News

February 21, 2025 - Azerbaijan -  Azerbaijan’s tightening grip on independent journalism intensified in February 2025, as yet another journalist, Fikret Faramazoglu, was arrested in Baku—the latest in a wave of detentions targeting reporters linked to the independent outlet Meydan TV. His arrest follows a pattern of state-led repression that has seen at least nine journalists detained since November 2023 under accusations of smuggling and illicit financial dealings, charges critics say are politically motivated. Faramazoglu, editor-in-chief of the now-banned Jam. az news website, was taken into custody on February 20 and is facing charges under...

February 21, 2025 -First Nation -  The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) formally apologized to Gitxsan journalist Jerome Turner and his editor, Ethan Cox of Ricochet Media, for violating Turner's Charter rights during a 2020 enforcement operation on Wet’suwet’en territory in British Columbia. The apology followed a report by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC), which found that the RCMP had unreasonably interfered with press freedoms during the operation. On February 7, 2020, Turner was reporting on the RCMP's enforcement of an injunction against Wet’suwet’en land defenders opposing the Coastal GasLink pipeline. Despite identifying...

February 21, 2025 -Mexican - The body of Mexican journalist Jesús Alberto Camacho Rodríguez, missing since 2019, has finally been identified in a morgue in Culiacán, Sinaloa, where it had remained unclaimed for three years. Camacho’s remains were recovered in 2021 from a drainage canal and were held in the local forensic medical service without recognition until activists and forensic experts made the match in early 2025. Camacho was a reporter from Hermosillo, Sonora, and had worked for multiple regional outlets, including El Imparcial, El Regional de Sonora, Extra de la Tarde, and Tribuna del...

February 20, 2025 - India -  The death of 82-year-old C. Pappachan, a retired assistant general manager of BSNL, was initially deemed a tragic hit-and-run accident near Asramam Ground in Kollam, Kerala. However, subsequent investigations revealed a calculated murder orchestrated to appear as an accident. Pappachan, known for his frugal lifestyle despite considerable wealth, had minimal contact with his family and often cycled around the city. His financial prudence and slight memory issues attracted the attention of Saritha, a branch manager at Muthoottu Mini Nidhi, and her associate Anoop. They persuaded him to deposit approximately...

February 20, 2025 - Italy -  Italy's national journalists' union, the Federazione Nazionale Stampa Italiana (FNSI), alongside the Order of Journalists (Odg), initiated legal proceedings against unknown individuals, urging the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate allegations of unlawful surveillance involving the Israeli-developed spyware, Graphite, produced by Paragon Solutions. The controversy emerged when investigative journalist Francesco Cancellato, editor-in-chief of the Italian news outlet Fanpage, reported that his WhatsApp account had been compromised using Graphite, a military-grade spyware typically employed by state entities. WhatsApp's parent company, Meta, confirmed that at least seven Italian mobile phones had...

February 20, 2025 - General -  Elon Musk has sparked international controversy by accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being responsible for the death of American journalist Gonzalo Lira. Musk made the explosive allegation on his platform X (formerly Twitter) in late February 2025, stating directly, “Zelensky killed an American journalist!” This claim has drawn sharp attention to Ukraine’s treatment of journalists, particularly those critical of its government during wartime. Gonzalo Lira, a dual Chilean-American citizen, had gained a following for his commentary criticizing both Ukraine’s leadership and U.S. foreign policy in the region. Ukrainian...

February 20, 2025 - Montenegro -  Montenegro's parliament voted to establish an Inquiry Committee to investigate politically motivated attacks on journalists and intellectuals dating back to the 1990s. This initiative aims to address the legacy of unsolved crimes and restore public trust in the justice system. Parliamentary Speaker Andrija Mandić emphasized the need to confront past injustices, stating that the country had been "held hostage by crime" during the previous administration. The committee will examine cases such as the 2004 murder of Duško Jovanović, editor of the newspaper Dan, and the 2008 assault on journalist...

February 20, 2025 - USA - a legal dispute in Clarksdale, Mississippi, ignited national concern over press freedom and judicial overreach. Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin issued a temporary restraining order mandating the Clarksdale Press Register to remove an editorial titled "Secrecy, Deception Erode Public Trust" from its website. The editorial criticized city officials for failing to notify the newspaper about a meeting discussing a proposed tax on alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco. City leaders, including Mayor Chuck Espy, contended that the editorial was libelous and hindered their efforts to lobby. They were particularly aggrieved by...

