News

February 05, 2025 - Bangladesh -  Bangladesh's press freedom landscape has deteriorated significantly in 2025, with journalists facing increased violence, harassment, and legal persecution. Despite the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, the interim government under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has struggled to protect media workers and uphold press freedoms. According to Ain O Salish Kendra, from August 2024 to March 2025, there were 398 reported incidents of attacks and harassment against journalists, averaging over 50 incidents per month. Notably, in February and March alone, 82 such incidents were recorded. These attacks...

February 05, 2025 - Bangladesh -  Since the August 2024 ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh's interim government under Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus has intensified its crackdown on journalists, particularly those perceived as supportive of the former regime. This repression has led to widespread arrests, legal harassment, and international condemnation. Among the most prominent cases are those of journalists Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed. On August 21, 2024, the couple was arrested at Dhaka's Shahjalal International Airport while attempting to travel to Paris. They were charged with murder in connection with their journalistic...

February 05, 2025 - Georgia -  Mzia Amaglobeli, a prominent Georgian journalist and founder of the independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was transferred from prison to the Vivamedi clinic in early 2025 amid mounting concerns over her health. Amaglobeli was arrested on January 12, 2025, during a protest in Batumi, where she was charged with assaulting a police officer—a charge she and her supporters strongly dispute, arguing it was politically motivated. The protest itself was part of broader demonstrations calling for new elections and opposing the government’s suspension of Georgia’s European Union accession plans....

February 05, 2025 - Tunisia - Tunisia’s political climate has intensified as the government escalates its crackdown on opposition figures and independent journalists. Several opposition politicians and journalists have been arrested and sentenced by Tunisian courts, prompting widespread domestic and international criticism over the suppression of political dissent and press freedom. Among those detained are prominent opposition leaders and journalists who have openly criticized the government’s policies and called for democratic reforms. These arrests come amid ongoing political tensions following the 2021 constitutional changes that increased executive powers and weakened democratic institutions. Critics argue that...

February 05, 2025 - Ukraine -  Viktoria Dmytrenko, a journalist for My—Ukraina TV, was physically assaulted while reporting on a murder trial at the Shevchenkivskyi District Court in Kyiv. The incident occurred during proceedings related to the death of 16-year-old Maksym Materukhin, who was fatally injured at a Kyiv funicular station in April 2024. The suspect, Artem Kosov, an employee of the State Protection Department, was charged with premeditated murder. According to eyewitness accounts and video footage, a woman, identified as the mother of the accused, approached Dmytrenko, slapped her in the face, and forcibly...

February 05, 2025 -Iraq -  Kurdish journalist Bashdar Bazyani was arrested in Al-Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region, after being summoned to the Sarchnar Police Station. Following interrogation, he was transferred to the Criminal Court, where a detention order was issued until February 9. Despite efforts by fellow journalists Sardasht Hama Salih and Dana Salih to visit him, access was reportedly denied. The Metro Center for the Defense of Journalists' Rights has called for Bazyani's immediate release on bail, emphasizing the need to handle journalistic cases under the Press Law and to avoid applying alternative laws to journalists...

February 05, 2025 - Mozambique -  Mozambican blogger Albino José Sibia, known online as "Mano Shottas," was fatally shot by police while livestreaming a protest in Ressano Garcia, near the South African border. Sibia, 30, was documenting police dispersal of demonstrators protesting environmental concerns related to chromium transport. During the livestream, he was shot twice in the back by a police officer. His final words, "Help. I got shot and they keep shooting… I am dying," were broadcast live on Facebook. He died approximately four hours later while being transferred from a local clinic to...

February 05, 2025 - Russia -  Voice of America (VOA) journalist Cristina Caicedo Smit became the target of a deepfake campaign, highlighting growing concerns over the misuse of artificial intelligence to spread disinformation and undermine press freedom. At least two fabricated videos surfaced on social media platform X, depicting Caicedo Smit delivering news segments that she never recorded. These deepfakes utilized AI-generated visuals and audio to closely mimic her appearance and voice, making them appear convincingly authentic. The manipulated videos began with Caicedo Smit's standard introduction, lending an air of legitimacy, before transitioning into fabricated...

