News

April 14, 2025 - Lebanon -  In April 2025, Lebanese authorities summoned journalists from independent media outlets Daraj Media and Megaphone News, along with Diana Menhem, executive director of the advocacy group Kulluna Irada, for interrogation by the Cassation Public Prosecution Office. The summonses were issued via phone calls without written notices or detailed explanations, raising concerns about due process and legal transparency. The legal actions stem from a criminal complaint filed in March by three private lawyers, reportedly in response to the outlets' critical coverage of candidates for the Central Bank governorship and their...

April 14, 2025 - Bangladesh -  Amid Bangladesh’s ongoing political transformation, journalists remain under severe threat despite a change in leadership. The ousting of longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024 and the rise of a transitional government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus brought hopes for improved press freedom. However, recent developments suggest that repression of the media continues, with journalists facing violence, legal harassment, and intimidation. Since early 2025, attacks on journalists have escalated. Several reporters have been beaten by law enforcement and political operatives during protests. Newsrooms have been raided, and journalists...

April 14, 2025 - Palestine -  In October 2023, the BBC faced significant backlash over its initial reporting of a deadly explosion at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. The broadcaster was criticized not only for speculative on-air commentary but also for how it framed the story in its online headline. The original headline, which suggested Israeli responsibility for the blast based on claims from Hamas, drew widespread condemnation for presenting unverified information as fact. The BBC’s initial headline read along the lines of: “Israeli airstrike hits Gaza hospital, killing hundreds – Hamas”. Critics argued...

April 14, 2025 - Lebanon -  In April 2025, Lebanese authorities intensified their pressure on independent media and civil society by summoning journalists and an activist for investigation over reports alleging corruption and misconduct within the country’s financial and political institutions. Journalists from Daraj Media and Megaphone News, along with the executive director of the advocacy group Kulluna Irada, were called in by the Cassation Public Prosecution Office following their involvement in investigative reporting about questionable appointments and financial practices within Lebanon’s central banking sector. The charges against them include “undermining the financial standing of...

April 14, 2025 - Indonesia -  In a chilling act of intimidation, Tempo journalist Francisca Christy Rosana became the target of a grotesque threat in Jakarta. A severed pig’s head, along with six decapitated rats, was delivered to her office in March 2025—an unmistakable warning. Rosana had been investigating government-linked corruption, and the attack seemed designed to silence her. Shortly afterward, she and her family endured online harassment and personal data leaks, escalating the danger. Recognizing the severity, Indonesia’s Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) stepped in to offer Rosana protection, while press freedom advocates...

April 13, 2025 - Rwanda -  Rwanda is taking a significant step to honor the memory of journalists killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The government has announced plans to build a monument dedicated to more than 60 journalists who lost their lives while working to inform the public during one of the darkest chapters in the nation’s history. The announcement was made during a Kwibuka (remembrance) event in Kigali, held at the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) headquarters in April 2025. Government officials, media representatives, and families of the victims came together to...

April 13, 2025 - Soweden/Turkey -  Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, renowned for covering global conflict zones and human rights issues, now finds himself the subject of the very injustices he has long reported on. Detained by Turkish authorities in late March 2025 upon arriving in Istanbul, Medin’s arrest sparked widespread concern across Europe and the journalistic community. Turkish prosecutors accuse Medin of "insulting the president" and "being a member of a terrorist organization," linking him to a controversial 2023 protest in Sweden where an effigy of President Erdoğan was burned. Medin has firmly denied involvement,...

April 13, 2025 - Pakistan -  In a significant development, Khairpur police have arrested five individuals in connection with the murder of journalist Allah Dino Shar, also known as A.D. Shar, who worked for an Urdu news channel. The incident occurred in Aliabad, within the jurisdiction of Thari Mirwah police station, leading to protests by the local community and media workers across Khairpur district. The arrested suspects include Niaz Badami (the main accused), Waqas Channa, Fahim Channa, Ahad Channa, and Naeem Channa. During initial interrogations, the suspects reportedly confessed to the crime. Fahim Channa allegedly...

