News

November 8, 2024 - UK - The UK government and its human rights advocates have united in a powerful appeal for justice following a series of violent attacks and legal suppressions targeting journalists. Echoing broader international sentiment, these calls emphasize the pressing need to hold perpetrators accountable to safeguard press freedom. In recent months, British officials have urged comprehensive investigations into assaults on media workers, ranging from physical violence and sexual harassment to legal intimidation known as SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation). They argue that such actions create a climate of fear, forcing journalists...

November 8, 2024 - General - UNESCO, in partnership with the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF), has released a groundbreaking Guide for Psychologists in the Emergency Care of Journalists—a critical resource tailored to address the emotional and psychological challenges faced by journalists, especially during crises and online violence. The initiative responds to alarming statistics: over 73% of women journalists report experiencing online threats, harassment, or insults due to their work, with 25% facing physical or sexual violence. These risks compound significantly in conflict zones and during heightened election campaigns. At its core, the guide equips mental...

November 8, 2024 - Albania/Herzegovina/Iceland/Montenegro/Bosnia & Herzegovina - At the 1495th meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on November 7, 2024, the European Union delivered a forceful statement in Vienna emphasizing its deep concern over the deteriorating state of press freedom and human rights across the OSCE region. The EU reiterated its commitment to defending journalists, human rights defenders, and democratic institutions amid rising repression in several member states. The EU delegation called attention to the alarming targeting of journalists through intimidation, imprisonment, physical violence, and legal harassment, especially in countries like Russia and Belarus....

November 8, 2024 - Palestine / Qatar - Qatar delivered a powerful appeal before the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee, urging the international community to reinforce protections for journalists operating in conflict zones. Second Secretary Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al‑Thani emphasized that safeguarding press freedom requires a multi-pronged approach—physical safety, legal assistance, cutting-edge tools, and robust cooperation among states and institutions. Qatar’s proposal builds on its longstanding track record: hosting the landmark 2012 International Conference on the Protection of Journalists and producing the 2016 Doha Declaration. These efforts underlined the country’s dedication to embedding journalist safety into the...

November 8, 2024 - Iraq/Kurdistan - Veteran investigative journalist Wrya Abdulkhaliq of Bwar Media was ambushed in his orchard near Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan, shortly after publishing a groundbreaking exposé alleging obstruction by a Peshmerga Ministry official in a regional water and electricity project. At the hands of two assailants—an official’s nephew and his bodyguard—Abdulkhaliq sustained severe injuries: stabbed repeatedly in the abdomen, struck in the head with a gun butt, and had his car tires punctured to prevent escape. After undergoing surgery involving 21 stitches, he was reported in stable condition. Three suspects, including...

November 08, 2024 - Yemen - In a country locked in a decade-long conflict, the safety of journalists has become a crisis of urgent proportions. On November 8, 2024, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), in collaboration with UNESCO and the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate (YJS), concluded a year-long project aimed at improving occupational safety for media workers in Yemen, training over 160 journalists across Aden, Taiz, Hadramawt, and Marib. The initiative comprised eight workshops culminating in the final session on October 31 in Taiz, attended by 20 media leaders. Discussions underscored the need for comprehensive safety measures: psychological...

November 08, 2024 - India -  Indian investigative journalist Rana Ayyub embarked on a reporting trip to Manipur, only to find herself under constant surveillance by local intelligence personnel. CPJ sources revealed she was followed for four days—through villages, checkpoints, even to the washroom—ostensibly “for her safety,” though intended to intimidate and impede her work. On November 8, her mobile number was leaked on X (formerly Twitter) by a right-wing account known as “Hindutva Knight.” That night, Ayyub received at least 200 unsolicited phone and video calls, explicit WhatsApp messages, deepfake images, and repeated OTP requests flooding...

November 8, 2024 - General - In a powerful call-to-action, the International Press Institute (IPI) urges governments worldwide to confront and eliminate impunity for attacks on journalists. According to IPI, a staggering majority of crimes against media professionals—particularly killings—go unpunished, enabling further violence and eroding press freedom. IPI highlights that impunity serves as a flame to an accelerating blaze: unchecked, it emboldens perpetrators and institutionalizes hostility against journalism. This trend—amplified in authoritarian regimes and conflict zones—is undermining the media's essential role as democracy’s watchdog. A focal point of IPI’s advocacy is environmental and climate journalism,...

