News

March 09, 2025 - India -  In recent months, the detentions of journalists in Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand have sparked significant concerns regarding press freedom and the criminalization of dissent in India. Hilal Mir Detained in Srinagar In early May 2025, senior journalist Hilal Mir was detained by the Jammu and Kashmir Police for allegedly promoting "disaffection" against India and "secessionist ideology" through social media posts. Mir, known for his contributions to various national and international media outlets, was accused of portraying Kashmiris as victims of systemic extermination. His detention is part of a...

March 08, 2025 - Palestine -  Palestinian journalist Ahmad Jalajel was detained twice by Israeli occupation forces in Jerusalem, highlighting ongoing challenges to press freedom in the occupied territories. The first detention occurred on the evening of Wednesday, March 5, when Israeli soldiers arrested Jalajel from his home in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem during Iftar, the breaking of the Ramadan fast. He was taken to a detention center in Jabal al-Mukaber, where he was interrogated for several hours before being released the same night. Just three days later, on Saturday, March 8, Jalajel...

March 08, 2025 - Palestine -  Israeli occupation forces detained several Palestinian journalists in Jenin and Jerusalem, intensifying concerns over press freedom in the occupied territories. On March 8, Israeli forces briefly detained several journalists near the Jenin Government Hospital while they were covering the military's siege around the hospital and its attempts to storm the hospital’s yard. Earlier that day, military vehicles were deployed in front of the hospital's gate, and toxic gas canisters were fired towards people present in its main courtyard. This marked the 47th day of Israeli aggression against Jenin city...

March 08, 2025 - Palestine -  Palestinian journalist Ahmad Jalajel was detained twice by Israeli occupation forces in Jerusalem, raising concerns about press freedom in the region. On March 5, Jalajel was arrested at his home in the Silwan neighborhood during Iftar time. He was taken to a detention center in Jabal al-Mukaber, interrogated for several hours, and released the same night. Just three days later, on March 8, Jalajel was again detained, this time from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Israeli forces arrested him during the evening hours, reportedly handing him a summons for further...

March 08, 2025 - Russia/UK - In a disturbing revelation from early 2025, a Russian spy ring operating in the United Kingdom plotted to kidnap and assassinate two prominent investigative journalists: Christo Grozev and Roman Dobrokhotov. The spy network, led by Bulgarian national Orlin Roussev and linked to fugitive Austrian businessman Jan Marsalek, was convicted of espionage activities carried out between 2020 and 2023. Christo Grozev, a Bulgarian journalist and lead Russia investigator for Bellingcat, has long been targeted by the Kremlin for his work exposing Russian state crimes, including the 2018 poisoning of Sergei...

March 08, 2025 - India -  Journalist and Right to Information (RTI) activist Raghvendra Bajpai was tragically killed in broad daylight on the Sitapur-Delhi National Highway in Uttar Pradesh, India. Bajpai was riding his motorcycle to meet a land tax collector when he was violently attacked. A motorcycle rammed into him, and he was then shot three times in the chest and shoulder. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, he was declared dead upon arrival. Bajpai, 35, had been actively investigating alleged irregularities in rice paddy sales and evasion of stamp duty in the...

March 07, 2025 - Iran -  Two Iranian journalists were violently attacked in separate stabbing incidents that highlight the increasing dangers faced by media professionals both inside Iran and abroad. On March 7, 2025, Meysam Rashidi, a journalist based in Ardabil, northwestern Iran, was viciously stabbed by members of the Ardabil Municipality Cultural Organization. Rashidi had recently posted a critical video exposing mismanagement of the local football team, including irregular training schedules and conflicts of interest involving municipal staff. After receiving threatening calls and being forced to delete the video, Rashidi was ambushed by individuals...

March 07, 2025 - Malaysia -  Malaysian journalist B. Nantha Kumar was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on allegations of soliciting and receiving a bribe of RM20,000 (approximately $6,000) from a foreign worker agent. The agent claimed that Kumar had demanded RM100,000 to halt the publication of two articles concerning a migrant smuggling syndicate, which was later reduced to RM20,000. The agent reported the matter to the MACC, leading to a sting operation where Kumar was arrested at a hotel in Shah Alam after allegedly accepting the bribe. Kumar, a seasoned investigative journalist...

