News

May 25, 2025 - Afghanistan -  Amid a deepening crackdown on press freedom in Afghanistan, a group of women’s rights activists has launched the “Journalism Is Not a Crime” campaign. Led by the Afghanistan Women’s Protest Movements Coalition, the initiative calls for the immediate release of detained journalists and urges international attention to the Taliban’s escalating repression of the media. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, journalists across Afghanistan have faced widespread intimidation, detention, and violence. A recent United Nations report highlights 336 cases of harassment against media professionals, including 256 arbitrary...

May 23, 2025 - Iran -  Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian-American journalist and former employee of Voice of America and Radio Farda, has been detained in Tehran's Evin Prison. Authorities arrested him in September 2024, and he has since been held without access to legal representation. Valizadeh claims that his detention stems from his refusal to collaborate with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence unit. He alleges that the IRGC offered him financial incentives to lure Iranian journalists abroad back to Iran under the guise of contractual work, which he declined. Subsequently, they proposed that...

May 23, 2025 - Mexico - José Carlos González Herrera, a prominent Mexican journalist and social media influencer known as "El Guerrero Fénix," was fatally shot on May 15, 2025, in downtown Acapulco, Guerrero. He was the administrator of the Facebook page El Guerrero, Opinión Ciudadana, which had over 140,000 followers and was recognized for its citizen journalism, political satire, and public accountability reporting. The attack occurred shortly after González Herrera had conducted a live broadcast, underscoring the risks faced by journalists in the region. This incident marks the fourth journalist killed in Mexico in...

May 23, 2025 - Samoa -  Lagi Keresoma, a veteran journalist and president of the Journalists Association of Samoa (JAWS), has been charged with criminal libel under Section 117A of Samoa’s Crimes Act 2013. The charge stems from a May 1 article published by Talamua Media, alleging that a former police officer sought assistance from the Head of State to have charges against him withdrawn. The former officer, currently facing two forgery charges, filed a complaint claiming the article was defamatory. The case has ignited widespread criticism from local and international media organizations. JAWS expressed...

May 22, 2025 - Ukraine/Russia -  Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, known as Vika, dedicated her career to uncovering Russia’s covert detention facilities, often referred to as “black sites,” where civilians were subjected to torture and abuse. In August 2023, while investigating these sites in Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia, she was detained by Russian forces. Her subsequent disappearance and death in captivity have drawn international attention to the plight of journalists and civilians under Russian occupation. In the latest episode of Today in Focus, The Guardian’s investigative team delves into Roshchyna’s final assignment. The podcast, titled “Vika: The...

May 22, 2025 - Cambodia -  Environmental journalist Ouk Mao was arrested without a warrant by Cambodian authorities on May 16, 2025, sparking widespread condemnation from international press freedom and human rights groups. Mao, who reports for Intriplus News, has been a vocal critic of illegal logging and environmental destruction in Cambodia’s protected areas, especially around the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. He now faces charges of “incitement to commit a felony” and “public defamation,” offenses that could result in several years of imprisonment. His arrest follows a pattern of ongoing harassment. In March 2025, Mao...

May 22, 2025 - Hong Kong -  In May 2025, Hong Kong's independent media sector encountered heightened scrutiny as the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) initiated a series of tax audits targeting at least six media outlets and approximately 20 journalists, including their family members. The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) described these audits as "unreasonable" and "strange," citing instances where individuals were taxed for non-existent companies or periods predating a company's establishment. Prominent outlets such as Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP), InMedia HK, and The Witness reported being subjected to extensive multi-year audits. HKFP's founder,...

May 22, 2025 - USA/Qatar -  On May 21, 2025, President Donald Trump had a heated exchange with NBC News reporter Peter Alexander during an Oval Office press event with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The confrontation arose when Alexander questioned Trump about the Pentagon's acceptance of a $400 million Qatari Boeing 747 jet, intended as a temporary replacement for the aging Air Force One fleet. Trump dismissed the question as irrelevant, emphasizing the generosity of Qatar’s gift and accusing Alexander and NBC of trying to deflect attention from a video presented moments earlier that...

