News

November 12, 2024 - Syria/Turkey - Syrian journalists living in perceived safety within Türkiye face an escalating crackdown marked by harassment, legal threats, and forced deportations. According to the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC), the Turkish authorities—leveraging anti-terrorism laws and migration protocols—have begun interrogating, detaining, and pressuring Syrian reporters, accusing them of overstaying visas or "spreading propaganda." Reportedly, journalists have been summoned to police stations, where they face warnings that any critical reporting—especially on Turkish politics or refugee policy—could result in deportation to Syria. One journalist described living in fear: “If I go out,...

November 12, 2024 - General - The International Press Institute (IPI), in collaboration with Croatian fact-checking outlet Faktograf and German newspaper taz, has launched the Observatory of Disinformation Narratives Against the Media, a digital platform designed to monitor and expose coordinated disinformation attacks targeting journalists and independent media. Supported by the European Media and Information Fund, the initiative aims to systematically document the tactics used to discredit reporters, undermine trust in journalism, and silence critical voices. The Observatory tracks and analyzes recurring smear campaigns, false narratives, and online attacks that are increasingly employed by populist,...

November 12, 2024 - Palestine - Palestinian journalist Mahdi Al-Mamluk, a news manager at Wataneya Satellite Channel, was killed by Israeli gunfire while covering the humanitarian situation near a school-turned-shelter in the Nuseirat area of central Gaza. According to eyewitness accounts and media reports, Al-Mamluk was inside a vehicle marked as press when Israeli forces targeted it. He was reportedly shot multiple times and died on the scene. Al-Mamluk’s death has sparked condemnation from international press freedom organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which confirmed his killing and added his name to the...

November 11, 2024 -Eritrea/Sweden - Dawit Isaak, a dual Eritrean–Swedish journalist and one of the founders of Setit, Eritrea’s first independent newspaper, has been imprisoned without trial since September 2001. His arrest followed Setit’s publication of a letter advocating democratic reforms, alongside other prominent intellectuals and politicians—a purge that led to the shutdown of all independent media in Eritrea. For over 23 years, Isaak’s fate has remained a mystery. Eritrean authorities have provided no official information about his whereabouts, well-being, or legal status. He remains in de facto detention—lacking contact with family, legal representation, or external...

November 11, 2024 - Palestine - Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, Wael Al‑Dahdouh, has received the prestigious 2024 International John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award from the U.S. National Press Club in recognition of his unwavering commitment to journalism under fire. The award, the National Press Club’s highest accolade for press freedom, was formally announced in November 2024 and presented at the club’s Fourth Estate Gala on November 21, 2024, in Washington, where President Emily Wilkins highlighted Dahdouh’s resilience and vowed continued support for journalists worldwide. Dahdouh’s journey has been marked by extraordinary hardship. On October 28, 2023, while...

November 11, 2024 - Philippines - Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a community journalist from Tacloban and host at Eastern Vista, has been entangled in a long-running case dubbed the “Tacloban 5.” Arrested in February 2020 alongside fellow activists, she faced charges of illegal firearms possession and terrorism financing—accusations widely condemned as baseless, aimed at silencing her human rights reporting. For four years, her trial was stalled amid delays, court inefficiencies, and expanding charges. Initially accused merely of possessing firearms, she was later “red‑tagged” as a Communist insurgent and levied terrorism financing charges after a cash stash...

November 11, 2024 - Philippines - Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a community journalist and host with Eastern Vista in Tacloban, has endured a prolonged legal battle since her arrest in February 2020. As part of the “Tacloban 5,” she initially faced charges of illegal firearms possession and graduated to accusations of terrorism financing—allegations widely dismissed by press advocates and rights organizations as politically motivated attempts to suppress dissenting voices and grassroots journalism. Over the ensuing years, Cumpio’s trial was plagued by delays and procedural obstacles. Despite presenting a clean record, her case was entangled in an expansive...

November 10, 2024 - Ukraine/Russia - In a compelling 60 Minutes profile, veteran Ukrainian war correspondent Andriy Tsaplienko speaks to the indispensable role of journalism in his country’s fight for survival. As bombs fall and frontlines shift, Tsaplienko believes that Ukraine’s ability to resist Russia’s invasion is tied not only to its soldiers but also to the power of a free press. Tsaplienko has covered wars across the globe, but when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, he became a war reporter in his homeland. Wounded near Chernihiv by shrapnel, he continues to report from danger...

