli media figure to visit Qatar in 2024 and interview its prime minister. That high-profile reporting trip, he insists, was...

April 03, 2025 - Haiti -  As Haiti descends further into chaos, journalists on the ground are risking their lives to continue reporting in a country plagued by unprecedented violence and deepening lawlessness. With heavily armed gangs now controlling around 85% of Port-au-Prince, even basic newsgathering has become a life-threatening act. Journalists like Jean-Jacques Asperges exemplify this resilience. After gangs raided his neighborhood and forced his family from their home, he now lives in a temporary shelter and reports using only his phone, having lost all his professional equipment. Despite the loss and trauma, Asperges...

April 02, 2025 - Ghana -  In a landmark ruling on March 26, 2025, the Asankragwa District Court in Ghana convicted Daniel Baidoo for assaulting a group of journalists documenting illegal mining activities, known locally as "galamsey," near Adumanya, close to Asankran Breman in the Western Region. The attack occurred on February 21, 2025, when Baidoo forcibly confiscated equipment, including a Panasonic Lumix camera and an iPhone, from the journalists and demanded the deletion of captured footage. The court sentenced Baidoo to a fine of 300 penalty units, equivalent to GH₵3,600.00. Failure to pay the...

April 02, 2025 - Kashmir -  Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj has been detained without trial for over two years under India's Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), a law criticized for its broad and vague provisions that facilitate the suppression of dissent. Arrested on March 20, 2023, by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), Mehraj faces charges related to alleged support for secessionist activities. He is accused of collaborating with the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), a human rights organization led by activist Khurram Parvez, who has also been detained under similar charges. Despite his...

April 02, 2025 - Ghana -  Daniel Owusu Koranteng, a 35-year-old businessman and former associate of slain investigative journalist Ahmed Suale, has been formally charged with murder and abetment in connection with Suale’s assassination in January 2019. Koranteng, also known as Nana Amakye, appeared before the Madina District Court on April 2, 2025, where prosecutors amended the initial charges to include abetment to commit murder. The court remanded him into custody, with his next appearance scheduled for April 17. The prosecution alleges that Koranteng provided photographs of Suale to former Member of Parliament Kennedy Agyapong,...

April 02, 2025 - India -  On April 1, 2025, the charred body of 38-year-old journalist Shahdeb Dey was discovered in a field in Deshbandhu Nagar, Diglipur, North Andaman district. Dey, known for his investigative reporting on illegal activities such as timber smuggling, soil excavation, illicit liquor trade, and gambling, had been missing since March 29. His last communication was a phone call to his wife at 8:11 PM on March 29, stating he was in Madhupur and would return home shortly. He never made it back, and his phone was subsequently turned off. The...

April 01, 2025 - Palestine -  The ongoing war in Gaza has become the deadliest conflict for journalists ever recorded. As of May 2025, at least 232 journalists have been killed since October 2023, surpassing the combined death toll of media workers in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Yugoslav Wars, and the Afghanistan War. This unprecedented loss underscores the extreme dangers faced by journalists in Gaza, where many have been directly targeted by Israeli forces. For instance, 23-year-old journalist Hossam Shabat was killed in an Israeli airstrike...

April 01, 2025 - USA -  In March 2025, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and a coalition of 36 human rights organizations urged the U.S. Congress to take immediate action to protect journalists affiliated with the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). This call to action follows a presidential executive order dismantling USAGM, which oversees outlets like Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). The coalition's letter highlights the grave risks faced by USAGM-affiliated journalists, including threats of deportation to countries where they could face imprisonment or worse due...

April 01, 2025 - Bolivia -  In Bolivia, the safety of journalists has become a pressing concern, with increasing attacks and harassment against media professionals. A recent report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) highlights over 30 incidents of press freedom violations since the presidential election on October 20, 2024. These include physical assaults, equipment theft, and threats, particularly targeting journalists covering protests and road blockades. Notably, both pro-Morales and opposition media outlets have been caught in the crossfire, facing aggression from various factions. The National Journalists Association of Bolivia has expressed grave concern over these...

April 01, 2025 - USA -  In early 2025, journalists covering the White House raised an alarm after the Trump administration proposed a major change to the press briefing room seating arrangements. Traditionally, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) has managed the seating chart, allocating spots to media outlets based on established criteria and seniority. However, the administration’s plan to take over control of the seating and revise it sparked significant backlash from reporters and media organizations. The WHCA expressed strong opposition, viewing the move as an attempt to undermine press freedom and control access...

April 01, 2025 - Palestine - On April 1, 2025, Palestinian journalist Mohammed Saleh Al-Bardawil was killed along with his wife and three children when Israeli forces bombed their home in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza. Al-Bardawil was a veteran broadcaster with Al-Aqsa Radio and had worked in journalism for over 15 years. His death has added to the growing toll of media workers killed in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. According to the Palestinian Journalists Protection Committee, this attack represents yet another deliberate assault on press freedom. The group condemned the killing, emphasizing...

March 31, 2025 - Turkey -  As of May 2025, Turkey's press freedom continues to deteriorate, with at least 42 journalists, including 10 women, imprisoned during Eid al-Fitr, according to the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and the Mezopotamya Women Journalists Association (MKG) . The arrests are part of a broader crackdown on media professionals covering protests and political events, particularly those related to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Between March 19 and 23, police raided the homes of 13 journalists, detaining 12, with seven remanded in custody. These actions reflect a pattern...

March 31, 2025 - Libya -  In May 2024, Libyan journalist Salhine Zerouali was violently arrested in Ajdabiya while in his car with his nine-year-old son. Masked men, identified as security forces, assaulted him in front of his child before detaining him. He was subsequently transferred to a military prison in Benghazi, where he has been held for over ten months. Zerouali, known for his work with several media outlets, including the Al Ghaïma news agency, faces charges of collaborating with media deemed hostile by the authorities. Although some charges, such as possession of weapons...

March 31, 2025 - Mexico -  The human rights organization Artículo 19, in collaboration with Grey México and Oriental Films, released a poignant short film titled The Shooting to commemorate the International Day for the Right to the Truth. This four-minute film serves as a powerful metaphor for the perilous conditions journalists face in Mexico, one of the most dangerous countries for media professionals. Directed by Yupi Segura and Charlie Gutiérrez, The Shooting depicts a symbolic confrontation: on one side, members of organized crime wield firearms to instill fear and suppress truth; on the other,...

March 31, 2025 - Zimbabwe -  On March 17, 2025, Zimbabwean investigative journalist Watson Flexy Munyaka was murdered in Marondera, southeast of Harare. According to reports, Munyaka was violently thrown from a moving Toyota Fortuner in broad daylight along Fifth Street near the Chicken Inn drive-through. He was rushed to Marondera Provincial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Munyaka, 38, was a co-founder of "Dug Up," an investigative journalism collective established in September 2024 to expose corruption and crime in Zimbabwe. He was known for his in-depth reporting and had recently been involved in high-profile...

March 31, 2025 - Palestine -  On March 24, 2025, Palestinian journalist Hossam Shabat, a 23-year-old correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher and contributor to Drop Site News, was killed in an Israeli airstrike while driving in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. The Israeli military confirmed the targeted killing, alleging Shabat was affiliated with Hamas, a claim he had previously denied, asserting it was a pretext to justify attacks on journalists. This incident is part of a broader pattern where Israel has accused Palestinian journalists of militant affiliations without providing verifiable evidence. In October 2024, the Israeli...