February 04, 2025 - Afghanistan -  The Taliban regime has intensified its suppression of press freedom with the sentencing of Afghan journalist Mahdi Ansary to 18 months in prison on vague anti-regime charges. Ansary, a reporter for the Kabul-based YouTube channel "Rah-e-Farda," was convicted in a closed-door military court without due process or legal representation, raising widespread alarm among press freedom advocates and international rights organizations. Ansary was arrested on October 5, 2023, by the Taliban’s intelligence agency and held incommunicado for over 100 days. His conviction in early January 2025 was reportedly based on...

February 04, 2025 - Kazakhstan -  Temirlan Yensebek, a well-known Kazakh political satirist and founder of the Instagram page Qaznews24, was sentenced in April 2025 to five years of restricted freedom after being convicted of “inciting ethnic and religious hatred.” The charges stemmed from a satirical post mocking Russian media figure Tina Kandelaki’s comments about Kazakhstan. Yensebek’s account, known for humorous takes on current events, had posted a parody video that authorities claimed promoted social discord. Yensebek was arrested on January 17, 2025, and tried under Article 174 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code, a broadly worded...

February 04, 2025 - Australia -  Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has publicly defended veteran sports journalist Peter Lalor after he was removed from SEN Radio’s commentary team for expressing support for Palestinians during the Gaza conflict. Lalor, who has reported on cricket for decades, was taken off the air after he shared and liked social media posts criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza. His dismissal sparked a wider debate about media neutrality, freedom of expression, and the treatment of those speaking out about the humanitarian crisis in Palestine. Lalor stated that his posts aimed to highlight...

February 03, 2025 - China/UK -  British Member of Parliament Blair McDougall introduced the 'Jimmy Lai Bill'—officially titled the Consular Assistance (Journalists) Bill—in the UK Parliament. This proposed legislation aims to establish a legal right for British journalists detained or held hostage abroad to receive consular assistance, addressing a significant gap in the UK's current foreign policy framework. Named after Jimmy Lai, a British citizen and founder of Hong Kong's pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, the bill highlights the challenges faced by journalists operating in repressive regimes. Lai has been imprisoned in Hong Kong since December...

February 03, 2025 - Russia/USA -  Russian President Vladimir Putin has intensified his crackdown on independent journalism by issuing threats against British journalist Jerome Starkey. Starkey, the Defense Editor for The Sun, has been reporting from Ukraine, documenting the human cost of Russia's invasion. In retaliation, a Russian court in Kursk issued an arrest warrant for Starkey, accusing him of illegally crossing the border during a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Starkey has dismissed these charges as politically motivated and vowed to continue his reporting, emphasizing that journalism is not a crime. This development underscores the increasing risks...

February 03, 2025 - Asia - Press freedom across Asia is under severe threat, marked by increasing arrests of journalists, widespread internet shutdowns, and restrictive cybersecurity laws that hinder independent media. The region remains the global leader in imprisoning journalists, with countries like China, Myanmar, and Vietnam holding dozens of reporters behind bars. Asia accounted for nearly one-third of all journalist detentions worldwide in 2024. Myanmar’s military junta has tightened its grip with a new cybersecurity law enacted in January 2025. This legislation empowers authorities to censor digital platforms aggressively, targeting VPNs and other tools...

February 03, 2025 - Cambodia - Cambodian authorities denied re-entry to British investigative journalist Gerald Flynn, citing alleged discrepancies in his visa application. Flynn, who has reported extensively on environmental issues in Cambodia, particularly illegal logging and land grabbing, was barred from returning after a brief trip to Thailand. Despite holding a valid work permit and a 12-month extension to his multiple-entry business visa, immigration officials claimed that Flynn had submitted a fraudulent visa application and placed him on a blacklist dating back to November 25, 2024. Flynn's exclusion follows his involvement in a France24...

February 03, 2025 - Japan -  On January 31, 2025, journalists and supporters gathered in Tokyo to honor the memory of Kenji Goto, the Japanese reporter who was killed by Islamic State militants in Syria ten years ago. Goto's tragic death in 2015 marked a grim milestone, as he remains the only Japanese journalist since World War II to be taken hostage and murdered while covering a conflict zone. Goto was captured during his courageous reporting in Syria, and the shocking video of his execution was released in early February 2015. His work reflected a...

