News

April 02, 2025 - Kashmir -  Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj has been detained without trial for over two years under India's Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), a law criticized for its broad and vague provisions that facilitate the suppression of dissent. Arrested on March 20, 2023, by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), Mehraj faces charges related to alleged support for secessionist activities. He is accused of collaborating with the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), a human rights organization led by activist Khurram Parvez, who has also been detained under similar charges. Despite his...

April 02, 2025 - Ghana -  Daniel Owusu Koranteng, a 35-year-old businessman and former associate of slain investigative journalist Ahmed Suale, has been formally charged with murder and abetment in connection with Suale’s assassination in January 2019. Koranteng, also known as Nana Amakye, appeared before the Madina District Court on April 2, 2025, where prosecutors amended the initial charges to include abetment to commit murder. The court remanded him into custody, with his next appearance scheduled for April 17. The prosecution alleges that Koranteng provided photographs of Suale to former Member of Parliament Kennedy Agyapong,...

April 02, 2025 - India -  On April 1, 2025, the charred body of 38-year-old journalist Shahdeb Dey was discovered in a field in Deshbandhu Nagar, Diglipur, North Andaman district. Dey, known for his investigative reporting on illegal activities such as timber smuggling, soil excavation, illicit liquor trade, and gambling, had been missing since March 29. His last communication was a phone call to his wife at 8:11 PM on March 29, stating he was in Madhupur and would return home shortly. He never made it back, and his phone was subsequently turned off. The...

April 01, 2025 - Palestine -  The ongoing war in Gaza has become the deadliest conflict for journalists ever recorded. As of May 2025, at least 232 journalists have been killed since October 2023, surpassing the combined death toll of media workers in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Yugoslav Wars, and the Afghanistan War. This unprecedented loss underscores the extreme dangers faced by journalists in Gaza, where many have been directly targeted by Israeli forces. For instance, 23-year-old journalist Hossam Shabat was killed in an Israeli airstrike...

April 01, 2025 - USA -  In March 2025, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and a coalition of 36 human rights organizations urged the U.S. Congress to take immediate action to protect journalists affiliated with the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). This call to action follows a presidential executive order dismantling USAGM, which oversees outlets like Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). The coalition's letter highlights the grave risks faced by USAGM-affiliated journalists, including threats of deportation to countries where they could face imprisonment or worse due...

April 01, 2025 - Bolivia -  In Bolivia, the safety of journalists has become a pressing concern, with increasing attacks and harassment against media professionals. A recent report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) highlights over 30 incidents of press freedom violations since the presidential election on October 20, 2024. These include physical assaults, equipment theft, and threats, particularly targeting journalists covering protests and road blockades. Notably, both pro-Morales and opposition media outlets have been caught in the crossfire, facing aggression from various factions. The National Journalists Association of Bolivia has expressed grave concern over these...

April 01, 2025 - USA -  In early 2025, journalists covering the White House raised an alarm after the Trump administration proposed a major change to the press briefing room seating arrangements. Traditionally, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) has managed the seating chart, allocating spots to media outlets based on established criteria and seniority. However, the administration’s plan to take over control of the seating and revise it sparked significant backlash from reporters and media organizations. The WHCA expressed strong opposition, viewing the move as an attempt to undermine press freedom and control access...

April 01, 2025 - Palestine - On April 1, 2025, Palestinian journalist Mohammed Saleh Al-Bardawil was killed along with his wife and three children when Israeli forces bombed their home in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza. Al-Bardawil was a veteran broadcaster with Al-Aqsa Radio and had worked in journalism for over 15 years. His death has added to the growing toll of media workers killed in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. According to the Palestinian Journalists Protection Committee, this attack represents yet another deliberate assault on press freedom. The group condemned the killing, emphasizing...

March 31, 2025 - Turkey -  As of May 2025, Turkey's press freedom continues to deteriorate, with at least 42 journalists, including 10 women, imprisoned during Eid al-Fitr, according to the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and the Mezopotamya Women Journalists Association (MKG) . The arrests are part of a broader crackdown on media professionals covering protests and political events, particularly those related to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Between March 19 and 23, police raided the homes of 13 journalists, detaining 12, with seven remanded in custody. These actions reflect a pattern...

