News

January 30, 2025 - Russia/UK -  The Society of Editors and News Media Association (NMA) has strongly condemned a Russian court’s decision on January 30, 2025, to issue an arrest warrant and place The Sun's defence editor Jerome Starkey on an international wanted list. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) accuses him of illegally entering Russian territory from Ukraine to film a report in August 2024. Dawn Alford, Executive Director of the Society of Editors, labeled the warrant as “ridiculous,” stressing the “absolute necessity of a free press during times of conflict” and criticized it as a clear attempt...

January 30, 2025 - Turkey -  Turkish authorities detained five staff members of pro-opposition broadcaster Halk TV following the airing of a phone interview with a court-appointed expert witness, Satılmış Büyükcanayakın, involved in investigations targeting opposition-led municipalities. Journalists Barış Pehlivan (who conducted the interview), host Seda Selek, legal affairs manager Serhan Asker, program director Kürşad Oğuz, and editor-in-chief Suat Toktaş were taken into custody. While four were released under judicial control—subject to travel bans and weekly check-ins—Toktaş remains in pre-trial detention after an Istanbul court ruled he improperly authorized the broadcast without confirming consent. Prosecutors cite alleged breaches of Turkish Penal Code...

January 30, 2025 - Sudan -  Aladdin Ali Mohamed, a respected Sudanese journalist and program director at Wad Madani Radio in Al Jazirah state, was tragically killed on June 22, 2024, during an armed attack by unidentified assailants in East Sudan. His death reflects the increasingly perilous environment for journalists operating in conflict zones across Sudan. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay condemned Mohamed’s killing, calling for a full and transparent investigation to hold those responsible accountable. In her statement on January 30, 2025, Azoulay emphasized the essential role journalists play in providing reliable information, especially in...

January 30, 2025 - Sudan -  Ibrahim Abdullah, widely known as “Ibrahim Showtime,” was a freelance journalist dedicated to covering the Sudanese conflict. He gained prominence through his Facebook and YouTube reporting on war and politics. On June 28, 2024, his home in El Fasher, North Darfur, was struck by shelling from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), resulting in his death. UNESCO Director‑General Audrey Azoulay issued a formal condemnation on January 30, 2025, denouncing Abdullah’s killing and urging a comprehensive investigation to hold the attackers accountable. She emphasized that “journalists and media workers are essential...

January 29. 2025 - India -  Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, footage emerged showing law enforcement officials aggressively confronting IANS journalist Gaurav Pandey while he was covering Mauni Amavasya. The viral video captured a police officer grabbing Pandey’s microphone, strangling his hand, and attempting to push him away when he tried to record an interview with an Akhara pic representative in Sector 20 amid heightened security following a fatal stampede on January 29, 2025. Pandey is seen pursuing the officer while shouting in Hindi, “Tum maarlo aao, tum maar rahe ho na”—essentially challenging the force to...

January 29, 2025 - Palestine -  At the iMEdD International Journalism Forum in January 2025, Manisha Ganguly, Visual Forensics Lead and Investigations Correspondent at The Guardian, shared her experiences covering the Gaza war and the immense personal and professional challenges journalists face in conflict zones. Her insights highlighted the dual burden of documenting atrocities while managing the emotional toll of exposure to extreme violence. Ganguly spoke about the psychological strain that journalists endure, especially those engaged in open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigations. She described experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), triggered by repeated exposure to...

January 29, 2025 - Turkey -  In Amed (Diyarbakır), a powerful demonstration unfolded on January 29, 2025, as journalists and civil society rallied to protest escalating arrests and pressure on media workers in Turkey. Organized by the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and the Mesopotamian Women Journalists Association (MKG), the protest took place in front of AZC Plaza in the Ofis neighborhood. Participants included dozens of journalists, leaders from the Turkish Journalists Union (TGS) and DISK Press Union, MPs from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), members of the Socialist Party of the...

January 29, 2025 - USA - The family of 24-year-old Dylan Lyons, a multimedia journalist with Spectrum News 13, has filed a negligence lawsuit against his employer, Charter Communications, alleging systemic safety failures that contributed to his death. Lyons was fatally shot on February 22, 2023, while reporting on an active shooter incident in the Pine Hills neighborhood of Orlando, Florida—a story that tragically ended in his death alongside that of a nine-year-old girl, T’Yonna Major, and another victim, Nathacha Augustin. The lawsuit, initiated on January 29, 2025, contends that Spectrum News 13 sent Lyons and another...

