News

March 27, 2025 - Russia/Ukraine -  On March 26, 2025, Anna Prokofieva, a 35-year-old war correspondent for Russia's state-run Channel One, was killed when her vehicle struck a landmine in the Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border. Her cameraman, Dmitry Volkov, sustained serious injuries in the incident. Prokofieva had been covering the conflict in Ukraine since 2023, often reporting from high-risk areas alongside Russian troops. She was known for her strong support of the Russian Armed Forces and frequently shared images of herself in military attire, sometimes featuring the "Z" symbol associated with Russia's military...

March 27, 2025 - Source: Reuters -  Turkish authorities deported a BBC News correspondent on Thursday after detaining him for 17 hours and branding him a "threat to public order". Mark Lowen had been in Turkey to cover mass street protests triggered by the arrest and jailing of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-deports-bbc-journalist-over-public-order-threat-fines-tv-channels-2025-03-27/

March 27, 2025 - Source: CPJ -  Pakistani authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Waheed Murad, who was taken away by masked men who broke into his home in the capital Islamabad before dawn on Wednesday, and stop using such brutal tactics to intimidate the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. Murad, who works as a reporter for Urdu News and runs the independent news site Pakistani24, later appeared  before the Judicial Magistrate Islamabad (West) court, where he was placed in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for two days under Pakistan’s cybercrime laws for allegedly posting “intimidating...

March 27, 2025 - Source: 24 News HD -  Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi has taken notice of the crackdown on journalists under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) after receiving a formal complaint from the President of the Press Association of the Supreme Court (PASC). According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, the CJP forwarded the letter to the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP), directing him to review the facts and address journalists’ grievances. The letter raised concerns over the arrests of journalists Farhan Mallick and Waheed Murad, urging the top judge...

March 27, 2025 - Source: The Moscow Times -  Siberian journalist and activist Maria Ponomarenko, who is serving a six-year jail sentence for speaking out against the war in Ukraine, was sentenced Thursday to an additional year and 10 months for allegedly assaulting prison guards. Ponomarenko, 46, was convicted in 2023 for publishing reports on Russia’s bombing of a theater in Mariupol, Ukraine. She denies both that charge and the latest assault accusation, calling the case politically motivated and accusing prison authorities of abuse. A judge in the Altai region found her guilty of “disrupting the work of a penal colony,” according to her...

March 27, 2025 - Source: Reuters -  Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko, imprisoned for spreading "fake news" about the war in Ukraine, was handed an additional sentence on Thursday on charges of attacking prison staff, her employer said. Rusnews said Ponomarenko, who has complained of being beaten in prison and injected with anti-psychotic drugs, was given another year and 10 months in jail and ordered to undergo further compulsory psychiatric treatment. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-court-extends-sentence-imprisoned-siberian-journalist-2025-03-27/

March 27, 2025 - Turkey -  Seven journalists who were detained while covering widespread protests in Turkey have been released following a court order on March 27, 2025. Among them was Agence France-Presse (AFP) photojournalist Yasin Akgül, who had been arrested during a police crackdown on demonstrations related to the jailing of Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu. The journalists were taken into custody during early morning raids on March 24, accused of participating in unauthorized rallies and failing to disperse when ordered. These protests were sparked by İmamoğlu’s conviction on corruption charges, which many domestic...

March 27, 2025 - Palestine -  A sweeping investigation by Forbidden Stories and 12 international media outlets has revealed what appears to be a systematic pattern of attacks on journalists in Gaza by Israeli forces. Since October 7, 2023, at least 170 journalists have been killed, making the current Israel-Gaza conflict the deadliest for media workers in recent history. This joint effort, dubbed the Gaza Project, involved more than 40 journalists who examined over 100 cases of media workers killed or injured in Gaza. The investigation uncovered evidence that at least 18 journalists were killed...

March 27, 2025 - Palestine -  A detailed investigation by The Intercept has exposed a disturbing pattern in which Israel has been systematically targeting Palestinian journalists during its ongoing assault on Gaza. This revelation comes amid what press freedom advocates are calling the deadliest period for journalists in modern history, with over 200 reporters killed since October 2023. The report details how journalists, even when marked with press gear or working in known media locations, have been directly targeted by Israeli forces. Among the cases examined is that of Hossam Shabat, a 23-year-old Al Jazeera...

