News

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...

March 25, 2025 - Palestine -  Recent years have seen a tragic increase in the killing and targeting of Palestinian journalists covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet, many critics argue that Western media outlets have largely failed to adequately report on these incidents, enabling a climate of impunity and contributing to the ongoing violence against press workers. Several high-profile Palestinian journalists have lost their lives while reporting on hostilities, including during Israeli military operations in Gaza and the West Bank. These deaths often go underreported or are framed in ways that obscure the systemic risks Palestinian...

March 25, 2025 - Turkey -  Turkish authorities detained more than 1,100 people across the country amid widespread protests sparked by political and economic grievances. The demonstrations intensified in Istanbul, where security forces cracked down heavily, including the arrest of journalists covering the events. These developments highlight escalating repression under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government. The protests initially arose in response to rising inflation, unemployment, and perceived government corruption, but quickly took on a broader political dimension. Erdoğan blamed the opposition parties for stirring unrest, labeling them as “evil” forces attempting to destabilize the country....

March 25, 2024 -Russia -  On March 25, 2025, Russian journalist Vladislav Vinogradov, a war correspondent for the Izvestia newspaper, was killed in a rocket attack in eastern Ukraine. The attack, which targeted a convoy near the Luhansk region, also claimed the lives of five others, including a Russian-appointed local governor. This tragic incident marks a significant loss for Russian media covering the ongoing war in Ukraine. Vinogradov was known for his frontline reporting and coverage of military operations in the contested Donbas area. His death underscores the heightened dangers journalists face amid the escalating...

March 23, 2025 - Burkina Faso -  In March 2025, several journalists in Burkina Faso were detained by authorities following their outspoken defense of press freedom and criticism of government restrictions on the media. The arrests highlight growing concerns about the shrinking space for independent journalism in the West African nation amid political instability and security challenges. The journalists were reportedly taken into custody after participating in a public campaign organized by local media bodies advocating for the protection of freedom of expression. They criticized recent government actions that curtailed press activities, including censorship, intimidation,...

March 24, 2025 - Palestine -  Hossam Shabat, a 23-year-old Palestinian journalist, was killed on March 24, 2025, in an Israeli drone strike in northern Gaza. The airstrike hit his vehicle near the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, ending the life of a young reporter committed to documenting the horrors of war in his homeland. He was working with Al Jazeera Mubasher and Drop Site News, reporting from some of the most dangerous areas of the conflict. In a message prepared before his death and later posted by his colleagues, Shabat wrote, “If you're reading...

March 24, 2025 - Pakistan -  The Islamabad High Court is investigating the disappearance of two brothers of exiled investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani, following their abduction on March 19, 2025. Around 20 armed men—some in uniform—stormed the Noorani family home in Islamabad during the early hours, forcibly taking Muhammad Saifur Rehman Haider and Muhammad Ali, both engineers, to an undisclosed location. Phones were seized, and surveillance footage was reportedly deleted by the assailants. Ahmad Noorani, now based in the United States, is known for high-profile investigations into Pakistan’s military elite through his platform FactFocus. He...

March 24, 2025 - Palestine -  The death of 23-year-old Palestinian journalist Hossam Shabat in an Israeli airstrike on March 24, 2025, has triggered widespread condemnation from human rights groups, press freedom advocates, and international bodies. Shabat, who worked for Al Jazeera Mubasher, was reportedly targeted while reporting near the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. His colleague, Mohammed Mansour from Palestine Today, was also killed the same day in a separate strike in Khan Younis. Shabat’s death has become a symbol of the dangers faced by journalists working in war zones, especially in...