January 29, 2025 - Turkey -  Turkish authorities arrested three journalists from the pro-opposition outlet Halk TV following a controversial broadcast involving an expert witness in a judicial investigation. The detainees—journalist Barış Pehlivan, anchor Seda Selek, and legal affairs manager Serhan Asker—were initially held but released under judicial control. Two additional staff members, program coordinator Kürşat Oğuz and editor-in-chief Suat Toktaş, were detained on subsequent days, with Toktaş reportedly facing arrest warrants. The arrests stem from a broadcast featuring a recorded phone interview between Pehlivan and a court-appointed expert involved in probes of opposition-led municipalities. Authorities...

January 28, 2025 - China/India -  In a significant diplomatic development, India and China have reached an agreement to resume direct air travel and facilitate the exchange of journalists, signaling a gradual thaw in relations following years of heightened tensions. This agreement was announced after Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on January 27-28, 2025. Direct passenger flights between India and China have been suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and worsening border tensions, particularly following the deadly Galwan Valley clash. The restoration of air...

January 28, 2025 - Iran -  An unnamed journalist from Iran's state broadcaster IRIB has been detained by Israeli forces in the occupied Palestinian territories, Tehran confirmed on January 28, 2025. IRIB head Peyman Jebelli revealed that the journalist is currently imprisoned—not in Gaza—and that the family has opted for discretion, complicating release efforts. Jebelli expressed hope for the journalist’s release, underscoring the high risks facing media workers in conflict zones. He highlighted how Israeli military operations in the region have created a hazardous environment for journalists, citing more than 200 media workers killed since...

January 28, 2025 - Tajikistan -  Tajikistan is intensifying its crackdown on independent media, with recent developments marking a dramatic escalation under President Emomali Rahmon’s authoritarian grip. In Dushanbe, investigative journalist Rukhshona Hakimova (31) is facing a closed-door trial on undisclosed charges, reportedly treason, with prosecutors seeking up to 17 years in prison. Meanwhile, Ahmad Ibrohim, a veteran editor of the regional Paik newspaper in Kulob, was sentenced on January 10 to 10 years behind bars for alleged bribery, extortion, and extremism—charges he vehemently denies. These two cases are part of a broader assault on press freedom....

January 28, 2025 - Palestine - Two Palestinians, including journalist Nagham Al-Zayt, were injured as Israeli military forces carried out another raid in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem. Al-Zayt, who was covering the ongoing Israeli military operation, sustained shrapnel injuries to her right hand. Another 20-year-old Palestinian man was shot in the face during the incursion and was rushed to the hospital for treatment, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. The incident occurred amid Israel’s intensifying military operations in the West Bank, which have expanded significantly since the onset of the Gaza conflict...

January 28, 2025 - Yemen -  The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has publicly pledged its support for a campaign led by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate (YJS), demanding the release of multiple journalists kidnapped or detained across Yemen’s conflict zones. These concerns focus on several journalists who vanished after publishing critical work. Among them is Mohamed Al-Miyahi, who disappeared from Sana’a on September 20, 2024, just days after releasing an exposé on the Houthi organization. Fouad Al-Nahari, a YJS member, was also abducted in late September. Both are...

January 28, 2025 - Mozambique -  Mozambique is facing an alarming press freedom crisis, highlighted by the recent deaths of two journalists — Arlindo Chissale and Albino “Sibia” Sibia — amid ongoing political unrest following the disputed 2024 elections. The killings reflect an escalating campaign of intimidation and violence against independent journalists who have been documenting government abuses, protests, and conflict in the country. Arlindo Chissale, 46, was the editor of Pinnacle News, an independent outlet known for its critical reporting on government corruption and the insurgency in Cabo Delgado. He disappeared on January 7,...

January 28, 2025 - Belarus -  Mzia Amaglobeli, a prominent Georgian journalist and co-founder/director of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, has been detained since January 11, 2025, facing an assault charge that could carry a prison sentence of four to seven years. Arrested during post-election protests in Batumi, she initially was held over administrative actions—placing a “Georgia is on Strike” sticker—but was quickly re-arrested after she slapped the city’s police chief amid his alleged verbal abuse. On January 12, Amaglobeli began a hunger strike, stating it was a protest against “repressive, treacherous, and violent processes targeting humanity,...

January 28, 2025 - Pakistan -  Pakistan’s Senate passed controversial amendments on January 28, 2025, to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), granting the government sweeping powers to regulate social media and criminalize the spread of “false news.” Under the new law, authorities can block content deemed offensive to institutions (judiciary, armed forces, parliament) or thought to incite disorder. Offenders may face up to three years in prison, fines as high as 2 million rupees (~US$ 7,200), and social media platforms could be blocked if they fail to comply. The Senate’s approval followed its passage in...