February 03, 2025 - Mexico -  Alejandro Gallegos León, a prominent Mexican journalist, was found murdered in Cárdenas, Tabasco. He had been reported missing the day before, last seen around mid-afternoon. Gallegos, 51, was a well-known figure in local journalism, founding the Facebook news outlet La Voz del Pueblo, contributing as a columnist for Tabasco HOY, and teaching at Alfa y Omega University in Villahermosa. His body was discovered with gunshot wounds, prompting an immediate investigation by the Tabasco State Attorney General’s Office. The circumstances of his death have raised concerns about targeted violence against...

February 03, 2025 - Syria/Turkey -  The Syrian Photographers Union, based near the Tishreen Dam in northeastern Syria, has strongly condemned recent Turkish military actions targeting journalists and civilians in the region. In a statement issued on February 3, 2025, the union highlighted the importance of art and journalism in conveying the suffering, culture, heritage, and spirit of people throughout history. The union called for international pressure on Turkey to cease these attacks and to allow for the organization of art festivals instead of destruction. Over the past three months, Turkish drone strikes have resulted...

February 03, 2025 - Yemen -  Freelance journalist Aziz Al-Ahmadi was sentenced to four months in prison with a suspended sentence by the Ataq Primary Court in Shabwa province, southern Yemen. The charges stemmed from an August 2024 Facebook post in which Al-Ahmadi questioned the rental of private land for a solar energy project instead of utilizing public land and criticized frequent power outages in the region. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the ruling, labeling it an example of escalating intimidation against journalists in Yemen. CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna...

February 03, 2025 - Hungary -  Two journalists from the independent Hungarian news outlet Telex—reporter Dániel Simor and camera operator Noémi Gombos—were detained by police while waiting to question Prime Minister Viktor Orbán about healthcare issues. The journalists had registered to cover the opening of a film studio in Fót but were stopped and removed by police before the Prime Minister’s arrival. After being held and questioned for three hours, they were charged with misdemeanor offenses for allegedly resisting police orders, potentially facing fines up to $500. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) strongly condemned...

February 03, 2025 - Cambodia -  Two Cambodian journalists, Duong Akhara and Lay Socheat, were arrested after releasing a video that allegedly showed a man being tortured in a cyberscam compound in Phnom Penh. The footage, published by Akhara’s SA TV and Socheat’s Cambodia Star Daily News 24/24, reportedly depicted a victim handcuffed to a pole and subjected to physical abuse. However, Cambodian authorities denied the authenticity of the video and accused the journalists of spreading false information. Both Akhara and Socheat were charged with incitement, with officials claiming their video could disrupt public order...

February 02, 2025 - Mexico -  Mexican journalist Alan García Zúñiga was abducted near his home in Poza Rica, Veracruz, a region notorious for threats against press freedom. García Zúñiga, who had worked for local newspapers Noreste and El Dictamen de Veracruz, had shifted from traditional reporting to managing a Facebook page sharing official police information at the municipal and state levels. He also worked as a stretcher-bearer at a Pemex hospital. Since 2017, García Zúñiga had been under the Federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, following an earlier armed attack against...

February 02, 2025 - Iraq -  In a troubling development for press freedom in Iraqi Kurdistan, photojournalist Qaraman Shukri was sentenced to seven years in prison following a secret trial. The verdict, delivered without public transparency, has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights and press freedom organizations. Shukri, known for his courageous reporting and documentation of political and social issues in the region, was arrested in late 2020 under unclear charges. Authorities have not publicly disclosed detailed evidence or the grounds for his prosecution, raising serious concerns about the fairness of the legal process. His...

February 02, 2025 - Palestine -  Amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Palestinian journalists have been courageously documenting the war’s harsh realities, offering powerful firsthand accounts that go beyond headlines. Their reporting captures not only the destruction but also the resilience and humanity of those living through the crisis. One such journalist, Plestia Alaqad, shared her experiences at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2025. Alaqad recounted the deep losses she witnessed — entire neighborhoods and families erased by conflict. She emphasized how many of the places she reported on no longer exist, illustrating the fragile and...

February 02, 2025 - Germany -  A Berlin police officer was fined €7,200 for assaulting a journalist during a police operation at Humboldt University in May 2024. The incident occurred amid the eviction of pro-Palestinian activists who had barricaded themselves inside the university’s Institute for Social Sciences. The journalist, clearly marked with press credentials including a press badge and professional equipment, was covering the protest when the officer unlawfully detained and assaulted him. Despite the journalist’s visible identification, the officer struck him in the face and handcuffed him, holding him in custody for several hours....