April 13, 2025 - Ukraine -  In April 2025, Ukraine intensified its appeals to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to address the dire situation of journalists and civilians affected by the ongoing conflict with Russia. Ukrainian officials reported that 33 journalists remain detained in Russian-controlled territories, facing fabricated charges and inhumane conditions. The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, was urged to utilize all available mechanisms to secure their release and uphold press freedom. Among the detained are two Ukrainian OSCE staff members, Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov,...

April 13, 2025 - Palestine - Amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian crises in Gaza, the initiative "We Are Not Numbers" (WANN) stands as a testament to the resilience and determination of Palestinian youth to share their narratives with the world. Co-founded in 2015 by Palestinian journalist Ahmed Alnaouq and American activist Pam Bailey, WANN aims to provide young Palestinians with the tools and platforms to articulate their experiences in English, thereby reaching a global audience. The inception of WANN was deeply personal. Alnaouq, grieving the loss of his brother in the 2014 Gaza war, found...

April 12, 2025 - Azerbaijan -  In March 2025, Azerbaijani opposition leader Tofig Yagublu was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of fraud and document forgery. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have denounced the trial as politically motivated and lacking due process. Yagublu, a prominent member of the Musavat Party and the National Council of Democratic Forces, has faced repeated persecution for his outspoken criticism of the government. On April 1, Yagublu commenced a hunger strike to protest his imprisonment. His health, already compromised by chronic asthma and years of alleged mistreatment,...

April 12, 2025 - India - In recent months, Indian authorities have taken prompt action in several journalist murder cases, earning commendation from the public and media rights organizations. This proactive approach marks a significant shift in addressing crimes against journalists, a profession that has often faced threats and violence. One notable case is that of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, who went missing on January 1, 2025. His body was discovered two days later in a septic tank at a property owned by a contractor in Bijapur town, Chhattisgarh. Chandrakar was known for his investigative reporting...

April 11, 2025 - Azerbaijan -  In 2025, Azerbaijan escalated its suppression of independent media and civil society, drawing sharp criticism from international human rights organizations. The government's actions, including arrests and legal actions against journalists and activists, have raised concerns about the erosion of press freedom and democratic principles in the country. Recent months have seen a surge in arrests of journalists and media workers. Notably, Ulviyya Ali, associated with Meydan TV, was detained on smuggling charges, a move widely perceived as politically motivated. Similarly, seven staff members from Abzas Media and Radio Free...

April 11, 2025 - France/Georgia -  In April 2025, two French journalists were denied entry into Georgia after reporting on anti-government protests. This incident has sparked concern among press freedom organizations, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which called it a disturbing sign of Georgia’s growing authoritarianism. The journalists had previously covered demonstrations opposing a controversial "foreign agents" bill that critics say is aimed at silencing dissent and restricting civil society. The "foreign agents" bill requires media outlets and NGOs that receive more than 20% of their funding from foreign sources to register as organizations acting...

April 11, 2025 - Turkey - In April 2025, Turkish journalist Furkan Karabay was detained after publishing a report alleging that a judiciary official from the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) was involved in an assault. Karabay, known for his investigative work, had recently written about alleged misconduct involving state officials. His arrest has drawn criticism from press freedom groups, who see it as another alarming step in Turkey’s ongoing crackdown on journalists. Karabay’s case is not isolated. In recent months, Turkish authorities have escalated pressure on media professionals, particularly those reporting on government corruption,...

April 11, 2025 - Russia -  In April 2025, Russian journalist Artyom Kriger was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for allegedly participating in an extremist organization. The charges are tied to his supposed association with Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which Russian authorities have labeled as extremist. Kriger’s sentencing, along with three other journalists—Antonina Favorskaya, Konstantin Gabov, and Sergei Karelin—has drawn widespread condemnation from press freedom organizations worldwide. Kriger, known for his work with the independent media outlet SOTAvision, had reported extensively on anti-Kremlin protests and the imprisonment and death of...

April 11, 2025, Iraq/Turkey - In April 2025, Turkish courts began prosecuting 189 individuals—mostly university students and journalists—arrested during mass protests sparked by the detention of Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu. The protests, held on March 19, were some of the largest in Turkey in recent years, drawing thousands of participants across the country. Over 2,000 people were detained nationwide, with Istanbul seeing the highest number of arrests. Those on trial face charges of participating in unauthorized demonstrations and resisting police orders. If convicted, sentences could range from six months to four years in prison....