February 19, 2025 - UK/Brazil -  Charlotte Peet, a 32-year-old British freelance journalist, has been missing in Brazil since February 8, 2025. Her last known communication was a message to a friend in Rio de Janeiro, stating she was in São Paulo and planning to travel to Rio. When the friend was unable to host her, Peet ceased communication, prompting concern from her family and the filing of a missing person's report. Peet, fluent in Portuguese, had previously worked as a foreign correspondent in Brazil for nearly two years before returning in November 2024. She...

February 19, 2025 - USA - The Trump administration, with support from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), initiated a significant overhaul of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This move included pausing over $268 million in annual funding designated for independent media programs worldwide, leading to a crisis among numerous news outlets that had relied on these funds for operations. USAID had been instrumental in supporting over 6,200 journalists and nearly 1,000 non-state news organizations globally. These initiatives aimed to promote press freedom and democratic values, particularly in regions where media independence...

February 19, 2025 - Kashmir -  In a significant ruling, the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has quashed the detention of journalist Majid Hyderi under the Public Safety Act (PSA), citing violations of constitutional rights. Hyderi, an independent journalist and political commentator, was arrested in September 2023 on charges of extortion and defamation, following a complaint by another journalist. Despite being granted bail by the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Srinagar, he was re-arrested and detained under the PSA, a preventive detention law that allows authorities to detain individuals without trial for up to...

February 19, 2025 - Turkey -  Turkish courts ordered the blocking of social media accounts belonging to several Kurdish journalists, including Abdurrahman Gök, Oktay Candemir, and Ruşen Takva. The court orders cited concerns over "national security, public order, and preventing the spread of misleading information." These actions are part of a broader crackdown on opposition voices and media freedom in Turkey. The journalists' accounts on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube were rendered inaccessible within Turkey. Gök's YouTube account, for instance, was blocked from access in the country. These measures have raised...

February 19, 2025 - Media debate The Israeli Prime Minister's Office (PMO) removed two senior journalists from the Israel Broadcasting Corporation (KAN), Michael Shemesh and Suleiman Maswadeh, from its official WhatsApp group used for disseminating press updates. This action followed their reporting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reprimanded his spokesman, Omer Dostri, over his conduct during a sensitive diplomatic period. The Union of Journalists in Israel (UJI) swiftly condemned the move, stating, "It is inconceivable for a public servant to deliberately sabotage the media's work and prevent access to information from journalists." The UJI...

February 19, 2025 - USA - In a landmark victory for press freedom, Idaho has become the 41st U.S. state to enact a media shield law, offering legal protections for journalists who seek to protect the identities of confidential sources. The legislation, House Bill 158, passed unanimously through both chambers of the Idaho Legislature and was signed into law in late February 2025. It is scheduled to take effect on July 1. The new law ensures that journalists cannot be compelled to reveal confidential sources or unpublished materials in most legal proceedings. It applies to...

February 19, 2025 - Cameroon -  For nearly a decade, Cameroon’s Anglophone regions—the Northwest and Southwest—have been engulfed in a violent conflict between separatist groups and government forces. This prolonged crisis has not only resulted in over 6,000 civilian deaths and the displacement of more than 600,000 people but has also severely undermined press freedom, placing journalists in an increasingly perilous position. Journalists operating in these regions face threats from both sides of the conflict. Government forces have been known to arrest and detain reporters under the guise of anti-terrorism laws, while separatist groups have...

February 19, 2025 - Russia/Ukraine -  As the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its third year, journalists covering the conflict continue to face severe and escalating threats. Since the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has documented nearly 150 attacks on journalists, encompassing killings, injuries, detentions, and disappearances. Thirteen journalists have been killed by Russian forces, including Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who died in Russian detention in 2024. At least 47 journalists have been injured, often in targeted attacks or while reporting from areas subjected to Russian strikes. Eighteen Ukrainian...

February 19, 2024 - Turkey - In a sweeping operation on February 18, 2025, Turkish authorities detained 282 individuals across 51 provinces, including journalists, politicians, and academics, accusing them of affiliations with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The detentions, part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures, have drawn international condemnation. Among those arrested were prominent journalists such as Yıldız Tar, editor-in-chief of the LGBTQ+ rights organization Kaos GL, and Elif Akgül, a former editor at bianet. Tar's detention is particularly concerning given the government's increasing hostility towards LGBTQ+ advocacy. The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,...