March 07, 2025 - Palestine -  Women journalists working in Gaza are facing increasing risks and hardships as they cover the ongoing conflict and Israeli occupation. Female reporters are targeted through arrests, intimidation, and physical attacks, adding to the already difficult conditions for journalists in the region. Israeli forces continue to detain Palestinian journalists, with many arrests occurring during raids in Gaza and the West Bank. Women journalists, in particular, face additional threats due to gender-based violence and discrimination, which amplify their vulnerability in detention and on the field. According to reports from press freedom...

March 07, 2025 - USA -  Stanford University student journalist Dilan Gohill has been cleared of all charges following his arrest during a pro-Palestinian protest at the university in June 2024. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office announced on March 6, 2025, that it would not pursue felony charges against Gohill, who had been detained while covering a sit-in at the university president’s office. The decision came after a nine-month investigation and widespread criticism from press freedom organizations. Gohill, a freshman reporter for The Stanford Daily, was arrested along with 12 protesters who had...

March 07, 2025 - USA Journalism in the United States is facing a severe crisis driven by a perfect economic storm, with profound consequences for the media landscape. Key factors include deep budget cuts, rising debt, and shrinking advertising revenues, which together are destabilizing news organizations and threatening the survival of quality journalism. The Trump administration’s significant reductions in federal funding for public media and journalism-related programs contributed to an already fragile ecosystem. These cuts limited resources for investigative reporting, local news, and public-interest journalism, sectors that are crucial for holding power accountable. The impact...

March 07, 2025 - Ireland -  Mark McAnaw, a 52-year-old man previously residing in Letterkenny, County Donegal, has pleaded guilty to the harassment of three female journalists from the Sunday World. The incidents occurred in August 2023, with McAnaw sending threatening emails and messages to Nicola Tallant, Amanda Brunker, and Deirdre Reynolds. The content of these communications escalated from inappropriate propositions to explicit threats of violence, including a warning to one journalist that failing to meet him would result in a "life-threatening mistake". McAnaw's criminal history is extensive. In 2012, he was convicted of the...

March 07, 2025 - General -  A civil lawsuit filed in the United States aims to hold former Salvadoran military officer Mario Adalberto Reyes Mena accountable for the 1982 killings of four Dutch journalists during El Salvador's civil war. The lawsuit, initiated by Gert Kuiper—the brother of slain journalist Jan Kuiper—was filed in October 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. It seeks unspecified monetary damages and a declaration that Reyes Mena is responsible for the deaths of Jan Kuiper, Koos Koster, Joop Willemsen, and Hans ter Laag. Reyes Mena,...

March 07, 2025 - Congo -  Journalists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), particularly in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, are confronting unprecedented challenges as armed groups, including the M23, escalate their military offensives. Between January 2024 and January 2025, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) documented over 50 attacks on newsrooms and journalists in North Kivu alone, encompassing looting, destruction, threats, and physical violence. The M23's capture of Goma in January 2025 marked a significant escalation, leading to the closure of at least 26 community radio stations, with approximately 10 directly...

March 07, 2025 - General -  Two Kurdish journalists in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, have recently been released after lengthy detentions, though one journalist remains in custody. The releases mark a partial victory amid ongoing concerns over press freedom in the region. Suleyman Ahmet, an investigative journalist who was held for 454 days, was freed on bail in late April 2025. Ahmet’s arrest sparked significant outcry from media rights groups who highlighted the risks faced by journalists covering sensitive political and social issues in Kurdistan. Despite his release, Ahmet continues to face legal proceedings related to...

March 07, 2025 -Azerbaijan -  Azerbaijan's government has intensified its repression of independent media, particularly targeting journalists associated with Meydan TV, a Germany-based outlet critical of the regime. On February 20, 2025, freelance reporter Nurlan Gahramanli was arrested on charges of currency smuggling. Just over a week later, on February 28, Fatima Mövlamli, another freelance journalist for Meydan TV, was detained under similar allegations. Both were placed in pretrial detention, with Gahramanli held for one month and 17 days, and Mövlamli for one month and nine days. These arrests are part of a broader campaign...

March 07, 2025 - Philippines -  Calls are intensifying for the immediate and unconditional release of Filipino journalist Frenchiemae Cumpio, who has been detained since February 2020 on controversial charges that rights groups say are politically motivated and unjust. Cumpio, known for her work as an investigative journalist and director of Eastern Vista, was arrested during a raid in Tacloban City, along with several social workers. Authorities claim she was involved in communist activities and accused her of illegal possession of firearms and terrorist financing. However, media rights groups argue that these charges are fabricated,...