April 11, 2025 - Sudan -  The ongoing conflict in Sudan took a deadly turn for press freedom and civilian life as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensified their use of drone strikes. In March 2025, a drone attack by the RSF killed four members of a Sudanese state television crew along with two military-affiliated journalists. The group was reporting near the presidential palace in Khartoum, shortly after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) reclaimed the area from RSF control. The attack marked a direct blow to journalists covering the war on the ground. The RSF’s...

April 11, 2025 - Nepal -  Nepal’s press freedom is under scrutiny following the deaths of two journalists—Suresh Rajak and Suresh Bhul—in separate incidents, with investigations into both cases facing significant delays. On March 28, 2025, Avenues Television cameraman Suresh Rajak was killed while covering a pro-monarchy protest in Kathmandu. Trapped inside a building set ablaze by demonstrators, Rajak was unable to escape as protestors reportedly hindered rescue efforts by pelting stones at firefighters. The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) condemned the incident as a targeted attack on press freedom and has demanded a high-level,...

April 11, 2025 - Serbia -  The long-running case of Slavko Ćuruvija, a Serbian journalist murdered in 1999, reached a controversial conclusion in February 2024 when a Belgrade appeals court acquitted all four men previously convicted of orchestrating his killing. Ćuruvija, a fierce critic of then-President Slobodan Milošević, was gunned down outside his apartment during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. His death became one of the most emblematic cases of violence against journalists in post-war Europe. In 2019, a special court found four former members of Serbia’s State Security Service guilty of organizing and executing...

April 11, 2025 - Afghanistan/Australia -  In April 2025, Australian photojournalist Andrew Quilty was unexpectedly barred from attending a committal hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court. The hearing concerned former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz, who faces a war crime charge for allegedly murdering an Afghan man, Dad Mohammad, during a 2012 mission in Uruzgan province. Quilty, a prosecution witness, had been advised by both prosecution and defence lawyers to avoid attending due to his status as a witness. Despite this, he arrived at the court to cover the proceedings for The Monthly. Magistrate Greg...

April 11, 2025 - Pakistan -  The killing of journalist Allah Dino Shar in Thari Mirwah, Khairpur district, Sindh, has sparked widespread outrage and protests across the region. Shar, who worked for Hum News, was found dead on April 10, 2025, in an open field, bearing multiple wounds caused by a sharp weapon. His murder has been described by colleagues and rights advocates as a targeted attack, highlighting the persistent dangers faced by journalists in Pakistan. Soon after the discovery of Shar's body, journalists in Khairpur and surrounding towns, including Kumb, Gambat, Ranipur, and Pir-Jo-Got,...

April 10, 2025 - Ethiopia -  In March 2025, Ethiopian authorities detained seven journalists from the Ethiopian Broadcasting Service (EBS), accusing them of terrorism. The arrests followed the broadcast of a controversial episode of the program Addis Meiraf, which aired on March 23. The show featured Birtukan Temesgen, a woman who alleged she had been abducted and raped by men in military uniforms in 2020. Days after the broadcast, Temesgen appeared on state television and retracted her statement, prompting EBS to issue a public apology and remove the episode. The journalists, who included editors, producers,...

April 10, 2025 - India -  On March 30, 2025, journalist Sumit Jha from the news outlet South First was detained by Hyderabad police while covering student-led environmental protests at the University of Hyderabad. The demonstrations were in response to the Telangana government's decision to clear 400 acres of forested land adjacent to the university campus for auction, potentially for IT development. The protests intensified when bulldozers arrived on campus to commence land clearing. Students, fearing irreversible environmental damage, attempted to halt the machinery and were met with police intervention. During the confrontation, Jha, despite...

April 10, 2025 - Turkey -  On April 10, 2025, two high-profile Turkish investigative journalists, Timur Soykan of BirGün and Murat Ağırel of Cumhuriyet, were detained by police in Istanbul. Authorities charged them with blackmail and threats, claims their newspapers argue are retaliation for critical reporting. The arrests were based on a complaint filed by a jailed media executive, who alleged the journalists attempted to extort him over the sale of Flash Haber TV. Both Soykan and Ağırel are known for exposing corruption, organized crime, and government scandals. Their detention sparked outcry across Turkey’s media...