News

March 31, 2025 - Nepal -  On March 28, 2025, veteran photojournalist Suresh Rajak was tragically killed while covering a pro-monarchy protest in Tinkune, Kathmandu. Rajak, head of the camera division at Avenues Television, was documenting the demonstration when protesters set fire to a building he had entered. Trapped inside, he was unable to escape and succumbed to the flames. The protest, organized by royalist supporters, escalated into violence, with demonstrators clashing with police and targeting media outlets. Protesters accused occupants of the building of being police officers, leading to the arson attack that claimed...

March 29, 2025 - Nepal -  On March 28, 2025, a pro-monarchy rally in Kathmandu, Nepal, turned violent, leading to the deaths of journalist Suresh Rajak and protester Sabin Maharjan. The demonstration, organized by supporters of former King Gyanendra Shah, escalated into clashes with police, resulting in widespread chaos and destruction. Thousands gathered in the Tinkune area, demanding the restoration of the monarchy and Nepal's status as a Hindu state. Tensions rose when protesters breached police barricades, prompting security forces to deploy tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. In response,...

March 28, 2025 - Guatemala -  On March 21, 2025, community journalist Ismael Alonzo González was fatally shot outside his home in the village of Santa Fe, Coatepeque, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Two unidentified assailants dressed in black approached González and shot him in the head before fleeing into a nearby wooded area. González, 27, was the general manager of Producciones Alonzo, a Facebook page dedicated to local and community news, and had previously worked with the digital media outlet Despertar Occidental. He was also an active member of the Association of Journalists and Communicators of the...

March 28, 2025 - Morocco -  In late 2024, Fouad Abdelmoumni, a prominent Moroccan human rights activist and economist, was arrested after posting on Facebook alleging that Morocco had employed Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to monitor French officials. Although released two days later, Abdelmoumni faced serious charges of “spreading false claims” and “reporting a knowingly fictitious crime.” In March 2025, a Casablanca court sentenced him to six months in prison—a ruling that may be enforced depending on the outcome of his appeal. Abdelmoumni is well-known as the former head of Transparency Morocco and a member of...

March 28, 2025 - Sweden/Turkey -  In March 2025, Turkey witnessed its most significant anti-government protests in over a decade, ignited by the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The demonstrations, which spanned 55 provinces, were met with a stringent government response, including the detention and deportation of several foreign journalists. BBC News correspondent Mark Lowen was detained in Istanbul on March 26 while covering the protests. After 17 hours in custody, he was deported the following day. Turkish authorities cited his presence as a "threat to public order". Lowen condemned the action, highlighting the...

March 28, 2025 - Turkey -  Turkey experienced its most significant anti-government protests in over a decade, following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on corruption charges widely perceived as politically motivated. The government's response included a sweeping crackdown on journalists covering the unrest, raising serious concerns about press freedom and democratic rights. At least 11 journalists were detained in Istanbul during early morning raids, accused of participating in unauthorized demonstrations. While some were later released, they still face charges that could lead to imprisonment. Among those arrested was AFP photographer Yasin Akgul, who...

March 28, 2025 - Pakistan-  Pakistan witnessed a concerning escalation in its crackdown on press freedom, marked by the arrests of journalists Muhammad Waheed Murad and Farhan Mallick under the country's cybercrime laws. Murad, a multimedia journalist for Saudi-owned Urdu News, was forcibly taken from his Islamabad home on March 25 by individuals without a warrant. He was charged with "cyber terrorism" and spreading "false and fake information" after sharing an investigation into a military general on social media. Murad was granted bail on March 28, but his detention drew criticism from press freedom advocates...

March 28, 2025 - Serbia -  In December 2024, Amnesty International released a report titled A Digital Prison, revealing that Serbian authorities have been employing sophisticated surveillance tools to monitor journalists, environmental activists, and civil society members. The report details the use of Israeli-made Cellebrite forensic extraction devices alongside a domestically developed spyware known as "NoviSpy." Cellebrite's Universal Forensic Extraction Devices (UFEDs), initially provided to Serbia as part of international aid for combating organized crime, were reportedly misused to unlock and extract data from mobile devices without proper legal authorization. Once accessed, NoviSpy was installed,...

