News

October 02, 2024 - Turkey/Saudi Arabia -  Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul—lured for consular paperwork, strangled, and dismembered by a team of Saudi agents. Despite overwhelming international evidence, including U.S. and U.N. intelligence pointing to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s involvement, justice has remained elusive. In 2019, Saudi Arabia quietly tried and convicted eight individuals—five sentenced to death (later pardoned) and three imprisoned—for the murder. However, the trial held behind closed doors failed to implicate any senior officials, igniting widespread concern that this was a staged display...

October 02, 2024 - Kosovo/Serbia -  Serbian news agency Tanjug is facing grave threats to its staff following coverage of Kosovo that sparked a chilling death threat. On September 30, 2024, the agency received an email threatening to “shoot journalists in the back of the head” if they entered Kosovo. The sender accused Tanjug of being a propaganda tool of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and condemned its use of the term “Kosovo and Metohija,” a phrase rejected by many Kosovar Albanians as a denial of Kosovo’s sovereignty. The threat included surveillance claims, stating the sender...

October 02, 2024 - Ukraine -  Within an hour after Slidstvo.Info published a high‑profile investigation detailing a luxurious apartment secretly owned by the mother‑in‑law of Vitalii Koval—Ukraine’s newly appointed Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food—the outlet’s website came under a targeted cyber‑attack. According to the platform’s security provider, the DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) assault began precisely at 17:00 local time, just sixty minutes after the article’s 16:01 publication, lasting around 30 minutes. Though the website remained online, the timing strongly indicates the attack was a calculated attempt to disrupt the outlet’s reporting. The exposé had...

October 01, 2024 - UK -  Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, recently released after 14 years of legal limbo, made his first public remarks on October 1, 2024, addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg. In a powerful and emotional testimony, Assange reflected on the personal cost of his prosecution and the broader threat it poses to press freedom worldwide. Appearing before European lawmakers, Assange said he had pleaded guilty not because he believed he committed a crime, but because it was the only path to freedom. “I pleaded guilty...

October 01, 2024 - Senegal -  The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has taken a vital step in reshaping how migration is covered in the media by consulting editors in Senegal on the ethical and accurate reporting of migration-related issues. This initiative, part of a broader effort across West Africa, aims to equip newsroom leaders with the tools and awareness needed to guide journalists in reporting migration stories with sensitivity, depth, and responsibility. Migration remains a deeply personal and politically charged issue in Senegal, where thousands undertake perilous journeys in search of better opportunities. Media...

October 01, 2024 - Cameroon -  Cameroonian journalist Kingsley Fumunyuy Njoka has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by a military tribunal, drawing international condemnation for what press freedom advocates describe as an egregious attack on journalism. Njoka, a freelance journalist known for reporting on the Anglophone crisis, was convicted on September 24, 2024, of “secession” and “complicity with an armed group”—charges widely regarded as politically motivated and baseless. Njoka was first arrested in May 2020 in Douala without a warrant. Authorities accused him of managing WhatsApp groups allegedly linked to separatists and claimed...

October 01, 2024 - Uzbekistan - Otabek Sattoriy, a prominent independent anti-corruption blogger in Uzbekistan, remains eerily silent and unreachable eight months after his judicial “release,” Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reports. Despite a February 5, 2024, court decision commuting his original sentence to “correctional work” and a fine equivalent to 20% of his income, Sattoriy has neither appeared publicly nor maintained any contact with media, family, or civil society. He also hasn’t posted on social media, contradicting the court’s mandate that he be permitted to do so.  Sattoriy's troubles began with his coverage of corruption...

October 01, 2024 - Gambia - In a troubling attack on media freedom, Gambian authorities have arrested and charged two respected journalists—Charles Faye, publisher of The Standard, and Babucarr Mbye, editor of The Trumpet—for allegedly publishing “false news” related to President Adama Barrow’s succession plans. The arrests took place on September 25, 2024, after the outlets ran a report claiming Barrow would delay stepping down for another term—an assertion the presidency quickly called “unverified and false.” The journalists are now facing charges under Section 133(1) of The Gambia’s Criminal Code, a provision frequently criticized for...

October 01, 2024 - UK -  Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has strongly criticized political parties in the United Kingdom for increasingly restricting journalists' access to their annual conferences. Citing multiple reports of denied accreditations and opaque press entry procedures, RSF warned that such practices are incompatible with democratic principles and threaten the integrity of political discourse in Britain. The warning follows a series of incidents in which media professionals, including those from smaller outlets, freelancers, and international journalists, were either barred from attending or faced excessive hurdles to obtain access to key party gatherings. These...

