News

February 25, 2025 - Kyrgyzstan -  Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court upheld the convictions of three journalists from the investigative outlet Temirov Live, a significant blow to press freedom in the country. Director Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy received a six-year prison sentence, presenter Azamat Ishenbekov was sentenced to five years, and reporter Aike Beishekeyeva was handed a five-year suspended sentence. These sentences stem from charges of "calling for mass unrest," a claim widely criticized by international human rights organizations as politically motivated and aimed at silencing independent journalism. The convictions are part of a broader crackdown on independent...

February 25, 2025 - Zimbabwe -  Zimbabwean journalist Blessed Mhlanga was arrested and detained for 72 days following interviews with Blessed Geza, a war veteran and former ZANU-PF central committee member who openly criticized President Emmerson Mnangagwa and called for his resignation. Mhlanga, a senior journalist at Heart and Soul Television (HStv), was charged under Section 164 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly transmitting data messages that incite violence or damage to property. The interviews, conducted in November 2024 and February 2025, were broadcast on HStv and YouTube, where Geza accused...

February 25, 2025 - Philippines -  A car belonging to Filipino photojournalist Michael Varcas was bombed outside his Quezon City home in February 2025, in what media watchdogs view as a direct threat to press freedom. Surveillance footage captured two individuals on a motorcycle throwing a Molotov cocktail at the vehicle before fleeing. Fortunately, Varcas, a senior photojournalist with The Philippine Star, was not inside the car and was unharmed. However, the bombing left the vehicle severely damaged and sparked serious concern among press freedom advocates and fellow journalists. The Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines...

February 25, 2025 - Zimbabwe -  Zimbabwean journalist Blessed “Dhara” Mhlanga was arrested under the country’s Cyber and Data Protection Act (CDPA), marking a significant moment as the first high-profile case using this law against a journalist. Mhlanga, a senior reporter with Heart and Soul Television (HStv), was charged with broadcasting press conferences featuring a war veteran who publicly criticized President Emmerson Mnangagwa and called for his resignation. The charges accuse Mhlanga of transmitting data messages that incited violence or damage to property. The CDPA, enacted in 2021, consolidates several laws related to cybersecurity and...

February 24, 2025 - India -  Two Tamil journalists, Kandasamy Bharathan and Thambithurai Pratheepan, were subjected to a six-hour police interrogation at Palaly Police Station in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. The questioning centered on a Facebook post that allegedly called for the destruction of the Tissa Raja Maha Vihara, a Buddhist temple located in Thayiddy, a site that has become highly controversial in the region. The Tissa Raja Maha Vihara was reportedly built on privately owned Tamil land, which led to widespread protests from the Tamil community demanding the temple’s removal. The temple is seen by...

February 24, 2025 - Azerbaijan -  Azerbaijani journalist Nurlan Libre was arrested in connection with the ongoing “Meydan TV case,” marking another development in a harsh crackdown on independent media in Azerbaijan. Libre, the founder of Portagal Media and known for his critical reporting, was detained in Baku and charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code, accused of smuggling committed by a group acting together. His home in Sumgayit was searched, and authorities confiscated his phones and computers. Shortly after, a Baku court ordered his pretrial detention for over a month, with reports...

February 24, 2025 - Russia/Ukraine -  As the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine marks its third anniversary, reports reveal a relentless assault on press freedom and media workers in the conflict zone. Since February 2022, Russia has been responsible for at least 823 documented crimes against journalists and media outlets in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Institute of Mass Information (IMI). These offenses range from physical attacks, arbitrary detentions, kidnappings, threats, and targeted killings, highlighting the extreme risks faced by those covering the war. International press freedom organizations have condemned the systematic violence aimed at...

February 24, 2025 - Russia -  Russian prosecutors have requested a new, longer prison sentence for Maria Ponomarenko, a journalist and former columnist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), highlighting ongoing repression of independent media in Russia. Ponomarenko was originally sentenced in 2024 to several years in prison on charges widely condemned by international organizations as politically motivated and lacking credible evidence. The new criminal case against Ponomarenko, announced in early 2025, escalates the pressure on her by accusing her of “spreading false information” related to Russia’s military actions and other sensitive topics. The prosecution...