March 31, 2025 - Libya -  In May 2024, Libyan journalist Salhine Zerouali was violently arrested in Ajdabiya while in his car with his nine-year-old son. Masked men, identified as security forces, assaulted him in front of his child before detaining him. He was subsequently transferred to a military prison in Benghazi, where he has been held for over ten months. Zerouali, known for his work with several media outlets, including the Al Ghaïma news agency, faces charges of collaborating with media deemed hostile by the authorities. Although some charges, such as possession of weapons...

March 31, 2025 - Mexico -  The human rights organization Artículo 19, in collaboration with Grey México and Oriental Films, released a poignant short film titled The Shooting to commemorate the International Day for the Right to the Truth. This four-minute film serves as a powerful metaphor for the perilous conditions journalists face in Mexico, one of the most dangerous countries for media professionals. Directed by Yupi Segura and Charlie Gutiérrez, The Shooting depicts a symbolic confrontation: on one side, members of organized crime wield firearms to instill fear and suppress truth; on the other,...

March 31, 2025 - Zimbabwe -  On March 17, 2025, Zimbabwean investigative journalist Watson Flexy Munyaka was murdered in Marondera, southeast of Harare. According to reports, Munyaka was violently thrown from a moving Toyota Fortuner in broad daylight along Fifth Street near the Chicken Inn drive-through. He was rushed to Marondera Provincial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Munyaka, 38, was a co-founder of "Dug Up," an investigative journalism collective established in September 2024 to expose corruption and crime in Zimbabwe. He was known for his in-depth reporting and had recently been involved in high-profile...

March 31, 2025 - Palestine -  On March 24, 2025, Palestinian journalist Hossam Shabat, a 23-year-old correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher and contributor to Drop Site News, was killed in an Israeli airstrike while driving in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. The Israeli military confirmed the targeted killing, alleging Shabat was affiliated with Hamas, a claim he had previously denied, asserting it was a pretext to justify attacks on journalists. This incident is part of a broader pattern where Israel has accused Palestinian journalists of militant affiliations without providing verifiable evidence. In October 2024, the Israeli...

March 31, 2025 - Nepal -  On March 28, 2025, veteran photojournalist Suresh Rajak was tragically killed while covering a pro-monarchy protest in Tinkune, Kathmandu. Rajak, head of the camera division at Avenues Television, was documenting the demonstration when protesters set fire to a building he had entered. Trapped inside, he was unable to escape and succumbed to the flames. The protest, organized by royalist supporters, escalated into violence, with demonstrators clashing with police and targeting media outlets. Protesters accused occupants of the building of being police officers, leading to the arson attack that claimed...

March 29, 2025 - Nepal -  On March 28, 2025, a pro-monarchy rally in Kathmandu, Nepal, turned violent, leading to the deaths of journalist Suresh Rajak and protester Sabin Maharjan. The demonstration, organized by supporters of former King Gyanendra Shah, escalated into clashes with police, resulting in widespread chaos and destruction. Thousands gathered in the Tinkune area, demanding the restoration of the monarchy and Nepal's status as a Hindu state. Tensions rose when protesters breached police barricades, prompting security forces to deploy tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. In response,...

March 28, 2025 - Guatemala -  On March 21, 2025, community journalist Ismael Alonzo González was fatally shot outside his home in the village of Santa Fe, Coatepeque, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Two unidentified assailants dressed in black approached González and shot him in the head before fleeing into a nearby wooded area. González, 27, was the general manager of Producciones Alonzo, a Facebook page dedicated to local and community news, and had previously worked with the digital media outlet Despertar Occidental. He was also an active member of the Association of Journalists and Communicators of the...

March 28, 2025 - Morocco -  In late 2024, Fouad Abdelmoumni, a prominent Moroccan human rights activist and economist, was arrested after posting on Facebook alleging that Morocco had employed Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to monitor French officials. Although released two days later, Abdelmoumni faced serious charges of “spreading false claims” and “reporting a knowingly fictitious crime.” In March 2025, a Casablanca court sentenced him to six months in prison—a ruling that may be enforced depending on the outcome of his appeal. Abdelmoumni is well-known as the former head of Transparency Morocco and a member of...

