News

January 31, 2025 - Iran -  Iranian-American journalist Reza Valizadeh, a former presenter for US-funded Radio Farda, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by an Iranian Revolutionary Court, highlighting the continued repression of journalists and dual nationals in Iran. His sentence was confirmed by Tehran’s appeals court in late January 2025. In addition to imprisonment, Valizadeh has been banned from leaving Iran or joining political groups for two years. Valizadeh, who had lived abroad since 2010, returned to Iran in March 2024. Despite assurances from intermediaries that he would not face legal issues,...

January 31, 2025 - Mauritania -  Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on Mauritanian authorities to take urgent action to stop a rising pattern of intimidation and harassment against journalists. The appeal follows a recent incident that highlights growing threats to press freedom in the country. In January 2025, journalist Hanefi Ould Dahah was physically assaulted while broadcasting live from the capital, Nouakchott. A security officer intervened, seized his microphone, and forced him to stop reporting. RSF described the incident as a clear attempt to silence independent journalism and warned that such actions could embolden...

January 31, 2025 - France/Sahel -  Olivier Dubois, a French journalist specializing in the Sahel region, endured 711 days in captivity after being kidnapped by Islamic extremists in Mali. On April 8, 2021, while on assignment in Gao to interview a local leader of Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaida affiliate, Dubois was abducted and held hostage deep in the Malian desert. Throughout his two years of captivity, Dubois faced harsh conditions, including isolation, limited food, and physical hardship. He was chained to a tree at night, subsisting primarily on dried goat meat,...

January 31, 2025 - USA -  A Colorado state lawmaker is facing widespread criticism after publicly calling for the arrest of two 9NEWS journalists in a controversial social media post. The legislator, whose identity has not been specified in the initial reports, demanded that state law enforcement authorities arrest Kyle Clark and Chris Vanderveen, both prominent journalists for Denver-based 9NEWS. The legislator did not provide any specific allegations, legal reasoning, or evidence to justify the call for their arrest. The post quickly gained attention on social media, drawing backlash from both the public and press...

January 31, 2025 - Afghanistan -  Sayed Rahim Saeedi, a 57-year-old Afghan filmmaker and director of ANAR Media, was sentenced to three years in prison by the Taliban on December 18, 2024, for allegedly “spreading propaganda” against the regime. His arrest and subsequent treatment have sparked international condemnation from human rights and press freedom organizations. Saeedi was arrested without a warrant on July 14, 2024, near his Kabul office by agents of the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI). He was held incommunicado for months in District 40, denied access to a lawyer and visits...

January 31, 2025 - India -  The Supreme Court dismissed journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh’s plea for bail, upholding the Jharkhand High Court’s December 6, 2023, decision. Singh, who has been imprisoned since July 17, 2022, faces accusations of links to the banned CPI (Maoist) organization. Notably, his name did not feature in the original First Information Report (FIR); it was later added in a supplementary chargesheet after police allegedly recovered SD cards containing incriminating content. His wife, Ipsa Shatakshi, a former teacher now juggling legal battles, single parenting, and household responsibilities, remains deeply concerned. Despite...

January 30, 2025 - Egypt -  Egypt continues its harsh campaign against journalists and activists, employing systematic repression to silence dissent and control the flow of information. Recent investigations by Daraj Media and Amnesty International expose how the Egyptian government has escalated its attacks on press freedom, targeting independent voices through arbitrary arrests, vague legal charges, and prolonged detentions. Daraj Media highlights how journalists and activists in Egypt face charges such as "spreading false news," "misusing social media," "joining a banned group," and increasingly, "financing terrorism." These accusations allow authorities to detain individuals indefinitely, often...

January 30, 2025 - Sudan -  Freelance journalist Mubarak Musa Juma was killed during an armed attack in El Fasher, Northern Darfur, Sudan. He contributed to several news outlets and worked with the media office of the Darfur regional government. UNESCO Director‑General Audrey Azoulay issued a strongly worded statement on 30 January 2025, expressing her deep sorrow and calling for a “thorough investigation into the circumstances” surrounding Juma’s death. She underscored the essential role of journalists in conflict zones and urged all parties to ensure their protection. UNESCO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting journalist safety...

January 30, 2025 - Afghanistan -  Zia Danesh, a former Afghan journalist and government official, narrowly escaped his homeland after receiving chilling threats from the Taliban—“This was the first one and we can kill your family”—following a targeted bombing of his car in 2016 that killed his driver. The attack, triggered soon after he appeared on television discussing Taliban suppression, sent a clear warning: his life and that of his loved ones were in imminent danger. Despite the Taliban being out of power at that time, the intimidation persisted. For years, Danesh continued reporting and serving...