November 08, 2024 - Bolivia - Amid widespread anti-government protests sweeping Bolivia since early November, reporters and camera crews have faced escalating hostility. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), at least 25 journalists were violently attacked—physically assaulted, harassed, or obstructed—while covering protest actions such as road blockades and strikes in Santa Cruz and other regions. These incidents, RSF warns, reflect a disturbing erosion of press freedom in one of Latin America’s most politically charged environments. The violence has come from various sources. In several cases, journalists were attacked by police using excessive force. In others, demonstrators—some aligned...

November 08, 2024 - Somalia/Sweden -  In a brutal reminder that journalism can be a death sentence, Somali‑Swedish investigative reporter Amun Abdullahi Mohamed was assassinated on October 19, 2024, in her hometown of Afgoye in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia. Shot dead by gunmen suspected to be linked to al‑Shabaab, Mohamed’s killing shocked international media communities and prompted urgent demands for justice. Amun was not just any journalist—she was a trailblazer, celebrated for exposing al‑Shabaab’s recruitment operations both in Somalia and Sweden. She earned the 2010 Swedish Publicists’ Association Freedom of Speech Award and...

November 08, 2024 - Philippines -  Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has urgently called on the Philippine government to release investigative journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who has been detained since February 2020 on charges of “financing terrorism” and “illegal possession of firearms” that RSF and others label as fabricated. The government alleges weapons were found during a raid, but press freedom groups assert the evidence was planted—part of a wider “red-tagging” campaign that brands critical journalists as subversive. Cumpio, 26, directs Eastern Vista, an independent platform highlighting marginalized voices in Eastern Visayas. Her arrest followed her reporting on...

November 7, 2024 - Palestine/Lebanon/USA - Freedom House warns that Israel’s democratic character is at grave risk due to escalating attacks on press freedom. While Israel has long maintained a reputation as a robust democracy with a diverse media landscape, recent government actions under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threaten to dismantle that foundation. Freedom House highlights a growing pattern of government hostility toward journalists, particularly those critical of the administration. Reporters are increasingly vilified as enemies of the state, with officials using rhetoric that frames the press not as a democratic pillar but as a...

November 7, 2024 - Russia - In a stark escalation of its campaign against independent media, Russia has taken severe punitive action against Kirill Martynov, editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe. Two interconnected legal assaults—his arrest in absentia and a subsequent 6-year prison sentence—underscore the Kremlin’s intensified drive to suppress dissent. On November 6, 2024, a Moscow court formally arrested Martynov in absentia, accusing him of “organizing the activities of an undesirable organization”. The charge stems from his leadership of Novaya Gazeta Europe (banned by prosecutors in June 2023) and the Free University, another independent project classified as “undesirable”....

November 7, 2024 - Bulgaria - Investigative journalist Venelina Popova faced alarming intimidation from Galabovo Mayor Nikolay Tonev following her reporting on suspected electoral fraud during local elections in Bulgaria. Popova’s work exposed worrying irregularities—potential vote buying and procedural manipulation—prompting the mayor to respond not with transparency, but with threats intended to silence her journalistic inquiry. The news site Balkan Insight reports that after Popova published her findings, Mayor Tonev contacted her directly. While the exact nature of the threats isn’t detailed, they were serious enough to prompt action from Women Press Freedom, which publicly...

November 6, 2024 - Bulgaria - During Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections on October 27, 2024, at least four journalists were attacked, harassed, or obstructed in the line of duty, prompting a wave of condemnation from international press freedom groups. In a joint statement released on November 6, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), International Press Institute (IPI), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and OBC Transeuropa demanded full investigations and accountability for the perpetrators. The most serious incident involved a bTV camera operator who was physically assaulted by two...

November 6, 2024 - Europe/Azerbaijan - Ahead of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Budapest on November 6, 2024, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and partner organizations issued a strong call urging European leaders to address Azerbaijan’s worsening human rights and press freedom crisis. With the Azerbaijani government tightening its grip on civil society, journalists, and activists, the statement demands international action to end the ongoing crackdown. Following Azerbaijan’s presidential election in February and parliamentary election in September, the government has intensified its repression. Independent media outlets have been dismantled, environmental defenders...

November 6, 2024 - Mongolia - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) sounded the alarm: a closed-door appeal trial for detained journalist Unurtsetseg Naran—conducted without public scrutiny or disclosed evidence—signals a dangerous regression for press freedom in Mongolia. Naran, founder of the independent news outlet Zarig, was initially convicted behind closed doors this July on dubious charges including “spreading false information,” “tax evasion,” and “money laundering.” Her sentencing, carried out without transparency, drew widespread condemnation from local and international observers. Her appeal hearing, also held in secret, deprived Naran of the most elemental judicial guarantees—open proceedings and...