November 9, 2024 - Palestine - In one of the deadliest 24-hour periods for the press in Gaza, three more Palestinian journalists were killed amid continued Israeli bombardment, bringing the total number of media workers killed since October 2023 to at least 184. Reports from Press TV, Anadolu Agency, and the Palestine Chronicle detail the tragic losses of journalists who remained on the ground to document the war’s toll on civilians. The most recent victim named was journalist Yazan Ibrahim Al-Zwaidi, killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza. Anadolu Agency confirmed his death as...

November 8, 2024 - UK - The UK government and its human rights advocates have united in a powerful appeal for justice following a series of violent attacks and legal suppressions targeting journalists. Echoing broader international sentiment, these calls emphasize the pressing need to hold perpetrators accountable to safeguard press freedom. In recent months, British officials have urged comprehensive investigations into assaults on media workers, ranging from physical violence and sexual harassment to legal intimidation known as SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation). They argue that such actions create a climate of fear, forcing journalists...

November 8, 2024 - General - UNESCO, in partnership with the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF), has released a groundbreaking Guide for Psychologists in the Emergency Care of Journalists—a critical resource tailored to address the emotional and psychological challenges faced by journalists, especially during crises and online violence. The initiative responds to alarming statistics: over 73% of women journalists report experiencing online threats, harassment, or insults due to their work, with 25% facing physical or sexual violence. These risks compound significantly in conflict zones and during heightened election campaigns. At its core, the guide equips mental...

November 8, 2024 - Albania/Herzegovina/Iceland/Montenegro/Bosnia & Herzegovina - At the 1495th meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on November 7, 2024, the European Union delivered a forceful statement in Vienna emphasizing its deep concern over the deteriorating state of press freedom and human rights across the OSCE region. The EU reiterated its commitment to defending journalists, human rights defenders, and democratic institutions amid rising repression in several member states. The EU delegation called attention to the alarming targeting of journalists through intimidation, imprisonment, physical violence, and legal harassment, especially in countries like Russia and Belarus....

November 8, 2024 - Palestine / Qatar - Qatar delivered a powerful appeal before the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee, urging the international community to reinforce protections for journalists operating in conflict zones. Second Secretary Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al‑Thani emphasized that safeguarding press freedom requires a multi-pronged approach—physical safety, legal assistance, cutting-edge tools, and robust cooperation among states and institutions. Qatar’s proposal builds on its longstanding track record: hosting the landmark 2012 International Conference on the Protection of Journalists and producing the 2016 Doha Declaration. These efforts underlined the country’s dedication to embedding journalist safety into the...

November 8, 2024 - Iraq/Kurdistan - Veteran investigative journalist Wrya Abdulkhaliq of Bwar Media was ambushed in his orchard near Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan, shortly after publishing a groundbreaking exposé alleging obstruction by a Peshmerga Ministry official in a regional water and electricity project. At the hands of two assailants—an official’s nephew and his bodyguard—Abdulkhaliq sustained severe injuries: stabbed repeatedly in the abdomen, struck in the head with a gun butt, and had his car tires punctured to prevent escape. After undergoing surgery involving 21 stitches, he was reported in stable condition. Three suspects, including...

November 08, 2024 - Yemen - In a country locked in a decade-long conflict, the safety of journalists has become a crisis of urgent proportions. On November 8, 2024, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), in collaboration with UNESCO and the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate (YJS), concluded a year-long project aimed at improving occupational safety for media workers in Yemen, training over 160 journalists across Aden, Taiz, Hadramawt, and Marib. The initiative comprised eight workshops culminating in the final session on October 31 in Taiz, attended by 20 media leaders. Discussions underscored the need for comprehensive safety measures: psychological...

November 08, 2024 - India -  Indian investigative journalist Rana Ayyub embarked on a reporting trip to Manipur, only to find herself under constant surveillance by local intelligence personnel. CPJ sources revealed she was followed for four days—through villages, checkpoints, even to the washroom—ostensibly “for her safety,” though intended to intimidate and impede her work. On November 8, her mobile number was leaked on X (formerly Twitter) by a right-wing account known as “Hindutva Knight.” That night, Ayyub received at least 200 unsolicited phone and video calls, explicit WhatsApp messages, deepfake images, and repeated OTP requests flooding...