March 26, 2025 - Palestine/UK -  In March 2025, the UK's Royal Television Society (RTS) reversed its decision to cancel a special award recognizing the work of Palestinian journalists covering the Gaza conflict. The initial cancellation, announced just before the RTS Television Journalism Awards on March 5, sparked widespread criticism from media professionals and press freedom advocates. Critics accused the RTS of political bias and censorship, arguing that the decision undermined the sacrifices made by journalists reporting under perilous conditions in Gaza. The controversy was further fueled by the RTS's concern that the award could...

March 26, 2025 - USA/Palestine -  In January 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden publicly recognized the troubling number of journalists killed during the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, stating that "far too many" had lost their lives while covering the war. This admission came as the world closely watched the deteriorating situation for press freedom in the region, where reporters face extreme risks to report on the conflict. Despite Biden’s acknowledgment, many press freedom advocates and human rights organizations criticized the U.S. government for its continued support of Israel and what they saw as insufficient measures to...

March 26, 2025 - Palestine -  BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen has accused Israel of deliberately preventing journalists from entering Gaza to obscure the realities of the ongoing conflict. In a recent interview, Bowen stated that in the past 18 months, he was granted only half a day with the Israeli army within Gaza, suggesting a strategy to "obfuscate what's going on" and introduce doubt into the information emerging from the region. Bowen highlighted the contrast between the Israeli military's willingness to allow journalists into areas like Kfar Aza, where they were shown scenes of...

March 26, 2025 - General -  Omar El Akkad, acclaimed author and journalist, provides a powerful critique of the international and Western liberal response to the Gaza conflict. In recent interviews with The Columbia Journalism Review, Democracy Now!, and Al Jazeera’s UpFront, El Akkad sheds light on the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the severe challenges faced by journalists trying to report from the region. El Akkad emphasizes that the Gaza war is not only a military conflict but also a profound moral crisis that exposes the failures of Western liberalism. He argues that...

March 26, 2025 - General -  The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members is observed annually on March 25 to honor and advocate for the protection of United Nations personnel, humanitarian workers, journalists, and other staff members who have been detained, abducted, or gone missing while carrying out their duties in conflict zones and high-risk areas. Significance of the Day This observance commemorates the anniversary of the abduction of Alec Collett, a former journalist working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)....

March 26, 2025 - Australia/Palestine -  On March 26, 2025, a solemn vigil was held outside the ABC News Agency building in Sydney, Australia, to mourn the loss of over 200 journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023. Organized by Australian journalist David Milner, the gathering aimed to honor the lives of these media workers and raise awareness about the dangers faced by journalists in conflict zones. The vigil served as a poignant reminder of the high cost of reporting from war-torn regions. Milner highlighted the profound impact of these deaths, stating that the stories...

March 26, 2025 - China -  In a move drawing international condemnation, Chinese authorities have sentenced Li Yanhe, a Taiwan-based publisher and radio host known by his pen name Fucha, to three years in prison on charges of “inciting separatism.” Li was also fined 50,000 yuan (about $6,900) following a trial held after nearly two years of incommunicado detention. This verdict was announced on March 26, 2025. Li Yanhe is the founder of Gusa Press in Taiwan and has been a vocal critic of the Chinese government’s policies. His arrest occurred in March 2023 during...

March 26, 2025 - Pakistan -  Pakistani journalist Waheed Murad was forcibly taken from his home in Islamabad on March 26, 2025, by masked men in black uniforms who arrived in vehicles including police cars. According to Murad’s family, the men accused him of being Afghan and, despite showing his identity card, forcibly entered his home, confiscated his and his mother-in-law’s phones, and abducted him in a black vehicle. This alarming incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of journalists in Pakistan. Following the abduction, Murad’s mother-in-law petitioned the Islamabad High Court, naming several...