March 07, 2025 - Ecuador -  Ecuadorian journalist Patricio Aguilar, known for his work with the digital news outlet Ola Manta TV, was shot and killed on March 1, 2025, in the city of Manta. The 54-year-old broadcaster was ambushed by unidentified gunmen while riding his motorcycle. His murder has sent shockwaves through Ecuador’s journalism community and highlighted the deepening crisis of press freedom in a country increasingly plagued by drug-related violence. Aguilar was a well-known local journalist who reported on issues such as politics, community safety, and organized crime. Though not overtly provocative in...

March 07, 2025 - Kurdish/Iraq -  Kurdistan24 correspondent Anwar Abdullatif narrowly escaped harm on March 7, 2025, after a Syrian Ministry of Defense convoy he was accompanying was ambushed in the coastal province of Tartous, Syria. The attack, reportedly carried out by armed remnants of Bashar al-Assad’s former regime, underscores the persistent dangers journalists face while covering volatile regions still haunted by the remnants of civil war. Abdullatif was on assignment with Syrian government forces documenting military operations aimed at reasserting control in the area, which remains contested despite years of conflict. According to reports,...

March 06, 2025 - Palestine -  Independent journalist Zachary Ruiter was forcefully removed and arrested at an Ontario New Democratic Party (ONDP) election night event on February 27, 2025, after staging a brief protest criticizing the party’s stance on the war in Gaza. The incident, which occurred at the ONDP's Toronto rally, has ignited controversy over freedom of expression and political accountability in Canada. Ruiter, known for his independent reporting and activism, held up a sign reading “Marit’s Legacy is Genocide,” directly calling out party leader Marit Stiles for what he described as the ONDP’s...

March 06, 2025 -Kashmir -  Kashmiri journalist Majid Hyderi has been released from detention following a significant ruling by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, which declared his imprisonment unjust and emphasized that criticizing the government does not constitute a crime. The decision, delivered in late May 2025, has been welcomed by press freedom advocates as a crucial affirmation of democratic rights in India. Hyderi, a senior journalist and frequent commentator on regional politics, was arrested in September 2023 under the Public Safety Act (PSA)—a law that allows detention without trial for up to two...

March 06, 2025 - Kurdish/Iraq/Turkey -  The imprisonment of Öznur Değer, a Kurdish journalist with JINNEWS, has become a stark reminder of the ongoing state persecution of journalists in Türkiye. Değer, who was detained in Ankara on May 13, 2024, continues to be held in Sincan Women’s Closed Prison despite widespread calls for her release from human rights and press freedom organizations. Değer was arrested alongside another journalist, Büşra Erdal, and charged under Türkiye’s sweeping anti-terror laws. Authorities accused her of “membership in a terrorist organization,” a charge commonly leveled against Kurdish reporters and media...

March 06, 2025 - Azerbaijan -  On International Women’s Day 2025, nine women journalists in Azerbaijan marked the occasion not with celebration, but from behind bars—imprisoned in a country increasingly hostile to independent reporting. These women, known for their critical journalism and advocacy for human rights, now face harsh conditions and criminal charges widely condemned as politically motivated. Among the detainees are prominent journalists such as Sevinj Vagifgizi, Ulviyya Ali, and Nargiz Absalamova, all affiliated with independent media outlet Abzas Media, which has faced a systematic crackdown since late 2023. Azerbaijani authorities accuse them of...

March 06, 2025 - Palestine -  Palestinian sports journalist Mohammad Al-Astal remains detained by Israeli forces, despite the military reportedly acknowledging a lack of concrete evidence against him. Al-Astal, who works for Al-Kofiya TV and is known for his coverage of Palestinian sports, was arrested after giving a televised interview in Rafah, southern Gaza. His case has since become emblematic of the broader Israeli clampdown on Palestinian journalists amid the war on Gaza. Al-Astal was apprehended during a military raid in early March 2024, shortly after appearing on television to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis...

March 06, 2025 - Russia -  A detailed investigation has exposed a vast network of Russian detention centers in occupied Ukrainian territories, where civilians—including journalists—are being held, tortured, and interrogated under accusations of resistance or mere suspicion of loyalty to Ukraine. The system, often masked as "filtration," has become a tool for silencing voices and instilling fear among populations under Russian control. According to an in-depth report by The Washington Post, based on interviews with over 100 former detainees and data compiled by Ukrainian officials, Russia has detained more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians since the...