January 30, 2025 - Ukraine -  Three journalists—Ukrainian freelance reporter Petro Chumakov, Swiss CH Media correspondent Kurt Pelda, and freelance camera operator Josef Zehnder—were detained by Ukrainian military personnel near Sudzha, a Russian border town under Ukrainian control. The journalists were traveling in a military vehicle with a Ukrainian soldier who had official permission for their transport. They were held for eight hours on suspicion of illegal border crossing, even though they carried valid war-zone accreditation. After detention, the Sumy district court dismissed the legal proceedings on January 15, finding their rights had been “grossly” violated. Despite the court’s decision, the Ukrainian...

January 30, 2025 - Russia/UK -  The Society of Editors and News Media Association (NMA) has strongly condemned a Russian court’s decision on January 30, 2025, to issue an arrest warrant and place The Sun's defence editor Jerome Starkey on an international wanted list. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) accuses him of illegally entering Russian territory from Ukraine to film a report in August 2024. Dawn Alford, Executive Director of the Society of Editors, labeled the warrant as “ridiculous,” stressing the “absolute necessity of a free press during times of conflict” and criticized it as a clear attempt...

January 30, 2025 - Turkey -  Turkish authorities detained five staff members of pro-opposition broadcaster Halk TV following the airing of a phone interview with a court-appointed expert witness, Satılmış Büyükcanayakın, involved in investigations targeting opposition-led municipalities. Journalists Barış Pehlivan (who conducted the interview), host Seda Selek, legal affairs manager Serhan Asker, program director Kürşad Oğuz, and editor-in-chief Suat Toktaş were taken into custody. While four were released under judicial control—subject to travel bans and weekly check-ins—Toktaş remains in pre-trial detention after an Istanbul court ruled he improperly authorized the broadcast without confirming consent. Prosecutors cite alleged breaches of Turkish Penal Code...

January 30, 2025 - Sudan -  Aladdin Ali Mohamed, a respected Sudanese journalist and program director at Wad Madani Radio in Al Jazirah state, was tragically killed on June 22, 2024, during an armed attack by unidentified assailants in East Sudan. His death reflects the increasingly perilous environment for journalists operating in conflict zones across Sudan. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay condemned Mohamed’s killing, calling for a full and transparent investigation to hold those responsible accountable. In her statement on January 30, 2025, Azoulay emphasized the essential role journalists play in providing reliable information, especially in...

January 30, 2025 - Sudan -  Ibrahim Abdullah, widely known as “Ibrahim Showtime,” was a freelance journalist dedicated to covering the Sudanese conflict. He gained prominence through his Facebook and YouTube reporting on war and politics. On June 28, 2024, his home in El Fasher, North Darfur, was struck by shelling from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), resulting in his death. UNESCO Director‑General Audrey Azoulay issued a formal condemnation on January 30, 2025, denouncing Abdullah’s killing and urging a comprehensive investigation to hold the attackers accountable. She emphasized that “journalists and media workers are essential...

January 29. 2025 - India -  Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, footage emerged showing law enforcement officials aggressively confronting IANS journalist Gaurav Pandey while he was covering Mauni Amavasya. The viral video captured a police officer grabbing Pandey’s microphone, strangling his hand, and attempting to push him away when he tried to record an interview with an Akhara pic representative in Sector 20 amid heightened security following a fatal stampede on January 29, 2025. Pandey is seen pursuing the officer while shouting in Hindi, “Tum maarlo aao, tum maar rahe ho na”—essentially challenging the force to...

January 29, 2025 - Palestine -  At the iMEdD International Journalism Forum in January 2025, Manisha Ganguly, Visual Forensics Lead and Investigations Correspondent at The Guardian, shared her experiences covering the Gaza war and the immense personal and professional challenges journalists face in conflict zones. Her insights highlighted the dual burden of documenting atrocities while managing the emotional toll of exposure to extreme violence. Ganguly spoke about the psychological strain that journalists endure, especially those engaged in open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigations. She described experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), triggered by repeated exposure to...

January 29, 2025 - Turkey -  In Amed (Diyarbakır), a powerful demonstration unfolded on January 29, 2025, as journalists and civil society rallied to protest escalating arrests and pressure on media workers in Turkey. Organized by the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and the Mesopotamian Women Journalists Association (MKG), the protest took place in front of AZC Plaza in the Ofis neighborhood. Participants included dozens of journalists, leaders from the Turkish Journalists Union (TGS) and DISK Press Union, MPs from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), members of the Socialist Party of the...

