News

November 6, 2024 - Mongolia - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) sounded the alarm: a closed-door appeal trial for detained journalist Unurtsetseg Naran—conducted without public scrutiny or disclosed evidence—signals a dangerous regression for press freedom in Mongolia. Naran, founder of the independent news outlet Zarig, was initially convicted behind closed doors this July on dubious charges including “spreading false information,” “tax evasion,” and “money laundering.” Her sentencing, carried out without transparency, drew widespread condemnation from local and international observers. Her appeal hearing, also held in secret, deprived Naran of the most elemental judicial guarantees—open proceedings and...

November 6, 2024 - Sudan - The Sudan Media Forum (SMF)—a coalition of independent outlets like Dabanga, Sudan Tribune, and the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate—launched the “Silence Kills: No Time to Waste for Sudan” campaign during events at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. Coinciding with the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the initiative aimed to highlight the catastrophic impact of Sudan’s ongoing war and mounting attacks on the media. Since conflict erupted on April 15, 2023, both the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces have systematically silenced journalistic voices....

November 6, 2024 - Bosnia & Herzegovina - Veteran investigative reporter Nataša Miljanović‑Zubac, a journalist with Radio Television of Republika Srpska, has endured a relentless campaign of intimidation for exposing corruption and organized crime. Over the past two and a half years, she’s survived at least seven criminal acts—including arson, violent threats, ominous messages, and psychological torture—all of which have gone unpunished. In mid-2022, unknown assailants torched her vehicle outside her home in Trebinje, which she described as her livelihood, and her reporting was significantly disrupted as a result. Following that, with no legal accountability, the...

November 5, 2024 - Palestine - French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot presented the second Anna Politkovskaya–Arman Soldin Prize for Courage in Journalism on November 5, 2024, to Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham and Palestinian journalist Basel Adra. This prestigious award, instituted by France in 2023, commemorates the legacy of slain Russian reporter Anna Politkovskaya and Franco-Bosnian journalist Arman Soldin, both revered for fearless conflict reporting. The jury—comprising prominent media figures—praised Abraham and Adra “for their work putting a spotlight on violence committed by settlers and the political and legal inequalities between Palestinians and Israelis". Their award-winning collaboration, the documentary No Other Land,...

November 5, 2024 - General - The annual International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists—the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) marked the occasion with a powerful webinar calling attention to the dire circumstances facing media professionals across Africa. The ACHPR’s Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression emphasized that journalists routinely face grave threats—including detention, torture, kidnapping, and online harassment—raising significant obstacles to the free flow of information guaranteed under Article 9 of the African Charter. Such violations not only hinder public discourse but also deepen societal vulnerability by silencing critical voices....

November 5, 2024 - Cambodia - Veteran investigative journalist Mech Dara, renowned for his hard-hitting exposés on human trafficking and cyberscam operations in Cambodia, has announced he will leave journalism to become a farmer. This decision came after a dramatic arrest in late September 2024 over social media posts, followed by a difficult stint in pre-trial detention. On September 30, Dara was detained by military police at a toll booth while traveling with his family. Authorities charged him with "incitement to commit a felony or cause social disorder," based on Facebook posts about quarrying at a revered...

November 5, 2024 - UK/Egypt - The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)—joined by 14 British, Egyptian, and international organizations—issued a forceful appeal to UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy. The groups urged the UK to suspend all new economic, financial, and security cooperation with Egypt until British-Egyptian writer and activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah is released from detention. Abd el-Fattah, a prominent voice since the Arab Spring, was first arrested in 2014 and again in September 2019 amid anti-government protests. Convicted under charges of “spreading false news,” he received a five-year sentence in December 2021. Although his...

November 4, 2024 - Albania - Two Albanian camera crews—Fjorela Beleshi and Elja Zotka from A2 CNN, and a TV Klan team—were unjustifiably detained at Greece’s Kapshtica/Krystallopigi border as they attempted to cover Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s rally in Thessaloniki. The crews carried valid accreditation and verbal clearance from the Albanian Foreign Ministry, yet Greek authorities confiscated their passports, held them for over four hours, and refused entry without explicit approval from the Greek Foreign Ministry. Authorities also attempted to stop them from livestreaming the delay, impeding real‑time reporting and restricting the journalists from fulfilling...