February 19, 2025 - Italy - Italy's national journalists' union (FNSI) initiated legal proceedings against the government, alleging the unlawful use of military-grade spyware, Graphite, developed by Israeli firm Paragon Solutions. The spyware reportedly targeted at least seven individuals, including investigative journalist Francesco Cancellato and migrant activist Luca Casarini, both known for their critical stances against the government's policies. The controversy began in January when Meta's WhatsApp notified several EU users, including journalists and civil society members, that their devices had been compromised by spyware linked to Paragon. Subsequent investigations revealed that the spyware exploited...

February 19, 2025 - Yemen -  Yemeni journalist Abdulkhaliq Imran has opened up about the brutal torture he endured during eight years of detention by Houthi forces. Imran’s testimony sheds light on the harsh realities faced by thousands of detainees in Houthi-controlled prisons across Yemen. He described being confined in a small, dark cell where he was subjected to repeated beatings, flogging, and forced suspension from the walls. Psychological torture was equally severe: prisoners were relentlessly bombarded with recordings of Houthi clerics denouncing them as “enemies of God.” These tactics aimed not only to break...

February 19, 2024 - Tunisia - The United Nations has condemned the escalating persecution of political opponents in Tunisia, urging the authorities to cease arbitrary arrests and uphold fundamental human rights. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, called on Tunisian authorities to end the pattern of detentions and imprisonment of human rights defenders, journalists, activists, and politicians, many of whom are being held in pre-trial detention under vague accusations following the exercise of their rights and freedoms. Since President Kais Saied consolidated power in 2021, following his suspension of parliament and assumption of...

February 18, 2025 - Zimbabwe -  Zimbabwean journalist Blessed Mhlanga, associated with Heart and Soul TV (HStv), has recently been at the centre of legal and safety concerns following his interviews with war veteran Blessed Geza and former cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere. These interviews, which included critical commentary on President Emmerson Mnangagwa's leadership, have led to a series of police actions against Mhlanga. On February 17, 2025, three individuals armed with pistols visited HStv's Harare office searching for Mhlanga. He reported the incident on social media, expressing concern over the armed visit. Subsequently, he was...

February 18, 2025 - Georgia -  Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, co-founder of the independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, concluded her 38-day hunger strike on February 18, 2025. Her protest began following her arrest on January 12 during anti-government demonstrations in Batumi, where she was charged with assaulting a police officer after slapping Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze. The incident occurred amid heightened tensions over Georgia's halted European Union integration efforts and allegations of electoral misconduct. Amaglobeli's hunger strike drew significant international attention, with numerous organizations and governments calling for her release. The International Federation...

February 18, 2025 - Turkey -  Turkey has witnessed a significant surge in the detention and imprisonment of journalists, raising serious concerns about the state of press freedom in the country. One notable case is that of Ozan Kaplanoğlu, the editor-in-chief of Bursa Muhalif newspaper. Kaplanoğlu was imprisoned in February 2025 after a conditional release decision was revoked. He had been convicted in 2013 for insulting then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a protest, a charge that has been upheld by appellate courts. His lawyer argued that this act should be considered an exercise of...

February 18, 2025 - Vietnam -  Vietnamese journalist and writer Truong Huy San, known as Huy Đức, was sentenced in early 2025 to 30 months in prison under Article 331 of Vietnam’s Penal Code. The court ruled that thirteen Facebook posts he published between 2015 and 2024 constituted an “abuse of democratic freedoms” that infringed on the interests of the state and the rights of organizations and individuals. His posts reportedly criticized government policies and raised sensitive social and political issues. San was arrested in June 2024 and has remained in detention since. His trial...

February 18, 2025 - USA -  Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons was fatally shot while covering a homicide in Pine Hills, Florida. The shooter, 19-year-old Keith Melvin Moses, had earlier killed 38-year-old Nathacha Augustin and later returned to the scene, fatally shooting Lyons and 9-year-old T’Yonna Major, while injuring photographer Jesse Walden and Major’s mother, Brandi Turner. Moses has pleaded not guilty to the charges. In response to the tragedy, Lyons' family filed a negligence lawsuit against Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum News 13. The lawsuit alleges that the company failed to...