October 01, 2024 - Syria -  Israeli airstrikes rocked Damascus, hitting the Mezzeh district and its surroundings. Refugee and news agencies reported that at least three civilians were killed, and nine injured, as Syrian air defenses scrambled in response to incoming drones and missiles—allegedly launched from the occupied Golan Heights. Among the dead was Safaa Ahmad, a well-known presenter on Syria State TV. Joining the station in 2002, she hosted cultural talk shows and the flagship morning program "Sabah Al-Kheir". Her death marked the first journalist killed in Syria in 2024. The International Federation of Journalists...

October 01, 2024 - Italy -  A single four-minute video of Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini aired uncritically on public news channel Rainews24 on September 14 has reignited concerns about political influence over RAI’s editorial independence. The clip, in which Salvini defended his handling of the 2019 Open Arms migrant rescue crisis ahead of his trial for alleged kidnapping, was broadcast directly from his social media, with no accompanying commentary or critical analysis—a move that prompted alarm from journalists and media freedom advocates. RAI’s editorial board swiftly condemned the broadcast, accusing political figures of exploiting...

October 01, 2024 - Cambodia -  Cambodian investigative journalist Mech Dara, renowned for uncovering human trafficking and online scam networks, was detained on September 30, 2024, by military police at a toll booth near Sihanoukville while traveling with his family. He was formally charged on October 1 under Cambodian anti-incitement laws—specifically articles 494 and 495—for “inciting social unrest” related to Facebook posts that highlighted environmental damage to a sacred mountain site from quarry activity. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court remanded him in pretrial detention at Kandal Provincial Prison, where he may face up to two years...

September 30, 2024 - Haiti -  Republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance has come under fire from press freedom advocates after promoting a fabricated story that sparked a wave of threats against journalists and immigrant communities in the United States. The controversy erupted in September 2024 when Vance repeated a baseless claim that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were stealing and eating local pets. Despite the story having no factual basis and being debunked by police, Vance defended his use of the false narrative, stating he would “create stories so the American media pays attention.” The...

September 30, 2024 - France/Russia -  Despite being officially banned across the European Union since March 2022, Russia’s state-controlled broadcaster RT continues to reach French and wider EU audiences with ease through its website and mirror links. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned what it calls a “glaring loophole” in the EU’s sanctions regime, warning that the Kremlin’s propaganda machine is bypassing restrictions with minimal resistance. RT’s satellite and cable broadcasts were halted in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as part of a broader EU strategy to combat disinformation and state propaganda. However, RSF’s...

September 30, 2024 - Kosovo/Serbia/Russia -  Although the European Union has banned Russia’s state-run RT from broadcasting within its borders, RT Balkan continues to push Kremlin-aligned content throughout the Western Balkans, most notably from its base in Belgrade. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warns that this ongoing media operation poses a serious threat to the EU’s efforts to combat disinformation and safeguard media integrity. Operating outside the jurisdiction of EU sanctions, Serbia has allowed RT Balkan to flourish. From Belgrade, the outlet publishes a steady stream of pro-Russian narratives that are widely picked up by local...

September 30, 2024 - General Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has launched a major new initiative called The Propaganda Monitor, a multimedia investigative platform designed to uncover and analyze the global machinery of state-led propaganda and disinformation. Announced on September 30, 2024, the project aims to strengthen media literacy, expose propaganda disguised as journalism, and support policymakers, journalists, and the public in countering false narratives that threaten democratic societies. The Propaganda Monitor will provide in-depth investigations, profiles of key propagandists, expert interviews, and a wide range of resources to explain how authoritarian states—particularly Russia—weaponize media to...

September 30, 2024 - Russia/Ukraine -  Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned Ukrainian-born journalist Diana Panchenko for actively spreading Kremlin propaganda under the guise of independent journalism. Once a presenter on Ukrainian television, Panchenko has transformed into a key figure in Russia’s international disinformation strategy, using sophisticated video content and pseudo-journalistic framing to push narratives that support Moscow’s agenda and undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty. Panchenko began her media career in Ukraine, working for outlets like NewsOne and First Independent stations later sanctioned for their pro-Russian stances. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, she relocated...

