News

06 January 2025 - Iran -  Iranian journalists are experiencing an intensifying wave of repression, with both domestic and diaspora reporters subjected to legal harassment, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation tactics targeting their families. A recent IranWire report reveals that in 2024 alone, Iranian authorities initiated at least 256 legal cases against journalists, including 36 arrests and 11 prison sentences. This crackdown is no longer limited to political journalists. It now extends to those reporting on environmental issues, economic challenges, and social unrest. Freelancers, online commentators, and journalists affiliated with international outlets have increasingly become targets...

January 6, 2025 - Palestine/Israel - In a powerful statement issued on January 6, 2025, human rights organization ARTICLE 19 condemned the ongoing violence and repression targeting journalists in Gaza and the West Bank amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian armed groups. The group warned that the deliberate targeting of journalists and press facilities not only violates international humanitarian law but could amount to war crimes. According to ARTICLE 19, at least 13 Palestinian journalists were killed in December 2024 and early January 2025 by Israeli airstrikes. One of the deadliest incidents involved...

January 6, 2025 - Palestine/Israel - The Palestinian Authority (PA) escalated its media restrictions by suspending several digital platforms operated by Al Jazeera, including aljazeera.net, aljazeera.net/live, aljazeera360.com, and global.ajplus.net, for a period of four months. The Ramallah Magistrate Court approved the suspension following a request from the Attorney General, citing alleged violations of cybercrime and press laws. Authorities accused the network of “inciting discord,” “threatening civil peace,” and “undermining national unity.” This move comes shortly after the PA shut down Al Jazeera’s Ramallah office and suspended its television broadcasts in the West Bank. The crackdown...

January 6, 2025 - Netherlands - In a troubling development for press freedom in one of Europe’s most open societies, the Netherlands recorded a significant rise in journalist harassment throughout 2024. According to a new report by PersVeilig—a Dutch initiative for journalist safety—218 incidents were documented last year, including 99 threats, 72 cases of intimidation or discrimination, and multiple physical assaults. This marks a sharp increase from previous years and reflects growing hostility toward the press amid heightened political polarization. The report reveals that journalists, especially women and those from minority backgrounds, have become frequent...

January 5, 2025 - Bangladesh - Bangladesh’s newly formed Media Reform Commission has issued a bold set of recommendations aimed at eliminating political bias in journalism and restoring public trust in the country's media. The commission, established under Interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus in November 2024 and chaired by veteran journalist Kamal Ahmed, completed its 100-day review and published its findings in early 2025. One of the key issues highlighted was widespread political partisanship in media coverage, with nearly 80% of surveyed citizens expressing concerns about biased reporting. Many media outlets are known to align...

05 January 2025 - Yemen -  After nearly a decade of silence, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has confirmed the execution of Yemeni journalist Mohammed Qaed Al-Maqri, who had been forcibly disappeared since October 2015. Al-Maqri, a correspondent for Yemen Today TV, was abducted in Al-Mukalla, Hadhramaut, while covering protests against AQAP. His fate remained unknown until AQAP released a statement on December 28, 2024, announcing his execution along with 11 other detainees accused of espionage. The execution has drawn widespread condemnation from international press freedom organizations. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and...

January 05, 2025 - Palestine/Israel -  A Palestinian journalist and poet, Mohammad Hijazi, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza, according to his family and Gaza’s Health Ministry. This tragic event brings the total death toll of journalists and media workers killed by Israeli forces since October 7, 2023, to approximately 220. This powerful declaration has now become both a haunting epitaph and a rallying cry against the targeting of journalists in Gaza. The latest Al Jazeera report, titled “I refuse a cheap death”, notes Hijazi was among nearly 90...

January 4, 2025 - India - The murder of 33-year-old journalist Mukesh Chandrakar in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district has sparked national outrage and renewed concerns over the safety of journalists investigating corruption. Chandrakar, a freelancer for NDTV and the YouTube channel “Bastar Junction,” had recently reported on a ₹120 crore road construction scam implicating local contractors and officials. He went missing on January 1, 2025, shortly after publishing his findings. Following a missing person report filed by his brother, police traced his location using CCTV footage and mobile data. On January 3, his body was discovered...