January 28, 2025 - Switzerland/Palestine/USA -  Palestinian-American writer and journalist Ali Abunimah was detained and deported by Swiss authorities on January 28, 2025, after being banned from entry upon arrival at Zurich Airport. Abunimah, co-founder of The Electronic Intifada, was initially blocked from entering Switzerland. Upon contesting the decision, he was taken into custody for two nights and subsequently deported. Swiss officials did not publicly specify the grounds for his exclusion. However, insiders suggest the ban may be linked to alleged security concerns related to his past activism, though no formal charges were presented. Expressing deep...

January 27, 2025 - Lebanon - Journalists from Lebanese networks LBCI and MTV were assaulted in two separate incidents while covering events in southern Lebanon, raising serious concerns over the growing threats to press freedom in the region. The first incident occurred near the villages of Deir Mimas and Khardali, where an LBCI team was reporting on civilians returning to their homes following prior military tensions. While filming, the crew was physically attacked by a group of unidentified individuals. LBCI correspondent Lara El Hachem and her cameraman were beaten, and the attackers seized their camera...

January 27, 2025 - Georgia -  Prominent journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, co-founder and director of independent outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was arrested on January 11, 2025, during Batumi anti-government protests. Initially detained over placing a strike sticker, she was released on bail but rearrested shortly afterward for allegedly slapping Batumi’s police chief—charges that carry a potential prison sentence of four to seven years. Her arrest prompted urgent concern and condemnation. Over 300 Georgian media professionals—journalists, editors, and media managers—signed a strong statement on January 27, warning that Amaghlobeli’s arrest marks a "new phase" in the government’s...

January 27, 2025 - Pakistani - Razish Liaqatpuri—a prominent Seraiki-language journalist, author, and former editorial-in-charge at the daily Khabrian—was detained in late January 2025 by Rahim Yar Khan police amid a raid at his home in Liaqatpur. Authorities held him in undisclosed custody for over three days before formally charging him with terrorism-related offenses. According to the FIR filed January 25 at City A Division Police Station, Liaqatpuri allegedly shared a video clip on Facebook titled “To murder Punjabi officers was legal.” The post purportedly referred to tensions between language communities and included inflammatory remarks perceived...

January 27, 2025 - Lebanon -  Lebanese journalist Layal al‑Ekhtiar, an anchor for the Saudi-owned Al‑Arabiya network based in Dubai, was detained at Beirut’s airport on January 27, 2025, after landing from Dubai. Her detainment stems from an October 2023 interview with Col. Avichay Adraee, the Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson for Arabic media, conducted during the Gaza conflict. Lebanese authorities claim the interview violated Lebanon’s strict “anti-normalization” laws, which prohibit contact with Israeli officials, given that the countries are still technically at war. Al‑Ekhtiar was brought before a military prosecutor, who had issued a warrant...

January 27, 2025 - Ukraine - Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications reports that since the full-scale Russian invasion began, 147 artists and 95 media workers, including seven foreign journalists, have lost their lives. These staggering figures underscore the human cost not only of the war’s military toll but for the country’s cultural and informational fabric. The ministry likens the losses to historical tragedies: “Just as the Stalinist regime eliminated a generation of Ukrainian artists in the 20s and early 30s … so Russia is now deliberately eliminating Ukraine’s cultural elite”. Every individual lost—whether lyricist,...

January 27, 2025 - Sri Lanka -  Journalists and activists in Sri Lanka’s Tamil-majority north-east recently gathered to commemorate Subramaniyam Sugirdharajan—a Tamil journalist for Sudar Oli who was assassinated on January 24, 2006, in Trincomalee. He was just 35 and a father of two. Sugirdharajan earned widespread respect for exposing atrocities: he documented that five Tamil students were shot at point-blank range—contradicting claims that they died from a grenade blast—after the "Trinco 5" massacre. His reporting directly challenged the Sri Lankan military and allied paramilitary groups, prompting swift retaliation. Commemorative events held on January 24 in Trincomalee, Batticaloa,...

January 27, 2025 - Georgia -  More than 300 journalists, editors, and media leaders across Georgia have issued a powerful joint statement demanding the immediate release of veteran journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, co-founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti. Arrested on January 12, 2025, during mass protests over alleged election fraud in Batumi, Amaglobeli was charged with assault after slapping the city’s police chief following verbal abuse. At the time of her arrest, she began a hunger strike protesting what media watchdogs describe as politically motivated detention. After 16 days on water alone—eventually lasting 38 days—her health deteriorated...