November 8, 2024 - General - In a powerful call-to-action, the International Press Institute (IPI) urges governments worldwide to confront and eliminate impunity for attacks on journalists. According to IPI, a staggering majority of crimes against media professionals—particularly killings—go unpunished, enabling further violence and eroding press freedom. IPI highlights that impunity serves as a flame to an accelerating blaze: unchecked, it emboldens perpetrators and institutionalizes hostility against journalism. This trend—amplified in authoritarian regimes and conflict zones—is undermining the media's essential role as democracy’s watchdog. A focal point of IPI’s advocacy is environmental and climate journalism,...

November 08, 2024 - Bolivia - Amid widespread anti-government protests sweeping Bolivia since early November, reporters and camera crews have faced escalating hostility. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), at least 25 journalists were violently attacked—physically assaulted, harassed, or obstructed—while covering protest actions such as road blockades and strikes in Santa Cruz and other regions. These incidents, RSF warns, reflect a disturbing erosion of press freedom in one of Latin America’s most politically charged environments. The violence has come from various sources. In several cases, journalists were attacked by police using excessive force. In others, demonstrators—some aligned...

November 08, 2024 - Somalia/Sweden -  In a brutal reminder that journalism can be a death sentence, Somali‑Swedish investigative reporter Amun Abdullahi Mohamed was assassinated on October 19, 2024, in her hometown of Afgoye in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia. Shot dead by gunmen suspected to be linked to al‑Shabaab, Mohamed’s killing shocked international media communities and prompted urgent demands for justice. Amun was not just any journalist—she was a trailblazer, celebrated for exposing al‑Shabaab’s recruitment operations both in Somalia and Sweden. She earned the 2010 Swedish Publicists’ Association Freedom of Speech Award and...

November 08, 2024 - Philippines -  Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has urgently called on the Philippine government to release investigative journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who has been detained since February 2020 on charges of “financing terrorism” and “illegal possession of firearms” that RSF and others label as fabricated. The government alleges weapons were found during a raid, but press freedom groups assert the evidence was planted—part of a wider “red-tagging” campaign that brands critical journalists as subversive. Cumpio, 26, directs Eastern Vista, an independent platform highlighting marginalized voices in Eastern Visayas. Her arrest followed her reporting on...

November 7, 2024 - Palestine/Lebanon/USA - Freedom House warns that Israel’s democratic character is at grave risk due to escalating attacks on press freedom. While Israel has long maintained a reputation as a robust democracy with a diverse media landscape, recent government actions under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threaten to dismantle that foundation. Freedom House highlights a growing pattern of government hostility toward journalists, particularly those critical of the administration. Reporters are increasingly vilified as enemies of the state, with officials using rhetoric that frames the press not as a democratic pillar but as a...

November 7, 2024 - Russia - In a stark escalation of its campaign against independent media, Russia has taken severe punitive action against Kirill Martynov, editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe. Two interconnected legal assaults—his arrest in absentia and a subsequent 6-year prison sentence—underscore the Kremlin’s intensified drive to suppress dissent. On November 6, 2024, a Moscow court formally arrested Martynov in absentia, accusing him of “organizing the activities of an undesirable organization”. The charge stems from his leadership of Novaya Gazeta Europe (banned by prosecutors in June 2023) and the Free University, another independent project classified as “undesirable”....

November 7, 2024 - Bulgaria - Investigative journalist Venelina Popova faced alarming intimidation from Galabovo Mayor Nikolay Tonev following her reporting on suspected electoral fraud during local elections in Bulgaria. Popova’s work exposed worrying irregularities—potential vote buying and procedural manipulation—prompting the mayor to respond not with transparency, but with threats intended to silence her journalistic inquiry. The news site Balkan Insight reports that after Popova published her findings, Mayor Tonev contacted her directly. While the exact nature of the threats isn’t detailed, they were serious enough to prompt action from Women Press Freedom, which publicly...

November 6, 2024 - Bulgaria - During Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections on October 27, 2024, at least four journalists were attacked, harassed, or obstructed in the line of duty, prompting a wave of condemnation from international press freedom groups. In a joint statement released on November 6, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), International Press Institute (IPI), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and OBC Transeuropa demanded full investigations and accountability for the perpetrators. The most serious incident involved a bTV camera operator who was physically assaulted by two...

November 6, 2024 - Europe/Azerbaijan - Ahead of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Budapest on November 6, 2024, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and partner organizations issued a strong call urging European leaders to address Azerbaijan’s worsening human rights and press freedom crisis. With the Azerbaijani government tightening its grip on civil society, journalists, and activists, the statement demands international action to end the ongoing crackdown. Following Azerbaijan’s presidential election in February and parliamentary election in September, the government has intensified its repression. Independent media outlets have been dismantled, environmental defenders...