January 4, 2024 - Russia/Ukraine - Russian news outlet Izvestia confirmed that its freelance correspondent, Alexander Martemyanov, was killed when a Ukrainian drone struck a civilian vehicle on a highway near Donetsk in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. Izvestia reported that the journalist was traveling far from front-line combat zones, raising serious questions over the appropriateness of the strike. The drone strike also injured two other Izvestia journalists and two reporters from a local Donetsk publication, highlighting the collateral risks facing media personnel in conflict zones. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova denounced the incident as “deliberate murder,”...

January 03, 2025 - Mexico -  Mexico once again ranked in the top three most dangerous countries for journalists in 2024, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). With five journalists killed, it trails only behind war-torn regions like Palestine and Pakistan. The report also highlights that Mexico accounts for nearly 30% of global journalist disappearances over the past decade, underscoring systemic threats to press freedom. Despite the number of journalist murders declining from the 15 killed in 2022, violence and impunity remain alarmingly entrenched. RSF notes that Mexico consistently ranks among the most perilous non-war-zone countries, with...

January 03, 2025 - Palestine/Israel -  Israel’s intensified air strikes in Gaza tragically claimed the lives of at least two Palestinian journalists, marking a distressing escalation in line with ongoing hostilities and fragile ceasefire negotiations. On January 3, award-winning photojournalist Omar Al‑Derawi was killed when his family home in Az‑Zawayda, central Gaza, was struck by an Israeli airstrike. He was the second journalist killed within 24 hours, following a separate attack the previous evening. Colleagues covered his funeral in the hospital, placing his press vest atop his shrouded body—a stark symbol of the peril journalists...

January 03, 2025 - Palestine -  The war in Gaza claimed the lives of two more Palestinian journalists in early January 2025, amid renewed Israeli airstrikes and efforts to revive ceasefire negotiations in Qatar. Among the victims was well-known photojournalist Omar Al-Derawi, who died after an Israeli missile struck his home in the central Gaza town of Az-Zawayda. His death marked the second journalist killed in under 24 hours. Al-Derawi had been covering the war’s impact on civilians when the strike occurred. Despite being identified as a press worker, he became yet another casualty in...

January 03, 2025 - General -  The year 2024 marked an unprecedented spike in journalist deaths, with press freedom organizations calling it the most dangerous year for media workers in recent history. According to the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), 179 journalists were killed across 25 countries, while the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) recorded 124 deaths—the highest number since the organization began tracking fatalities. The overwhelming majority of these killings—nearly 70%—were linked to the ongoing war in Gaza, with over 85 journalists reportedly killed by Israeli military action. Gaza has now surpassed all previous global...

January 03, 2025 - Palestine -  32-year-old Palestinian freelance photographer Areej Shaheen was killed in an Israeli airstrike that struck her family home near the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The attack also claimed the life of her mother and seriously injured her father. Shaheen had been documenting life under siege through photography and social media, offering a rare glimpse into the daily realities of war-torn Gaza. Shaheen was a respected visual storyteller with over 13,000 followers on Instagram. Through her lens, she captured powerful images of displacement, destruction, and human resilience. Her work...

January 03, 2025 - Syria -  The sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, following the fall of Damascus to rebel forces, has brought both hope and uncertainty for the future of journalism in Syria. After decades of strict censorship, surveillance, and the imprisonment of journalists under Assad's authoritarian rule, the post-regime era offers a rare opportunity to rebuild a free press. Yet, deep challenges remain. Under Assad, Syria was one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists. Independent media was crushed through legal repression and violence. Dozens of journalists were detained,...

January 2, 2025 - UK - Richard Medhurst, a British independent journalist, is facing legal peril for refusing to reveal his encryption passwords to police, following his arrest under the UK’s Terrorism Act 2000 in August 2024. The case exposes a stark clash between national security efforts and the fundamental right of journalists to protect their confidential sources. Medhurst was detained at Heathrow Airport after his critical reporting on Israel’s military actions in Gaza—coverage Amnesty International described as genocide—was misinterpreted by authorities as support for proscribed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Two secure phones—an iPhone...

January 2, 2025 - Palestine - The Palestinian Authority (PA) ordered the suspension of Al Jazeera's operations in the West Bank, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Qatari-based news outlet and drawing criticism from international press freedom advocates. The PA’s Attorney General announced the closure of Al Jazeera’s Ramallah bureau and the withdrawal of its broadcasting license, accusing the network of spreading content that allegedly incited unrest and endangered civil peace. Although specific violations were not detailed, the PA claimed Al Jazeera’s reporting, particularly on recent security operations in Jenin, was inflammatory and posed a...