November 4, 2024 - India - Imran Khan, editor of the Ghaziabad-based Hindi daily Aap AbhiTak, was arrested on defamation charges following a six-month-old election report in which Congress candidate Dolly Sharma accused BJP MP Atul Garg of being involved in land grabbing. Sharma, during the Lok Sabha campaign, claimed Garg had seized 31,000 m² of public land to build a housing society—allegations that Khan faithfully reported under the headline: “BJP makes land‑mafia Atul Garg its candidate.” Despite a note of Sharma’s status as the source of the accusation—and no evidence added by Khan—the MP filed a...

November 4, 2024 - Kosovo - The Pristina Basic Court sentenced Kosovo lawyer Driton Dobruna to 150 days in prison on November 4, 2024, after he admitted to sending a death threat to investigative journalist Vehbi Kajtazi, owner of the Paparaci news site. The threat stemmed from Kajtazi’s persistent reporting on corruption and public interest matters. Dobruna reportedly sent a chilling message indicating he would “douse him with gasoline”. His guilty plea at trial spared him a longer sentence, but still marked a rare instance of legal validation for the protection of journalists in Kosovo—a country where...

November 3, 2024 - Palestine - In just one year since the Israel–Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, at least 183 Palestinian journalists have been killed—more than double the global average of journalist deaths in any given year. According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and confirmed by international press watchdogs, this represents an unprecedented level of media fatalities in modern history. The massacre, they say, is not collateral damage but a deliberate campaign to silence the press and erase witnesses from the conflict zone. Globally, an estimated 82 journalists are killed annually, based on...

November 3, 2024 - Iran - The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists cast a spotlight on Iran’s worsening media suppression, where the daily reality for journalists is arrest, torture, and even death. Human rights monitors and press-freedom researchers revealed a multi-pronged assault: journalists face arbitrary detention, flogging, threats to families, and violent raids on homes, reflecting a brutal effort to crush independent reporting. This crackdown extends far beyond Iran’s borders. Leaked court documents from early 2024 exposed that the judiciary is issuing judgments in absentia targeting exiled journalists, highlighting Tehran’s transnational...

November 3, 2024 - Kurdistan/Iraq - Journalist Suleiman Ahmed, editor at the Kurdish outlet Roj News, has been held by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) for over 376 days without any proven charges. He was arrested on October 25, 2023, at the Fish-Khabur border while returning from visiting family in Aleppo. On July 29, 2024, the Duhok Criminal Court sentenced him in absentia to three years in prison, but the court provided no evidence or legal justification behind the verdict. Ahmed has been denied basic legal rights, including immediate access to lawyers. It took nearly 210 days before his counsel...

November 3, 2024 - Iran/USA - Iranian–American journalist Reza Valizadeh returned to Iran after 13 years abroad, even seeking assurances from Iranian authorities. Instead, he was detained by security forces upon arrival, later sent to Evin Prison. According to multiple sources, Valizadeh—a former reporter at Radio Farda (the Persian service of U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)—was arrested again in late September and has remained locked up under Revolutionary Court supervision without publicly disclosed charges. On November 3, 2024, the U.S. State Department confirmed Valizadeh’s detention following reports by AP and Reuters. Officials stated they are...

November 2, 2024 - Afghanistan - Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Afghanistan has witnessed a dramatic escalation in attacks against journalists, with over 447 documented incidents of threats, arrests, and assaults, according to a new report from the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC). Released on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the report paints a dire picture of press freedom in a country where speaking the truth has become a life-threatening act. Of the 447 incidents, at least 220 involved arbitrary detentions, often without charges or due process....

November 2, 2024 - Kurdistan - Kurdish journalist and women’s rights activist Zhina Modares-Gorji has been imprisoned in Iran following a politically motivated trial that underscores the country’s escalating crackdown on dissenting voices, particularly those from marginalized communities. On November 2, 2024, she reported to Sanandaj Women’s Prison to begin serving a 16-month sentence after an appeals court reduced her original 21-year sentence handed down by a Revolutionary Court in May. Modares-Gorji was charged with “forming an illegal group to overthrow the state,” “propaganda against the regime,” and “collaborating with hostile opposition media.” While the...