March 28, 2025 - Russia -  Christo Grozev, a Bulgarian investigative journalist affiliated with Bellingcat, has been a prominent figure in uncovering Russian intelligence operations. His work includes exposing the identities of agents involved in the 2018 Salisbury poisoning and the attempted assassination of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. These investigations have placed him in the crosshairs of Russian authorities. In April 2023, a Moscow court issued an arrest warrant for Grozev in absentia, accusing him of illegally crossing the Russian border. This move followed his inclusion on Russia's federal wanted list in December 2022. The...

March 27, 2025 - Indonesia - In March 2025, the tragic death of 23-year-old journalist Juwita from Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, sent shockwaves across Indonesia. Her body was discovered on March 22 in a parked car along Jalan Gunung Kupang, Cempaka District, Banjarbaru. The primary suspect is her former partner, First-Class Navy Seaman Jumran, stationed at the Balikpapan Naval Base in East Kalimantan. Investigations suggest that Jumran meticulously planned the murder. Evidence indicates he used gloves, destroyed Juwita's mobile phone, and attempted to stage the scene as an accident. He also allegedly used another person's identity...

March 27, 2025 - Turkey -  BBC correspondent Mark Lowen was arrested and deported from Turkey after reporting on widespread anti-government protests following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Lowen was detained for 17 hours and labeled a "threat to public order" by Turkish authorities. The Turkish Directorate of Communications stated that Lowen had not applied for the required press accreditation, leading to administrative action. The BBC condemned the deportation, with CEO Deborah Turness calling it "extremely troubling." Lowen, who previously lived in Turkey for five years, described the experience as "extremely distressing," emphasizing...

March 27, 2025 - Serbia -  In February 2025, two investigative journalists from the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) in Serbia were targeted with NSO Group's Pegasus spyware, according to a forensic investigation by Amnesty International's Security Lab. The journalists, Jelena Veljković and a colleague referred to as "Bogdana" for privacy reasons, received suspicious messages via the Viber messaging app on February 14. These messages contained links to a fake news article, which, if clicked, would have installed the spyware on their devices. The messages originated from a Serbian number registered with the state-owned operator...

March 27, 2025 - Russia/Ukraine -  On March 26, 2025, Anna Prokofieva, a 35-year-old war correspondent for Russia's state-run Channel One, was killed when her vehicle struck a landmine in the Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border. Her cameraman, Dmitry Volkov, sustained serious injuries in the incident. Prokofieva had been covering the conflict in Ukraine since 2023, often reporting from high-risk areas alongside Russian troops. She was known for her strong support of the Russian Armed Forces and frequently shared images of herself in military attire, sometimes featuring the "Z" symbol associated with Russia's military...

March 27, 2025 - Source: Reuters -  Turkish authorities deported a BBC News correspondent on Thursday after detaining him for 17 hours and branding him a "threat to public order". Mark Lowen had been in Turkey to cover mass street protests triggered by the arrest and jailing of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-deports-bbc-journalist-over-public-order-threat-fines-tv-channels-2025-03-27/

March 27, 2025 - Source: CPJ -  Pakistani authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Waheed Murad, who was taken away by masked men who broke into his home in the capital Islamabad before dawn on Wednesday, and stop using such brutal tactics to intimidate the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. Murad, who works as a reporter for Urdu News and runs the independent news site Pakistani24, later appeared  before the Judicial Magistrate Islamabad (West) court, where he was placed in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for two days under Pakistan’s cybercrime laws for allegedly posting “intimidating...

March 27, 2025 - Source: 24 News HD -  Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi has taken notice of the crackdown on journalists under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) after receiving a formal complaint from the President of the Press Association of the Supreme Court (PASC). According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, the CJP forwarded the letter to the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP), directing him to review the facts and address journalists’ grievances. The letter raised concerns over the arrests of journalists Farhan Mallick and Waheed Murad, urging the top judge...

March 27, 2025 - Source: The Moscow Times -  Siberian journalist and activist Maria Ponomarenko, who is serving a six-year jail sentence for speaking out against the war in Ukraine, was sentenced Thursday to an additional year and 10 months for allegedly assaulting prison guards. Ponomarenko, 46, was convicted in 2023 for publishing reports on Russia’s bombing of a theater in Mariupol, Ukraine. She denies both that charge and the latest assault accusation, calling the case politically motivated and accusing prison authorities of abuse. A judge in the Altai region found her guilty of “disrupting the work of a penal colony,” according to her...

