News

February 19, 2025 - Turkey -  Turkish courts ordered the blocking of social media accounts belonging to several Kurdish journalists, including Abdurrahman Gök, Oktay Candemir, and Ruşen Takva. The court orders cited concerns over "national security, public order, and preventing the spread of misleading information." These actions are part of a broader crackdown on opposition voices and media freedom in Turkey. The journalists' accounts on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube were rendered inaccessible within Turkey. Gök's YouTube account, for instance, was blocked from access in the country. These measures have raised...

February 19, 2025 - Media debate The Israeli Prime Minister's Office (PMO) removed two senior journalists from the Israel Broadcasting Corporation (KAN), Michael Shemesh and Suleiman Maswadeh, from its official WhatsApp group used for disseminating press updates. This action followed their reporting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reprimanded his spokesman, Omer Dostri, over his conduct during a sensitive diplomatic period. The Union of Journalists in Israel (UJI) swiftly condemned the move, stating, "It is inconceivable for a public servant to deliberately sabotage the media's work and prevent access to information from journalists." The UJI...

February 19, 2025 - USA - In a landmark victory for press freedom, Idaho has become the 41st U.S. state to enact a media shield law, offering legal protections for journalists who seek to protect the identities of confidential sources. The legislation, House Bill 158, passed unanimously through both chambers of the Idaho Legislature and was signed into law in late February 2025. It is scheduled to take effect on July 1. The new law ensures that journalists cannot be compelled to reveal confidential sources or unpublished materials in most legal proceedings. It applies to...

February 19, 2025 - Cameroon -  For nearly a decade, Cameroon’s Anglophone regions—the Northwest and Southwest—have been engulfed in a violent conflict between separatist groups and government forces. This prolonged crisis has not only resulted in over 6,000 civilian deaths and the displacement of more than 600,000 people but has also severely undermined press freedom, placing journalists in an increasingly perilous position. Journalists operating in these regions face threats from both sides of the conflict. Government forces have been known to arrest and detain reporters under the guise of anti-terrorism laws, while separatist groups have...

February 19, 2025 - Russia/Ukraine -  As the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its third year, journalists covering the conflict continue to face severe and escalating threats. Since the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has documented nearly 150 attacks on journalists, encompassing killings, injuries, detentions, and disappearances. Thirteen journalists have been killed by Russian forces, including Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who died in Russian detention in 2024. At least 47 journalists have been injured, often in targeted attacks or while reporting from areas subjected to Russian strikes. Eighteen Ukrainian...

February 19, 2024 - Turkey - In a sweeping operation on February 18, 2025, Turkish authorities detained 282 individuals across 51 provinces, including journalists, politicians, and academics, accusing them of affiliations with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The detentions, part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures, have drawn international condemnation. Among those arrested were prominent journalists such as Yıldız Tar, editor-in-chief of the LGBTQ+ rights organization Kaos GL, and Elif Akgül, a former editor at bianet. Tar's detention is particularly concerning given the government's increasing hostility towards LGBTQ+ advocacy. The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,...

February 19, 2025 - Italy - Italy's national journalists' union (FNSI) initiated legal proceedings against the government, alleging the unlawful use of military-grade spyware, Graphite, developed by Israeli firm Paragon Solutions. The spyware reportedly targeted at least seven individuals, including investigative journalist Francesco Cancellato and migrant activist Luca Casarini, both known for their critical stances against the government's policies. The controversy began in January when Meta's WhatsApp notified several EU users, including journalists and civil society members, that their devices had been compromised by spyware linked to Paragon. Subsequent investigations revealed that the spyware exploited...

February 19, 2025 - Yemen -  Yemeni journalist Abdulkhaliq Imran has opened up about the brutal torture he endured during eight years of detention by Houthi forces. Imran’s testimony sheds light on the harsh realities faced by thousands of detainees in Houthi-controlled prisons across Yemen. He described being confined in a small, dark cell where he was subjected to repeated beatings, flogging, and forced suspension from the walls. Psychological torture was equally severe: prisoners were relentlessly bombarded with recordings of Houthi clerics denouncing them as “enemies of God.” These tactics aimed not only to break...