February 23, 2025 -Afghanistan -  Afghanistan’s only women-led radio station, Radio Shama, has resumed operations after the Taliban lifted a temporary suspension imposed earlier this year. The station, which focuses on women’s rights, social issues, and culture, had been forced off the air in January 2025 following pressure from Taliban authorities, who cited unspecified “violations” as reasons for the shutdown. Radio Shama holds a unique place in Afghanistan’s media landscape as a rare platform run entirely by women, aimed at amplifying female voices in a country where women’s freedoms have been severely curtailed since the...

February 23, 2025 - Turkey -  Several prominent press freedom organizations, including the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), have strongly condemned the recent arrest and mistreatment of Azerbaijani journalists Ulviyya Ali and Ahmad Mammadli. These condemnations highlight the increasing repression of independent media and the dangerous environment for journalists in Azerbaijan. Ulviyya Ali and Ahmad Mammadli, known for their critical reporting and commitment to free journalism, were detained by Azerbaijani authorities amid a broader crackdown on independent voices in the country. Reports indicate that both journalists faced abusive...

February 23, 2025 - Russia/Ukraine -  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly denied allegations that he ordered the killing of Chilean-American journalist Gonzalo Lira, whose death in a Ukrainian prison earlier this year has sparked international concern and controversy. The claims, circulated by Lira’s family and amplified by public figures such as Elon Musk, allege that Lira’s critical stance toward the Ukrainian government and military led to targeted persecution and ultimately to his death. Gonzalo Lira, a dual national, had been openly critical of Ukraine’s leadership and its handling of the ongoing war with Russia....

February 22, 2025 - USA -  The Associated Press (AP) filed a lawsuit against three Trump administration officials—White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt—alleging violations of First Amendment rights. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., contends that the administration unlawfully restricted AP journalists' access to presidential events, including press briefings and travel on Air Force One, in retaliation for the AP's refusal to adopt the term "Gulf of America" instead of "Gulf of Mexico" as directed by President Trump....

February 22, 2025 - Slovakia -  Thousands of Slovaks took to the streets on February 21, 2025, to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the assassination of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, whose murders in 2018 sent shockwaves through Slovakia and sparked the largest anti-government protests since the fall of communism. The recent demonstrations, held in Bratislava and across more than 20 cities, not only honored the slain couple but also voiced growing alarm over Prime Minister Robert Fico’s policies, which critics argue are undermining press freedom and democratic institutions. Kuciak, a...

February 21, 2025 - Tunisia -  A Tunisian court ordered the release of prominent journalist Mohamed Boughalleb, who had been detained since March 2024 under charges related to a presidential decree aimed at combating "false news." Boughalleb, 61, was arrested following a complaint from a civil servant and was prosecuted under Decree 54, enacted in 2022, which mandates prison terms for disseminating information deemed false via communications networks. Despite his release, Boughalleb remains barred from leaving Tunisia, with his next court hearing scheduled for April 21. His detention had drawn criticism from rights groups and...

February 21, 2025 - Azerbaijan -  Azerbaijan’s tightening grip on independent journalism intensified in February 2025, as yet another journalist, Fikret Faramazoglu, was arrested in Baku—the latest in a wave of detentions targeting reporters linked to the independent outlet Meydan TV. His arrest follows a pattern of state-led repression that has seen at least nine journalists detained since November 2023 under accusations of smuggling and illicit financial dealings, charges critics say are politically motivated. Faramazoglu, editor-in-chief of the now-banned Jam. az news website, was taken into custody on February 20 and is facing charges under...

February 21, 2025 -First Nation -  The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) formally apologized to Gitxsan journalist Jerome Turner and his editor, Ethan Cox of Ricochet Media, for violating Turner's Charter rights during a 2020 enforcement operation on Wet’suwet’en territory in British Columbia. The apology followed a report by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC), which found that the RCMP had unreasonably interfered with press freedoms during the operation. On February 7, 2020, Turner was reporting on the RCMP's enforcement of an injunction against Wet’suwet’en land defenders opposing the Coastal GasLink pipeline. Despite identifying...

February 21, 2025 -Mexican - The body of Mexican journalist Jesús Alberto Camacho Rodríguez, missing since 2019, has finally been identified in a morgue in Culiacán, Sinaloa, where it had remained unclaimed for three years. Camacho’s remains were recovered in 2021 from a drainage canal and were held in the local forensic medical service without recognition until activists and forensic experts made the match in early 2025. Camacho was a reporter from Hermosillo, Sonora, and had worked for multiple regional outlets, including El Imparcial, El Regional de Sonora, Extra de la Tarde, and Tribuna del...