May 22, 2025 - Kosovo -  Women journalists in Kosovo face escalating harassment, threats, and discrimination despite their growing presence in newsrooms. Although women make up the majority of journalists in the country, they often endure verbal abuse, gender-based attacks, and are denied equal treatment and opportunities in the media industry. Online and offline harassment is common. Investigative reporter Qendresa Tershani has received threats and degrading comments for covering topics like femicide. Such abuse frequently targets women’s appearance and private lives, creating a toxic work environment that affects their mental health and professional credibility. The...

May 21, 2025 - Palestine -  Wael al-Dahdouh, the Gaza bureau chief for Al Jazeera, has been announced as the keynote speaker for the 2025 Amnesty Media Awards ceremony, scheduled to take place on June 4, 2025, at the BFI Southbank in London. The event celebrates exemplary journalism that highlights human rights issues worldwide. Al-Dahdouh’s selection for this important role highlights his outstanding courage and dedication to press freedom, especially in the face of devastating personal loss. During the 2023–2024 conflict in Gaza, an Israeli airstrike tragically claimed the lives of his wife, children, and...

May 21, 2025 - Central Africa -  Landry Ulrich Nguéma Ngokpélé, the editor of Le Quotidien de Bangui, has been detained since May 8, 2025, under charges including “inciting hatred against the government” and “disseminating information tending to cause public disorder.” These charges stem from a report published on April 22, 2025, concerning the alleged return of former President François Bozizé to the capital, Bangui. The journalist is currently held in pre-trial detention at the Ngaragba prison in Bangui, facing potential penalties under the penal code that could result in up to 15 years in...

May 21, 2025 - Russia -  Russian authorities have opened a criminal case against Galina Timchenko, co-founder and CEO of the independent Latvia-based news outlet Meduza, accusing her of involvement with an “undesirable organization” and publishing content designed to provoke protest. The charges, announced on May 20, 2025, are part of an ongoing campaign by the Kremlin to suppress dissent and silence voices critical of the war in Ukraine. Timchenko has lived in exile since 2014, when she launched Meduza after being dismissed from her post at a Russian media outlet under government pressure. In...

May 21, 2025 - UK -  Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, widely known as Tommy Robinson, has been charged with two counts of harassment causing fear of violence against two male journalists. The alleged incidents occurred between August 5 and 7, 2024, during a period of nationwide unrest following the murder of three young girls in Southport, northwest England. Robinson is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 5, 2025. These charges come shortly after a High Court decision to reduce Robinson's 18-month prison sentence for contempt of court by four months, making him eligible for...

May 20, 2025 - Sudan -  On May 18, 2025, Sudanese freelance photojournalist Al-Shykh Al-Samany Saadaldyn Mousa Abdulla, known professionally as "Sheikho," was killed in a drone strike while covering a pro-Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) event organized by the Sudan Shield Forces in the Al-Butna area of central eastern Sudan. The attack, suspected to have been carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), also resulted in the deaths of at least seven SAF soldiers and injuries to 14 others. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for an immediate and thorough investigation...

May 19, 2025 - Turkey - Turkish journalist İsmail Arı, a reporter for the independent outlet BirGün, has been subjected to death threats following his investigative reporting on alleged bribery and corruption involving a public official. His exposé, which scrutinized questionable financial dealings and political connections, sparked backlash that quickly escalated into serious security concerns for both Arı and his family. Shortly after the article was published, Arı began receiving threatening messages warning him to stop his reporting. One chilling message referenced his home address and suggested that Ankara, the capital where he resides, is...

May 19, 2025 - India -  Dharmendra Singh Chauhan, a seasoned journalist based in Haryana, was shot dead outside his home in Luhari village, Jhajjar district, on the night of May 18, 2025. The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from journalist unions and press freedom advocates, who are demanding swift justice and increased protections for reporters. According to reports, Chauhan, associated with the regional outlet Fast News India, was taking a routine walk near his home after dinner when unidentified assailants attacked him. Witnesses said they heard multiple gunshots before finding Chauhan critically injured on...

May 19, 2025 - Palestine/Israel - On December 26, 2024, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) strongly condemned the Israeli military's killing of five journalists in Gaza, labeling the act a deliberate war crime. The journalists were killed when an Israeli airstrike targeted a broadcast vehicle near Al-Awda Hospital in Al-Nuseirat camp, central Gaza Strip. This incident is part of a broader pattern of violence against Palestinian media workers. Since the onset of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza on October 7, 2023, over 210 journalists have been killed, with many more injured or displaced. The...