March 25, 2025 - Azerbaijan -  Afgan Sadigov, an Azerbaijani journalist and editor-in-chief of the independent outlet Azel.TV has been detained in Tbilisi, Georgia, since August 2024. He faces extradition to Azerbaijan on charges of extortion and threats, which international human rights organizations deem politically motivated. Sadigov's detention has raised serious concerns about his well-being and the potential violation of his rights. In March 2025, Sadigov's wife, Sevinj Sadigova, reported that her husband had been subjected to inhumane treatment in pre-trial detention. She stated that since March 18, he has been unable to eat anything...

March 25, 2025 - Somalia -  Press freedom in Somalia faces escalating threats, as journalists endure abductions and harassment by state forces. Notably, journalist Ibrahim Mohamed Mayow was abducted by Somali police on March 24, 2025, in Afgooye while reporting on an Al-Shabaab attack. Despite inquiries, his whereabouts remain unknown. Simultaneously, Mohamed Ibrahim Bulbul, Secretary of Information and Human Rights for the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), experienced a police raid on his residence on March 26. Officers questioned his family about his location and lingered outside for hours. This follows Bulbul's investigative reporting on alleged...

March 25, 2025 - Palestine -  Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, acclaimed for his Oscar-winning work, was released from Israeli detention on March 25, 2025, after spending nearly two weeks in custody. Ballal was initially detained on March 12 at the Qalandia checkpoint near Jerusalem, where Israeli authorities accused him of security-related offenses. The filmmaker denies the charges, and his detention sparked widespread concern among international human rights groups and artistic communities. Ballal’s release came after he provided a personal guarantee and was ordered to remain under certain restrictions, including a ban on travel outside the...

March 25, 2025 - Turkey -  A Turkish court has issued an arrest order against a journalist working for the international news agency AFP, in connection with their coverage of recent protests in Istanbul. The journalist faces accusations of allegedly participating in and inciting public demonstrations that opposed the Istanbul mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, and criticized his administration. The charges reportedly arise from the journalist’s reporting on politically sensitive protests, which have raised alarm among press freedom advocates. According to the journalist’s lawyer, the accusations are unfounded and are aimed at punishing the journalist for exercising...

March 25, 2025 - Germany -  Israeli occupation forces detained two German journalists while they were reporting in the West Bank, raising fresh concerns about press freedom and the safety of foreign correspondents covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The journalists were stopped at a checkpoint near the city of Hebron and held for several hours before being released without formal charges. According to eyewitnesses and reports from the journalists themselves, Israeli soldiers confiscated their equipment and questioned them aggressively during the detention. The journalists described feeling threatened and intimidated, with the soldiers demanding to see their...

March 25, 2025 - India -  A journalist in Assam was detained by police following his investigation and reporting on alleged financial irregularities in a regional bank, sparking protests and raising concerns about press freedom in the northeastern Indian state. The journalist had recently questioned senior bank officials regarding suspicious transactions and alleged mismanagement, which triggered local public outrage. The detention occurred amid growing protests by bank employees and customers demanding transparency and accountability. Demonstrators gathered outside police stations and bank offices, calling for a thorough probe into the financial irregularities and the immediate release...

March 25, 2025 - Palestine -  Two Palestinian journalists, Hassan Shabat and Mohammed Mansour, lost their lives on March 24, 2025, during Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip. Mansour, a prominent reporter for Al Jazeera, was killed alongside a cameraman while covering the escalating conflict. Shabat, a journalist for local media, also died amid the heavy bombardment. Their deaths mark some of the most recent and tragic losses among media professionals reporting from the frontlines. Mohammed Mansour was a respected figure known for his dedication to documenting the realities of life under conflict. His...

March 24, 2025 - Russie/Crimea -  Artem Lysak, an investigative journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Crimea. The Realities project was detained by Russian authorities while working undercover in Russian-occupied Crimea. Lysak, who previously reported under the pseudonym Nazar Sytnyk from 2016 to 2020, focused on exposing human rights abuses and documenting the daily realities faced by Crimean residents after Russia’s annexation in 2014. His arrest highlights the dangerous conditions journalists endure when reporting in authoritarian and conflict-affected regions where freedom of the press is severely restricted. Lysak’s work involved considerable risk, including constant...