News

09 January 2025 - Sri Lanka -  journalists, activists, and civil society members gathered at Independence Square in Colombo to mark the 16th anniversary of the unsolved murder of Tamil journalist Ayyathurai Nadesan, who was gunned down in 2008. The vigil, organized by Sri Lankan media unions and human rights groups, served both as a remembrance and a call for justice in a country where impunity for crimes against journalists remains alarmingly high. Nadesan, known for his fearless reporting on corruption, human rights violations, and civil conflict in Sri Lanka’s northeast, was murdered in Batticaloa....

January 06, 2025 - Algeria - The arrest of Algerian freelance journalist and activist Abdelwakil Blamm marks a new low in the country’s ongoing crackdown on press freedom. Blamm was detained on December 29, 2024, near his home in Chéraga, Algiers, and later formally charged with “spreading false news,” “undermining national unity,” and alleged ties to a terrorist organization. His pretrial detention was ordered by the Sidi M’Hamed Court on January 6, 2025. Blamm is widely recognized for his vocal criticism of the government and his social media commentary, particularly through his Facebook page, which...

January 06, 2025 - Source - Syria -  Amid ongoing conflict and displacement, Syrian women have emerged as vital voices in journalism, courageously documenting the human toll of war. Since the uprising in 2011, many of these women—now internally displaced or living as refugees—have taken on frontline reporting roles to expose injustices and give voice to the silenced. One such figure is Sanaa Al-Ali, who fled Aleppo in 2012 with her children and resettled in rural Idlib. Amid bombings and constant threats, she began reporting on massacres and civilian suffering through social media. “I consider...

January 6, 2025 - India - In a troubling incident underscoring the dangers faced by journalists in India’s Chhattisgarh state, a forest officer was arrested on January 6, 2025, for allegedly threatening a reporter who exposed corruption at a forest check-post. The case reflects the growing pattern of intimidation and violence against media professionals in the region. The journalist, Sandip Shukla, had reported on January 1 about illegal extortion by forest staff at a check-post near Borai village, located in the Sitanadi Forest Range of Dhamtari district. The story, supported by video footage, alleged that...

January 6, 2025 - Palestine/Israel - Israeli forces killed 111 Palestinian journalists in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Journalists and Reporters Association. This brings the total number of Palestinian media workers killed since the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023 to 202, making it one of the deadliest periods for journalists in modern history. The report highlights that journalists in Gaza have been targeted not only by direct attacks but also by indiscriminate bombing, often while wearing press insignia. Several high-profile journalists, such as Saed Abu Nabhan and Omar Al-Derawi, were killed in...

January 6, 2024 - Afghanistan - A new report by Amu TV and the Afghanistan Journalists in Exile network reveals a devastating picture of press freedom under Taliban rule. Since the group’s return to power in August 2021, at least 300 journalists and media workers have been detained, many subjected to violence and intimidation. Although only 200 have been identified publicly, the scope of repression is far broader, with most detainees unwilling to speak out due to fear of reprisal. In addition to mass detentions, 17 journalists have died, either killed or under suspicious circumstances,...

06 January 2025 - Egypt -  In a rare but welcome development, Egyptian authorities released three journalists in early January 2025 following an extensive campaign led by the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate (EJS) and supported by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The freed journalists—Abdul Qader Mubarak, Hussein Al-Qayim, and Hassan Al-Qabbani—had been imprisoned on charges widely seen as politically motivated. Mubarak and Al-Qayim were included in a presidential pardon issued on December 24, 2024, which covered 54 individuals from the Sinai region. Both were serving sentences handed down by military courts. The same day, journalist...

January 6, 2025 - Turkey - A recent report by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) highlights an alarming rise in press freedom cases in Turkey, with numerous journalists facing court proceedings during the week of January 6, 2025. These cases reflect an ongoing pattern of legal harassment and censorship targeting the country’s independent media. The week’s hearings span multiple cities and involve a wide array of charges. On January 6, a court in Antalya held the 22nd hearing in a long-running case against 17 individuals, including journalists Metin Cihan, Eylem Sonbahar, and Sema...

06 January 2025 - India -  The suspicious death of 24-year-old journalist Shubham Shukla in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, has sparked outrage and concern over rising violence against reporters in India. Shukla, who ran a local YouTube news channel, was found hanging near an e-rickshaw charging station on January 6, 2025. While police initially suggested suicide, his family and colleagues allege he was murdered following a violent altercation with associates of a local BJP councillor. The incident reportedly began a few days earlier, during a birthday celebration, when Shukla and his younger brother were assaulted by...

January 6, 2025 - Palestine/Israel - 21-year-old journalist Shatha al-Sabbagh was shot in the head and killed by a sniper while walking in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank—accompanied by her nephews—according to her family. They accuse the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces of responsibility. Al‑Sabbagh, who worked in media and reported on human rights violations during the PA’s crackdown on armed groups in Jenin, was allegedly targeted just a day after conducting interviews with victims of PA operations. Her mother was present when she was shot, and eyewitnesses say she collapsed...

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,...