November 2, 2024 - Palestine - Two Palestinian journalists, Bilal Rajab and photojournalist Baraa Ali Daghish, were tragically killed in Israeli airstrikes just 24 hours apart in central Gaza, sparking condemnation from Palestinian media groups and international press freedom organizations. On November 1, 2024, Bilal Rajab, an Al-Quds al-Youm TV correspondent, was struck and killed outside a school in Tuffah, Gaza City, when the Israeli military launched an airstrike on a civilian area. Less than a day later, on November 2, 2024, Baraa Ali Daghish, a freelance photojournalist, was killed during an airstrike on a...

November 2, 2024 - General - On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, November 2, 2024, the European Union issued a powerful joint statement condemning attacks on journalists and urging global accountability. EU High Representative Josep Borrell and Vice President Věra Jourová emphasized that violence, repression, and intimidation against media workers are not just attacks on individuals—they are assaults on truth, democracy, and international law. The statement particularly highlighted Ukraine, where journalists continue to risk their lives documenting Russia’s full-scale invasion. The EU noted that many media workers have been killed,...

November 02, 2024 - General- On November 2, 2024, the United Nations and UNESCO marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists with renewed urgency, calling on world governments to confront the staggering rate of violence against journalists and the near-total lack of accountability that follows. Since 2006, over 1,700 journalists have been killed while doing their jobs, and nearly 9 out of 10 of those killings remain unsolved. UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a powerful message, emphasizing that when journalists are attacked, societies as a whole suffer. “Without accountability, the cycle...

November 02, 2024 - General - On November 2, 2024, Azerbaijan formally recognized the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, echoing global efforts to combat violence and legal persecution targeting media workers. The state news agency AZERTAG noted that this year's international commemoration will occur on November 6–7 at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, under the theme “Safety of Journalists in Crises and Emergencies.” The initiative commemorates the first IDEI event held in Strasbourg in 2014, following the UN resolution that established the observance in 2013 after two journalists were...

November 2, 2024 - South Africa - The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists on November 2, 2024, underscoring the critical role that journalists play in democracy and urging governments worldwide to act decisively against impunity. SANEF echoed UNESCO and UN appeals for states to protect media personnel and their teams operating in conflict zones, emphasizing that threats to journalists strike at the heart of public accountability and the right to information. SANEF also joined the global condemnation of increasing online harassment faced by women...

November 2, 2024 - General - UNESCO has sounded the alarm over a dramatic escalation in violence against journalists, with a new report revealing a 38% increase in journalist killings between 2022 and 2023 compared to the previous two-year period. Published on November 2, 2024—coinciding with the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists—the report documents 162 journalists killed during this time, averaging one journalist murdered every four days. The report highlights that more than half of these killings occurred in countries experiencing armed conflict. However, it also stresses that a growing number...

November 01, 2024 - Mexico -  Ahead of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) held high-level meetings with Mexican authorities to address the country’s alarming record of violence against media workers. The discussions resulted in renewed commitments by the incoming government to overhaul mechanisms for protecting journalists and prosecuting their attackers. Mexico remains one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists, with 37 media workers killed during the outgoing administration. The majority of these crimes remain unresolved, contributing to an impunity rate of nearly 98...

Nov 1, 2024 - Palestine - Bilal Muhammad Rajab, a 27-year-old camera operator for Al‑Quds Al‑Youm TV, was tragically killed by an Israeli airstrike near the Firas Market in central Gaza City while covering the unfolding conflict. According to the Gaza government’s Media Office and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, his death increases the number of journalists killed in Gaza since October 7 to 183. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that Rajab was collaborating with citizens at the scene around 3:30 p.m. when an Israeli aircraft carried out the attack. The strike was sudden and...

Nov 1, 2024 - Ukraine/Russia - Ukrainian freelance reporter Victoria Roshchyna, just 27, became the ninth female journalist killed while covering the Russia–Ukraine war since February 2022. She disappeared in August 2023 while reporting from Russian‑occupied Zaporizhzhia and remained missing until a May 2024 admission by Russian authorities confirming her detention in Taganrog prison. In October 2024, Kyiv received notice that Roshchyna had died in Russian custody. Her body was repatriated in February 2025, but horrifyingly mutilated, missing vital organs like the brain, eyes, and larynx, with further signs of torture and possible electric shocks and...