January 2, 2025 - Palestine - Journalists in Gaza strongly condemned the Palestinian Authority's (PA) suspension of Al Jazeera’s operations in the West Bank, calling it a direct attack on press freedom. The PA ordered the closure of the network’s Ramallah bureau and revoked its license, accusing it of incitement and threatening civil peace, particularly about its coverage of recent military operations in Jenin. Palestinian journalists working in Gaza have labeled the decision a “crime against journalism.” Freelance reporter Ikhlas al-Qarnawi, speaking from Deir el-Balah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, said the ban silences critical voices at...

January 01, 2025 - Iran -  At least nine journalists remain behind bars in Iran, reflecting the country’s ongoing and systematic repression of independent media. According to Defending Free Flow of Information (DeFFI), these journalists are being held in various prisons across the country under vague and politically motivated charges such as “propaganda against the state” and “spreading false information.” Among those detained are female journalists like Nasrin Hasani, held in Bojnurd prison, and Zhina Modares Gorji, imprisoned in Sanandaj. Many have been subjected to prolonged pre-trial detention, denied access to legal representation, or forced...

January 1, 2025 - Palestine - The Palestinian Authority (PA) announced the suspension of Al Jazeera’s operations in the West Bank, citing national security concerns. The decision, made by a ministerial committee, resulted in the closure of the network’s Ramallah office, the revocation of its broadcasting license, and a ban on its journalists operating in the territory. The PA accused Al Jazeera of “incitement,” “misleading reporting,” and undermining civil peace, particularly in its coverage of recent security operations in Jenin. Al Jazeera immediately condemned the move as politically motivated censorship. In a strong statement, the...

December 31, 2024 - General - In its 34th annual report, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) revealed that 122 journalists and media workers were killed in 2024, making it one of the deadliest years in recent memory for media professionals. The report highlights a disturbing global trend of increasing violence against journalists, particularly in conflict zones, and renewed calls for international mechanisms to protect press freedom. The Middle East accounted for the vast majority of deaths, with 77 journalists killed. Palestine alone saw 64 fatalities, largely due to the ongoing war in Gaza. Other...

December 31, 2024 - Turkey - Kurdish journalist Cîhan Bilgin and her colleague, Nazım Daştan, were killed in a Turkish drone strike near the Tishrin Dam in northeastern Syria. The pair were documenting the impact of Turkish military operations on local communities when their vehicle was targeted. Bilgin’s last message, written just 20 minutes before the attack, serves as a haunting testament to her unwavering commitment to truth and her understanding of the dangers of frontline journalism. In her final note, Bilgin acknowledged the warnings she had received: “They will specifically target you.” Yet she...

December 30, 2024 - Krygyzstan - Kyrgyzstan’s government detained 11 journalists affiliated with Temirov Live, an independent investigative media outlet known for exposing high-level corruption. The arrests, widely condemned by press freedom organizations, underscore a growing authoritarian trend under President Sadyr Japarov. The journalists were accused of “inciting unrest” under Article 278.3 of the Kyrgyz criminal code. Authorities claim their reports—particularly those implicating senior officials and security figures in corruption—threatened national stability. Among the detained were prominent reporters and media workers, several of whom were held without legal representation and subjected to lengthy interrogations. Some...

December 30, 2024 - India -  India has been ranked among the most perilous countries for journalists in 2024, with four media professionals killed and many others facing harassment, intimidation, and legal threats. According to The Hindu and international press freedom watchdogs, a total of 31 journalists have been killed in India over the past decade, underscoring a troubling pattern of violence and impunity that has intensified in recent years. The year 2024 witnessed several journalist deaths linked to investigative reporting on corruption, organized crime, and political misconduct. One high-profile case involved a reporter in...

December 29, 2024 - Palestine - 21-year-old Palestinian journalism student Shatha al‑Sabbagh was fatally shot by a sniper from the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) during an operation in the Jenin refugee camp. The young reporter, who was known for documenting daily life under occupation, was unarmed and walking with her mother and nephews when she was struck by a bullet to the head. Her death has sparked widespread outrage and renewed concerns over press freedom and civilian safety under internal Palestinian rule. Eyewitnesses, including Shatha’s mother, claim there were no clashes or militants nearby...