January 29, 2025 - USA - The family of 24-year-old Dylan Lyons, a multimedia journalist with Spectrum News 13, has filed a negligence lawsuit against his employer, Charter Communications, alleging systemic safety failures that contributed to his death. Lyons was fatally shot on February 22, 2023, while reporting on an active shooter incident in the Pine Hills neighborhood of Orlando, Florida—a story that tragically ended in his death alongside that of a nine-year-old girl, T’Yonna Major, and another victim, Nathacha Augustin. The lawsuit, initiated on January 29, 2025, contends that Spectrum News 13 sent Lyons and another...

January 29, 2025 - Turkey -  Turkish authorities arrested three journalists from the pro-opposition outlet Halk TV following a controversial broadcast involving an expert witness in a judicial investigation. The detainees—journalist Barış Pehlivan, anchor Seda Selek, and legal affairs manager Serhan Asker—were initially held but released under judicial control. Two additional staff members, program coordinator Kürşat Oğuz and editor-in-chief Suat Toktaş, were detained on subsequent days, with Toktaş reportedly facing arrest warrants. The arrests stem from a broadcast featuring a recorded phone interview between Pehlivan and a court-appointed expert involved in probes of opposition-led municipalities. Authorities...

January 28, 2025 - China/India -  In a significant diplomatic development, India and China have reached an agreement to resume direct air travel and facilitate the exchange of journalists, signaling a gradual thaw in relations following years of heightened tensions. This agreement was announced after Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on January 27-28, 2025. Direct passenger flights between India and China have been suspended since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and worsening border tensions, particularly following the deadly Galwan Valley clash. The restoration of air...

January 28, 2025 - Iran -  An unnamed journalist from Iran's state broadcaster IRIB has been detained by Israeli forces in the occupied Palestinian territories, Tehran confirmed on January 28, 2025. IRIB head Peyman Jebelli revealed that the journalist is currently imprisoned—not in Gaza—and that the family has opted for discretion, complicating release efforts. Jebelli expressed hope for the journalist’s release, underscoring the high risks facing media workers in conflict zones. He highlighted how Israeli military operations in the region have created a hazardous environment for journalists, citing more than 200 media workers killed since...

January 28, 2025 - Tajikistan -  Tajikistan is intensifying its crackdown on independent media, with recent developments marking a dramatic escalation under President Emomali Rahmon’s authoritarian grip. In Dushanbe, investigative journalist Rukhshona Hakimova (31) is facing a closed-door trial on undisclosed charges, reportedly treason, with prosecutors seeking up to 17 years in prison. Meanwhile, Ahmad Ibrohim, a veteran editor of the regional Paik newspaper in Kulob, was sentenced on January 10 to 10 years behind bars for alleged bribery, extortion, and extremism—charges he vehemently denies. These two cases are part of a broader assault on press freedom....

January 28, 2025 - Palestine - Two Palestinians, including journalist Nagham Al-Zayt, were injured as Israeli military forces carried out another raid in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem. Al-Zayt, who was covering the ongoing Israeli military operation, sustained shrapnel injuries to her right hand. Another 20-year-old Palestinian man was shot in the face during the incursion and was rushed to the hospital for treatment, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. The incident occurred amid Israel’s intensifying military operations in the West Bank, which have expanded significantly since the onset of the Gaza conflict...

January 28, 2025 - Yemen -  The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has publicly pledged its support for a campaign led by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate (YJS), demanding the release of multiple journalists kidnapped or detained across Yemen’s conflict zones. These concerns focus on several journalists who vanished after publishing critical work. Among them is Mohamed Al-Miyahi, who disappeared from Sana’a on September 20, 2024, just days after releasing an exposé on the Houthi organization. Fouad Al-Nahari, a YJS member, was also abducted in late September. Both are...

January 28, 2025 - Mozambique -  Mozambique is facing an alarming press freedom crisis, highlighted by the recent deaths of two journalists — Arlindo Chissale and Albino “Sibia” Sibia — amid ongoing political unrest following the disputed 2024 elections. The killings reflect an escalating campaign of intimidation and violence against independent journalists who have been documenting government abuses, protests, and conflict in the country. Arlindo Chissale, 46, was the editor of Pinnacle News, an independent outlet known for its critical reporting on government corruption and the insurgency in Cabo Delgado. He disappeared on January 7,...