May 18, 2025 - Palestine/USA -  On May 17, 2025, American journalist Eric Maddox was detained by the Israeli army while documenting a march organized by illegal Israeli settlers in the Old City of Hebron, located in the southern West Bank. Maddox, an activist and podcaster from California, was filming what was described as a "provocative march" when he was assaulted by settlers and subsequently arrested by Israeli soldiers. Footage shared on social media platforms, including the Quds News Network, shows Maddox surrounded by Israeli soldiers who handcuffed and detained him. Issa Amro, founder of...

May 18, 2025 - Crimea/Russia -  Lutfiye Zudiyeva, a Crimean Tatar journalist and human rights defender, continues to face sustained harassment and intimidation from Russian authorities in occupied Crimea due to her reporting and activism. Zudiyeva is a key member of the Crimean Solidarity movement and a contributor to the Ukrainian outlet Graty. Her work focuses on documenting politically motivated prosecutions and systemic abuses, especially those targeting the Crimean Tatar population following Russia’s 2014 annexation of the peninsula. On February 22, 2024, Zudiyeva’s home in Dzhankoy was raided by officers from Russia’s Center for Combating...

May 18, 2025 - Palestine - The ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza has claimed the lives of five more Palestinian journalists, pushing the total number of media professionals killed in the Strip since October 7, 2023, to 222. These latest casualties highlight the increasingly perilous conditions for journalists attempting to report on the ground. Among those killed was photojournalist Aziz al-Hajjar, who died alongside his wife and children after Israeli warplanes targeted their home in the Saftawi neighborhood of northern Gaza. Al-Hajjar’s death marks yet another instance of entire families being wiped out in...

May 17, 2025 - Iran/UK -  British authorities have charged three Iranian nationals with planning acts of violence against journalists affiliated with Iran International, a London-based Persian-language media outlet critical of the Iranian government. The suspects—Mostafa Sepahvand, Farhad Javadi Manesh, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori—were arrested on May 3 and charged under the UK’s National Security Act with assisting a foreign intelligence service and conducting surveillance to support potential attacks. According to prosecutors, the trio gathered intelligence between August 2024 and February 2025 in preparation for a possible attack on individuals associated with Iran International....

May 17, 2025 - Syria - Syria has strongly condemned the disappearance of a Syrian journalist reportedly abducted in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, calling it a serious violation of international law and a direct assault on press freedom. The journalist, who was working near the ceasefire line, went missing earlier this month under unclear circumstances. The Syrian Ministry of Information announced that the journalist had been reporting on Israeli activities in the occupied region when contact with him was abruptly lost. His whereabouts remain unknown, raising fears of enforced disappearance. Damascus has accused Israeli forces...

May 17, 2025 - Sweden/Turkey -  A Swedish journalist has returned home after being released from a Turkish prison, where he had been held for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The arrest raised fresh concerns over press freedom and political repression in Turkey, particularly the use of defamation laws to target foreign and domestic journalists alike. The journalist, known for his reporting on human rights and conflicts in the Middle East, was detained in southeastern Turkey earlier this year while covering politically sensitive topics, including Kurdish issues and government policy. He was accused of...

May 17, 2025 - India -  In a significant development in Telangana, two women journalists—Revathi Pogadadanda and Thanvi Yadav—were arrested on March 12, 2025, for allegedly circulating a derogatory video targeting Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. The video, featuring an elderly farmer making offensive remarks about the Chief Minister, was reportedly shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by Revathi, managing director of Pulse Digital News Network, and amplified by Yadav, a reporter with the same organization. The video went viral, leading to public outcry and subsequent legal action. A complaint was filed by...

May 16, 2025 - Tunisia -  Concerns are mounting over the rapidly worsening health of a Tunisian journalist currently on hunger strike in prison. After more than 25 days without food, the journalist’s condition has reportedly reached a critical stage, with recent updates indicating hospitalization due to severe health complications. The journalist, who has been in detention on charges widely seen as politically motivated, began the hunger strike in protest against what rights groups have called unjust imprisonment and the erosion of press freedoms in Tunisia. Alongside other political detainees, the journalist is demanding fair...