February 19, 2024 - Tunisia - The United Nations has condemned the escalating persecution of political opponents in Tunisia, urging the authorities to cease arbitrary arrests and uphold fundamental human rights. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, called on Tunisian authorities to end the pattern of detentions and imprisonment of human rights defenders, journalists, activists, and politicians, many of whom are being held in pre-trial detention under vague accusations following the exercise of their rights and freedoms. Since President Kais Saied consolidated power in 2021, following his suspension of parliament and assumption of...

February 18, 2025 - Zimbabwe -  Zimbabwean journalist Blessed Mhlanga, associated with Heart and Soul TV (HStv), has recently been at the centre of legal and safety concerns following his interviews with war veteran Blessed Geza and former cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere. These interviews, which included critical commentary on President Emmerson Mnangagwa's leadership, have led to a series of police actions against Mhlanga. On February 17, 2025, three individuals armed with pistols visited HStv's Harare office searching for Mhlanga. He reported the incident on social media, expressing concern over the armed visit. Subsequently, he was...

February 18, 2025 - Georgia -  Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, co-founder of the independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, concluded her 38-day hunger strike on February 18, 2025. Her protest began following her arrest on January 12 during anti-government demonstrations in Batumi, where she was charged with assaulting a police officer after slapping Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze. The incident occurred amid heightened tensions over Georgia's halted European Union integration efforts and allegations of electoral misconduct. Amaglobeli's hunger strike drew significant international attention, with numerous organizations and governments calling for her release. The International Federation...

February 18, 2025 - Turkey -  Turkey has witnessed a significant surge in the detention and imprisonment of journalists, raising serious concerns about the state of press freedom in the country. One notable case is that of Ozan Kaplanoğlu, the editor-in-chief of Bursa Muhalif newspaper. Kaplanoğlu was imprisoned in February 2025 after a conditional release decision was revoked. He had been convicted in 2013 for insulting then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a protest, a charge that has been upheld by appellate courts. His lawyer argued that this act should be considered an exercise of...

February 18, 2025 - Vietnam -  Vietnamese journalist and writer Truong Huy San, known as Huy Đức, was sentenced in early 2025 to 30 months in prison under Article 331 of Vietnam’s Penal Code. The court ruled that thirteen Facebook posts he published between 2015 and 2024 constituted an “abuse of democratic freedoms” that infringed on the interests of the state and the rights of organizations and individuals. His posts reportedly criticized government policies and raised sensitive social and political issues. San was arrested in June 2024 and has remained in detention since. His trial...

February 18, 2025 - USA -  Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons was fatally shot while covering a homicide in Pine Hills, Florida. The shooter, 19-year-old Keith Melvin Moses, had earlier killed 38-year-old Nathacha Augustin and later returned to the scene, fatally shooting Lyons and 9-year-old T’Yonna Major, while injuring photographer Jesse Walden and Major’s mother, Brandi Turner. Moses has pleaded not guilty to the charges. In response to the tragedy, Lyons' family filed a negligence lawsuit against Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum News 13. The lawsuit alleges that the company failed to...

February 18, 2025 - Philippines -  In a significant escalation of tensions in the South China Sea, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has condemned what it describes as "dangerous" maneuvers by a Chinese Navy helicopter that flew within three meters of a Philippine surveillance aircraft over the contested Scarborough Shoal on February 18, 2025. The Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft, which was conducting a routine maritime domain awareness flight, had a group of journalists onboard. According to the PCG, the Chinese helicopter performed "reckless" flight maneuvers, tailing the plane before drawing...

February 18, 2025 - France/Syria - The French judiciary has expanded its investigation into the 2012 deaths of journalist Marie Colvin and photographer Rémi Ochlik in Syria, now considering the incident as a potential crime against humanity. This move follows new evidence suggesting a coordinated attack targeting civilians, including journalists and human rights defenders, as part of a systematic campaign. Marie Colvin, a renowned American war correspondent for The Sunday Times, and French photographer Rémi Ochlik were killed on February 22, 2012, during a shelling of the Baba Amr Media Center in Homs, Syria. The...

February 18, 2025 - Belarus - Belarus has released three detainees, including an American citizen and a journalist affiliated with U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). This move is seen as part of Belarus's efforts to improve relations with the United States. The American detainee's identity and the charges against them have not been publicly disclosed. The journalist, Andrey Kuznechyk, was arrested in November 2021 during a crackdown on independent media in Belarus. Initially sentenced to 10 days in jail on hooliganism charges, Kuznechyk was later charged with participating in an extremist organization and sentenced...