March 27, 2025 - Source: Reuters -  Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko, imprisoned for spreading "fake news" about the war in Ukraine, was handed an additional sentence on Thursday on charges of attacking prison staff, her employer said. Rusnews said Ponomarenko, who has complained of being beaten in prison and injected with anti-psychotic drugs, was given another year and 10 months in jail and ordered to undergo further compulsory psychiatric treatment. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-court-extends-sentence-imprisoned-siberian-journalist-2025-03-27/

March 27, 2025 - Turkey -  Seven journalists who were detained while covering widespread protests in Turkey have been released following a court order on March 27, 2025. Among them was Agence France-Presse (AFP) photojournalist Yasin Akgül, who had been arrested during a police crackdown on demonstrations related to the jailing of Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu. The journalists were taken into custody during early morning raids on March 24, accused of participating in unauthorized rallies and failing to disperse when ordered. These protests were sparked by İmamoğlu’s conviction on corruption charges, which many domestic...

March 27, 2025 - Palestine -  A sweeping investigation by Forbidden Stories and 12 international media outlets has revealed what appears to be a systematic pattern of attacks on journalists in Gaza by Israeli forces. Since October 7, 2023, at least 170 journalists have been killed, making the current Israel-Gaza conflict the deadliest for media workers in recent history. This joint effort, dubbed the Gaza Project, involved more than 40 journalists who examined over 100 cases of media workers killed or injured in Gaza. The investigation uncovered evidence that at least 18 journalists were killed...

March 27, 2025 - Palestine -  A detailed investigation by The Intercept has exposed a disturbing pattern in which Israel has been systematically targeting Palestinian journalists during its ongoing assault on Gaza. This revelation comes amid what press freedom advocates are calling the deadliest period for journalists in modern history, with over 200 reporters killed since October 2023. The report details how journalists, even when marked with press gear or working in known media locations, have been directly targeted by Israeli forces. Among the cases examined is that of Hossam Shabat, a 23-year-old Al Jazeera...

March 26, 2025 - Palestine/UK -  In March 2025, the UK's Royal Television Society (RTS) reversed its decision to cancel a special award recognizing the work of Palestinian journalists covering the Gaza conflict. The initial cancellation, announced just before the RTS Television Journalism Awards on March 5, sparked widespread criticism from media professionals and press freedom advocates. Critics accused the RTS of political bias and censorship, arguing that the decision undermined the sacrifices made by journalists reporting under perilous conditions in Gaza. The controversy was further fueled by the RTS's concern that the award could...

March 26, 2025 - USA/Palestine -  In January 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden publicly recognized the troubling number of journalists killed during the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, stating that "far too many" had lost their lives while covering the war. This admission came as the world closely watched the deteriorating situation for press freedom in the region, where reporters face extreme risks to report on the conflict. Despite Biden’s acknowledgment, many press freedom advocates and human rights organizations criticized the U.S. government for its continued support of Israel and what they saw as insufficient measures to...

March 26, 2025 - Palestine -  BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen has accused Israel of deliberately preventing journalists from entering Gaza to obscure the realities of the ongoing conflict. In a recent interview, Bowen stated that in the past 18 months, he was granted only half a day with the Israeli army within Gaza, suggesting a strategy to "obfuscate what's going on" and introduce doubt into the information emerging from the region. Bowen highlighted the contrast between the Israeli military's willingness to allow journalists into areas like Kfar Aza, where they were shown scenes of...

March 26, 2025 - General -  Omar El Akkad, acclaimed author and journalist, provides a powerful critique of the international and Western liberal response to the Gaza conflict. In recent interviews with The Columbia Journalism Review, Democracy Now!, and Al Jazeera’s UpFront, El Akkad sheds light on the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the severe challenges faced by journalists trying to report from the region. El Akkad emphasizes that the Gaza war is not only a military conflict but also a profound moral crisis that exposes the failures of Western liberalism. He argues that...