November 6, 2024 - Sudan - The Sudan Media Forum (SMF)—a coalition of independent outlets like Dabanga, Sudan Tribune, and the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate—launched the “Silence Kills: No Time to Waste for Sudan” campaign during events at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. Coinciding with the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the initiative aimed to highlight the catastrophic impact of Sudan’s ongoing war and mounting attacks on the media. Since conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, both the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces have systematically silenced journalistic voices....

November 6, 2024 - Bosnia & Herzegovina - Veteran investigative reporter Nataša Miljanović‑Zubac, a journalist with Radio Television of Republika Srpska, has endured a relentless campaign of intimidation for exposing corruption and organized crime. Over the past two and a half years, she’s survived at least seven criminal acts—including arson, violent threats, ominous messages, and psychological torture—all of which have gone unpunished. In mid-2022, unknown assailants torched her vehicle outside her home in Trebinje, which she described as her livelihood, and her reporting was significantly disrupted as a result. Following that, with no legal accountability, the...

November 5, 2024 - Palestine - French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot presented the second Anna Politkovskaya–Arman Soldin Prize for Courage in Journalism on November 5, 2024, to Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham and Palestinian journalist Basel Adra. This prestigious award, instituted by France in 2023, commemorates the legacy of slain Russian reporter Anna Politkovskaya and Franco-Bosnian journalist Arman Soldin, both revered for fearless conflict reporting. The jury—comprising prominent media figures—praised Abraham and Adra “for their work putting a spotlight on violence committed by settlers and the political and legal inequalities between Palestinians and Israelis". Their award-winning collaboration, the documentary No Other Land,...

November 5, 2024 - General - The annual International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists—the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) marked the occasion with a powerful webinar calling attention to the dire circumstances facing media professionals across Africa. The ACHPR’s Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression emphasized that journalists routinely face grave threats—including detention, torture, kidnapping, and online harassment—raising significant obstacles to the free flow of information guaranteed under Article 9 of the African Charter. Such violations not only hinder public discourse but also deepen societal vulnerability by silencing critical voices....

November 5, 2024 - Cambodia - Veteran investigative journalist Mech Dara, renowned for his hard-hitting exposés on human trafficking and cyberscam operations in Cambodia, has announced he will leave journalism to become a farmer. This decision came after a dramatic arrest in late September 2024 over social media posts, followed by a difficult stint in pre-trial detention. On September 30, Dara was detained by military police at a toll booth while traveling with his family. Authorities charged him with "incitement to commit a felony or cause social disorder," based on Facebook posts about quarrying at a revered...

November 5, 2024 - UK/Egypt - The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)—joined by 14 British, Egyptian, and international organizations—issued a forceful appeal to UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy. The groups urged the UK to suspend all new economic, financial, and security cooperation with Egypt until British-Egyptian writer and activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah is released from detention. Abd el-Fattah, a prominent voice since the Arab Spring, was first arrested in 2014 and again in September 2019 amid anti-government protests. Convicted under charges of “spreading false news,” he received a five-year sentence in December 2021. Although his...

November 4, 2024 - Albania - Two Albanian camera crews—Fjorela Beleshi and Elja Zotka from A2 CNN, and a TV Klan team—were unjustifiably detained at Greece’s Kapshtica/Krystallopigi border as they attempted to cover Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s rally in Thessaloniki. The crews carried valid accreditation and verbal clearance from the Albanian Foreign Ministry, yet Greek authorities confiscated their passports, held them for over four hours, and refused entry without explicit approval from the Greek Foreign Ministry. Authorities also attempted to stop them from livestreaming the delay, impeding real‑time reporting and restricting the journalists from fulfilling...

November 4, 2024 - India - Imran Khan, editor of the Ghaziabad-based Hindi daily Aap AbhiTak, was arrested on defamation charges following a six-month-old election report in which Congress candidate Dolly Sharma accused BJP MP Atul Garg of being involved in land grabbing. Sharma, during the Lok Sabha campaign, claimed Garg had seized 31,000 m² of public land to build a housing society—allegations that Khan faithfully reported under the headline: “BJP makes land‑mafia Atul Garg its candidate.” Despite a note of Sharma’s status as the source of the accusation—and no evidence added by Khan—the MP filed a...