March 28, 2025 - Sweden/Turkey -  In March 2025, Turkey witnessed its most significant anti-government protests in over a decade, ignited by the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The demonstrations, which spanned 55 provinces, were met with a stringent government response, including the detention and deportation of several foreign journalists. BBC News correspondent Mark Lowen was detained in Istanbul on March 26 while covering the protests. After 17 hours in custody, he was deported the following day. Turkish authorities cited his presence as a "threat to public order". Lowen condemned the action, highlighting the...

March 28, 2025 - Turkey -  Turkey experienced its most significant anti-government protests in over a decade, following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on corruption charges widely perceived as politically motivated. The government's response included a sweeping crackdown on journalists covering the unrest, raising serious concerns about press freedom and democratic rights. At least 11 journalists were detained in Istanbul during early morning raids, accused of participating in unauthorized demonstrations. While some were later released, they still face charges that could lead to imprisonment. Among those arrested was AFP photographer Yasin Akgul, who...

March 28, 2025 - Pakistan-  Pakistan witnessed a concerning escalation in its crackdown on press freedom, marked by the arrests of journalists Muhammad Waheed Murad and Farhan Mallick under the country's cybercrime laws. Murad, a multimedia journalist for Saudi-owned Urdu News, was forcibly taken from his Islamabad home on March 25 by individuals without a warrant. He was charged with "cyber terrorism" and spreading "false and fake information" after sharing an investigation into a military general on social media. Murad was granted bail on March 28, but his detention drew criticism from press freedom advocates...

March 28, 2025 - Serbia -  In December 2024, Amnesty International released a report titled A Digital Prison, revealing that Serbian authorities have been employing sophisticated surveillance tools to monitor journalists, environmental activists, and civil society members. The report details the use of Israeli-made Cellebrite forensic extraction devices alongside a domestically developed spyware known as "NoviSpy." Cellebrite's Universal Forensic Extraction Devices (UFEDs), initially provided to Serbia as part of international aid for combating organized crime, were reportedly misused to unlock and extract data from mobile devices without proper legal authorization. Once accessed, NoviSpy was installed,...

March 28, 2025 - Russia -  Christo Grozev, a Bulgarian investigative journalist affiliated with Bellingcat, has been a prominent figure in uncovering Russian intelligence operations. His work includes exposing the identities of agents involved in the 2018 Salisbury poisoning and the attempted assassination of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. These investigations have placed him in the crosshairs of Russian authorities. In April 2023, a Moscow court issued an arrest warrant for Grozev in absentia, accusing him of illegally crossing the Russian border. This move followed his inclusion on Russia's federal wanted list in December 2022. The...

March 27, 2025 - Indonesia - In March 2025, the tragic death of 23-year-old journalist Juwita from Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, sent shockwaves across Indonesia. Her body was discovered on March 22 in a parked car along Jalan Gunung Kupang, Cempaka District, Banjarbaru. The primary suspect is her former partner, First-Class Navy Seaman Jumran, stationed at the Balikpapan Naval Base in East Kalimantan. Investigations suggest that Jumran meticulously planned the murder. Evidence indicates he used gloves, destroyed Juwita's mobile phone, and attempted to stage the scene as an accident. He also allegedly used another person's identity...

March 27, 2025 - Turkey -  BBC correspondent Mark Lowen was arrested and deported from Turkey after reporting on widespread anti-government protests following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Lowen was detained for 17 hours and labeled a "threat to public order" by Turkish authorities. The Turkish Directorate of Communications stated that Lowen had not applied for the required press accreditation, leading to administrative action. The BBC condemned the deportation, with CEO Deborah Turness calling it "extremely troubling." Lowen, who previously lived in Turkey for five years, described the experience as "extremely distressing," emphasizing...

March 27, 2025 - Serbia -  In February 2025, two investigative journalists from the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) in Serbia were targeted with NSO Group's Pegasus spyware, according to a forensic investigation by Amnesty International's Security Lab. The journalists, Jelena Veljković and a colleague referred to as "Bogdana" for privacy reasons, received suspicious messages via the Viber messaging app on February 14. These messages contained links to a fake news article, which, if clicked, would have installed the spyware on their devices. The messages originated from a Serbian number registered with the state-owned operator...