February 20, 2025 - India -  The death of 82-year-old C. Pappachan, a retired assistant general manager of BSNL, was initially deemed a tragic hit-and-run accident near Asramam Ground in Kollam, Kerala. However, subsequent investigations revealed a calculated murder orchestrated to appear as an accident. Pappachan, known for his frugal lifestyle despite considerable wealth, had minimal contact with his family and often cycled around the city. His financial prudence and slight memory issues attracted the attention of Saritha, a branch manager at Muthoottu Mini Nidhi, and her associate Anoop. They persuaded him to deposit approximately...

February 20, 2025 - Italy -  Italy's national journalists' union, the Federazione Nazionale Stampa Italiana (FNSI), alongside the Order of Journalists (Odg), initiated legal proceedings against unknown individuals, urging the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate allegations of unlawful surveillance involving the Israeli-developed spyware, Graphite, produced by Paragon Solutions. The controversy emerged when investigative journalist Francesco Cancellato, editor-in-chief of the Italian news outlet Fanpage, reported that his WhatsApp account had been compromised using Graphite, a military-grade spyware typically employed by state entities. WhatsApp's parent company, Meta, confirmed that at least seven Italian mobile phones had...

February 20, 2025 - General -  Elon Musk has sparked international controversy by accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being responsible for the death of American journalist Gonzalo Lira. Musk made the explosive allegation on his platform X (formerly Twitter) in late February 2025, stating directly, “Zelensky killed an American journalist!” This claim has drawn sharp attention to Ukraine’s treatment of journalists, particularly those critical of its government during wartime. Gonzalo Lira, a dual Chilean-American citizen, had gained a following for his commentary criticizing both Ukraine’s leadership and U.S. foreign policy in the region. Ukrainian...

February 20, 2025 - Montenegro -  Montenegro's parliament voted to establish an Inquiry Committee to investigate politically motivated attacks on journalists and intellectuals dating back to the 1990s. This initiative aims to address the legacy of unsolved crimes and restore public trust in the justice system. Parliamentary Speaker Andrija Mandić emphasized the need to confront past injustices, stating that the country had been "held hostage by crime" during the previous administration. The committee will examine cases such as the 2004 murder of Duško Jovanović, editor of the newspaper Dan, and the 2008 assault on journalist...

February 20, 2025 - USA - a legal dispute in Clarksdale, Mississippi, ignited national concern over press freedom and judicial overreach. Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin issued a temporary restraining order mandating the Clarksdale Press Register to remove an editorial titled "Secrecy, Deception Erode Public Trust" from its website. The editorial criticized city officials for failing to notify the newspaper about a meeting discussing a proposed tax on alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco. City leaders, including Mayor Chuck Espy, contended that the editorial was libelous and hindered their efforts to lobby. They were particularly aggrieved by...

February 19, 2025 - UK/Brazil -  Charlotte Peet, a 32-year-old British freelance journalist, has been missing in Brazil since February 8, 2025. Her last known communication was a message to a friend in Rio de Janeiro, stating she was in São Paulo and planning to travel to Rio. When the friend was unable to host her, Peet ceased communication, prompting concern from her family and the filing of a missing person's report. Peet, fluent in Portuguese, had previously worked as a foreign correspondent in Brazil for nearly two years before returning in November 2024. She...

February 19, 2025 - USA - The Trump administration, with support from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), initiated a significant overhaul of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This move included pausing over $268 million in annual funding designated for independent media programs worldwide, leading to a crisis among numerous news outlets that had relied on these funds for operations. USAID had been instrumental in supporting over 6,200 journalists and nearly 1,000 non-state news organizations globally. These initiatives aimed to promote press freedom and democratic values, particularly in regions where media independence...

February 19, 2025 - Kashmir -  In a significant ruling, the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has quashed the detention of journalist Majid Hyderi under the Public Safety Act (PSA), citing violations of constitutional rights. Hyderi, an independent journalist and political commentator, was arrested in September 2023 on charges of extortion and defamation, following a complaint by another journalist. Despite being granted bail by the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Srinagar, he was re-arrested and detained under the PSA, a preventive detention law that allows authorities to detain individuals without trial for up to...