September 30, 2024 - Europe -  Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party passed a sweeping legislative package titled “On Family Values and Protection of Minors”, adopting the bill through its third and final reading by a vote of 84–0. This package amends 18 existing laws—including the Freedom of Speech Act and broadcasting regulations—and explicitly bans media outlets from covering LGBTQ+ content. Under Article 8, broadcasters are prohibited from promoting “identification with a gender other than one’s biological sex or relationships between individuals of the same biological sex based on sexual orientation.” Violators face fines of 1,000 GEL...

September 30, 2024 - Burkina Faso/Russia/Ukraine -  Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has unveiled the operations of Italian national Vittorio Nicola Rangeloni, a self-proclaimed journalist who has spent nearly a decade amplifying Kremlin propaganda across conflict zones—from Russian-occupied Ukraine to Burkina Faso. RSF’s investigation reveals how Rangeloni’s work blurs the line between journalism and state-backed disinformation, positioning him as a key player in Moscow’s global information war. Rangeloni, a 32-year-old from Lecco, Italy, with partial Russian heritage, rose to prominence by producing media content in Eastern Ukraine that mirrored the Kremlin’s narrative. Fluent in Russian and...

September 30, 2024 - Haiti -  Widlore Mérancourt, editor-in-chief of Haiti’s investigative outlet AyiboPost, has been forced into hiding after receiving death threats for publishing a report revealing that Reuters journalists gave gifts to notorious Haitian gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier. Mérancourt’s September 18, 2024, article detailed how Cherizier showed off items—including balaclavas, alcohol, and cigarettes—that he claimed were provided by a Reuters reporter and photographer. The article sparked national attention and raised serious concerns about the ethics of foreign media reporting from crisis zones. Just a week after publication, Cherizier issued a chilling threat...

September 30, 2024 - Russia/Ukraine -  The International Press Institute (IPI) has revealed a coordinated campaign of mass spoofing targeting European news outlets, exposing a new and alarming tactic in Russia-linked disinformation efforts. Fake websites mimicking trusted media brands are being used to spread pro-Kremlin narratives while eroding public trust in journalism across the continent. According to IPI’s investigation, dozens of spoofed domains have been identified in recent months, including counterfeit versions of prominent outlets in Ukraine, France, Germany, and the Balkans. These sites replicate the design, logos, and even the URLs of legitimate news...

September 28, 2024 - Africa -  On the occasion of the International Day for Universal Access to Information, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its African affiliate, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), called on African governments to adopt and enforce meaningful access-to-information (ATI) laws. They emphasized that robust information access is not just a media issue—it’s a cornerstone of democratic governance, transparency, and accountability. In many African countries, journalists still struggle to obtain basic public data necessary for reporting. Weak or outdated ATI laws, bureaucratic red tape, and state secrecy all contribute to...

September 27, 2024 - China/Russia -  Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has reignited its digital resistance campaign, Operation Collateral Freedom, unblocking nearly 50 censored news websites in Russia and China. By creating mirror versions of independent media outlets hosted on major cloud services, RSF is helping millions reclaim access to journalism suppressed by authoritarian regimes. Launched in observance of the International Day for Universal Access to Information, the operation targets two of the world’s most heavily censored countries. In Russia, where the government has blocked or dismantled most independent outlets since the invasion of Ukraine, RSF...

September 27, 2024 - Russia/Ukraine -  The International Press Institute (IPI) has strongly condemned a campaign of defamation lawsuits filed by Ukrainian politician and lawyer Andriy Portnov against several independent media outlets and journalists. The organization warns that this strategy represents a dangerous attempt to silence critical reporting through legal harassment, posing a significant threat to press freedom in Ukraine. Portnov, a former deputy head of ex-President Viktor Yanukovych’s administration, began filing lawsuits in 2023 targeting journalists and outlets such as the Kyiv Independent, Hromadske, and the investigative unit Schemes. These lawsuits primarily object to...

September 27, 2024 - Brazil -  As Brazil prepares for its October 2024 municipal elections, a disturbing wave of digital hostility has engulfed the country’s press. According to a new report by the Coalition in Defense of Journalism (CDJor), with support from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), more than 37,000 online attacks were recorded against journalists in just six weeks—from August 15 to September 27. The majority of these attacks took place on X (formerly Twitter), which accounted for 90% of all incidents. Posts often included derogatory slurs like “trash,” “shame,” or “activist,” and painted journalists...