February 18, 2025 - Australia - A 61-year-old man from Lake Cathie, New South Wales, has been arrested and charged with sending a harassing and racially charged email to journalist Antoinette Lattouf. The email, which contained violent threats, was reported to police by Lattouf in late 2024. Following an investigation by the Counter-Terrorism and Special Tactics Command’s Security Investigations Unit, authorities executed a search warrant at the man's residence and arrested him on February 18, 2025. He has been charged under Section 474.17 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) for using a carriage service...

February 17, 2025 - Turkey - Turkish authorities have intensified their scrutiny of journalists and media outlets critical of the government, leading to arrests and legal actions that have raised concerns about press freedom in the country. Halk TV Journalists Detained On January 28, 2025, Turkish police detained three prominent journalists from the opposition broadcaster Halk TV—Barış Pehlivan, Seda Selek, and Serhan Asker. The detentions were part of an investigation into allegations that the journalists had attempted to influence an expert witness in ongoing court cases involving mayors from the main opposition Republican People's Party...

February 17, 2025 - France - In a landmark decision, a French court has sentenced 39-year-old French jihadist Mehdi Nemmouche to life imprisonment for his role in the 2013 kidnapping of four French journalists by the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. Nemmouche, who was already serving a life sentence in Belgium for a 2014 attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels, was convicted of holding the journalists hostage in Aleppo for 10 months. The court also sentenced his co-defendants: Abdelmalek Tanem received 22 years, and Kais Al Abdallah was sentenced to 20 years. Two...

February 17, 2025 - Philippines - For the first time in two decades, the Philippines reported no journalist killings in 2024, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). This marks a significant shift from previous years, where the country consistently ranked among the deadliest for journalists. However, experts caution that this development may be attributed to factors beyond improved press freedom. The CPJ's report highlights that the absence of journalist deaths in 2024 could be due to various reasons, including the lack of local reporting on such incidents, increased safety measures, and potential self-censorship...

February 17, 2025 - Bangladesh -  Journalists in Bangladesh are facing increasing threats, attacks, and legal pressures, raising serious concerns about press freedom in the country. In early 2025, the situation worsened as reporters were subjected to physical violence and intimidation, with at least 17 journalists attacked in February alone. A notable incident involved Shohag Khan Sujon, a correspondent for the daily Samakal, who was assaulted with a hammer and stabbed after investigating allegations of medical negligence. Such attacks highlight the dangerous conditions under which journalists operate, especially when reporting on sensitive issues. Alongside physical...

February 17, 2025 - El Salvador/USA - Salvadoran journalist Manuel Duran spent over 15 months in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after covering an immigration protest in Memphis, Tennessee. His arrest and prolonged detention have sparked concerns about press freedom and the treatment of journalists reporting on immigration issues. Duran was arrested in April 2018 during a protest against ICE’s immigration enforcement policies. Although he was initially charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing a highway, those charges were eventually dropped. However, because of a 2007 deportation order from when he was younger, ICE...

February 17, 2025 - South Africa/Netherlands - Dutch journalist Sophie van Leeuwen, an Africa correspondent for RTL Nieuws, was detained by Sierra Leonean authorities on suspicion of espionage. She was reportedly conducting documentary work in Freetown when she was arrested by the Sierra Leone Police. The police alleged that she was filming without proper authorization, leading to her detention and subsequent interrogation at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Van Leeuwen's arrest coincided with heightened tensions between Sierra Leone and the Netherlands over the alleged presence of Dutch drug lord Jos Leijdekkers in Sierra Leone. Leijdekkers,...

February 16, 2025 - Turkey/Syria -  Syrian Kurdish journalist Agid Roj was killed on February 15, 2025, in a Turkish drone strike near the Tishrin Dam, northeast of Manbij, Syria. Roj, originally from Afrin, had been reporting on escalating tensions between Turkish forces and Kurdish-controlled areas in northern Syria. His death has drawn widespread condemnation from press freedom organizations and local activists, who accuse Turkey of deliberately targeting journalists and civilians in the region. The Tishrin Dam area has been a focal point of Turkish military operations, with repeated airstrikes and shelling attacks targeting the...