News

December 27, 2025 - Lebanon/Jordan -  Family members of Lebanese journalist Mohammad Faraj, who has been held in Jordanian custody since December 2025, have publicly expressed deep concern for his health and safety, urging authorities to provide clarity on his condition and treatment amid continued uncertainty over the reasons for his detention. Faraj, a presenter and documentary producer with the Al-Mayadeen news network, was stopped by Jordanian officials upon arrival at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman from Beirut and has remained in detention without formal charges or a transparent legal process. Relatives of Faraj...

December 27, 2025 - Palestine -  The Palestinian Journalists Union (PJU) has sharply criticised the Government of Israel for what it describes as systematic efforts to silence Palestinian media, accusing authorities of escalating attacks, detentions, and restrictions that undermine press freedom in the occupied Palestinian territories. The union’s denunciation comes amid intensifying tensions and ongoing hostilities in the region, and highlights concerns about the safety and rights of journalists operating under protracted conflict conditions. In a public statement issued on December 26, 2025, the PJU accused Israeli forces of repeatedly targeting Palestinian media workers through...

December 26, 2025 - India - The prime accused in the murder case of Indian journalist Sahadev Dey, identified as S. Gangaya, has died while in custody at the G B Pant Hospital in Port Blair, authorities confirmed, bringing a dramatic development to a case that had gripped local and national media over allegations of targeted violence against a reporter. The death occurred on December 29, 2025, after Gangaya was transferred from Police Headquarters Quarters to the hospital earlier in the week for treatment of an unspecified illness. Gangaya had been detained in connection with...

December 26, 2025 - Russia - Ukrainian authorities have formally notified in absentia the head of a Russian detention centre of suspicion for torture and murder in connection with the deaths of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna and her colleague Ivan Matveyev, in a move that underscores Kyiv’s ongoing efforts to pursue accountability for war-related crimes. The notification was issued by Ukraine’s Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation, which say they have gathered evidence linking the facility’s leadership to systematic ill-treatment of detainees, including Roshchyna and Matveyev, while they were held in...

December 26, 2025 - Palestine - Rescue teams in the southern Gaza Strip have recovered the remains of 25 Palestinians from beneath the rubble of a collapsed home in Khan Younis, underscoring the enduring human cost of prolonged conflict and the challenges facing recovery efforts under the current ceasefire. Among the bodies identified were journalist Hiba Al-Abadleh and her mother, both of whom were reportedly killed during earlier Israeli military operations in the enclave. Civil Defence officials said the excavation was part of a wider effort to locate victims of earlier bombardments whose remains have...

December 25, 2025 - Pakistan -  A district and sessions court in Muzaffargarh, Punjab, has acquitted four suspects previously charged in the murder of local journalist Ashfaq Ahmed Sial, a decision that has drawn criticism from press freedom advocates and media professionals who say the verdict undermines efforts to secure justice for violence against journalists. The court’s ruling was delivered on December 25, 2025, concluding a case that began after Sial was fatally shot in a targeted attack in mid-2024. Ashfaq Ahmed Sial, a well-known reporter in the Muzaffargarh district, was ambushed and shot by...

December 25, 2025 - Nigeria -  A Nigerian travel journalist, Matthew Ojoduma, was detained in the Benin Republic earlier in 2025 on a terrorism charge that press freedom advocates called unfounded, highlighting persistent threats to journalists operating in West Africa. Ojoduma, founder of the Africa Views YouTube channel, which focuses on travel, environmental reporting, and regional stories, was arrested by Beninese police on January 29, 2025, while crossing the northern border town of Porga into Burkina Faso with his camera, drone, and laptop. He was held in detention for more than nine months before the...

December 25, 2025 - Pakistan -  Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned actions by Pakistani authorities that escalate legal pressure on a prominent journalist living abroad, underscoring persistent threats to press freedom and dissenting voices. An Islamabad court issued a new arrest warrant on December 3, 2025, for investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani, declaring him a “proclaimed offender” in connection with allegations that he failed to respond to summonses linked to social media posts the state alleges constitute “propaganda” against the Pakistani army. The warrant extends the reach of Pakistan’s legal system to Noorani despite his...

December 24, 2025 - Qatar -  Israel has extended a controversial law that bars the Qatar-based news network Al Jazeera from operating within the country for an additional two years, a move that has drawn criticism from press freedom advocates and raised concerns about restrictions on media pluralism. The extension was approved by the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and took effect on December 23, 2025, prolonging a legal framework first enacted in 2023 amidst ongoing tensions and disputes over the network’s reporting practices. Under the amended law, Al Jazeera’s broadcast and journalistic activities — including online...

December 24, 2025 - Congo - A Congolese journalist, John Kabamba, has been reported missing in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after interviewing with a local armed group, raising alarm among press freedom advocates and human rights observers about his safety and the risks facing journalists covering conflict zones. Kabamba, a seasoned reporter known for covering security and political developments in the Kivus region, was last seen on December 15, 2025, shortly after a scheduled interview with fighters from an armed faction active near Rutshuru Territory, where armed clashes have escalated in recent months....

December 24, 2025 - Somalia -  Journalists in Mogadishu, Somalia, are confronting a surge in attacks, detentions, and intimidation as the country approaches a disputed local election, raising alarm among local press rights groups and defenders of freedom of expression. Members of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) have warned that the escalating pressures threaten independent reporting at a critical political juncture, undermining both media freedom and public access to reliable information. According to SJS and other media associations, reporters covering the intensifying political situation face heightened risks of harassment, detainment, and physical attacks. Several journalists...

December 24, 2025 - Syria/USA - Syrian security forces have arrested prominent American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem, sparking concern among press freedom advocates and observers of the country’s evolving political landscape. Kareem, a U.S. citizen and war correspondent who has lived in northern Syria since 2012, was taken into custody on 22 December 2025 in the city of Al-Bab in Aleppo province shortly after finishing noon prayers near Al-Fateh Mosque. Authorities have provided no public explanation for his arrest or disclosed his current location. Kareem is widely known for his work reporting on conflicts in...

December 23, 2025 - Cyprus - Veteran Cypriot journalist Maroula Violari-Iakovidou was formally recognised this week for her 70-year contribution to journalism, highlighting a remarkable career that has spanned decades of change in the media landscape. The tribute event, held in Nicosia on 23 December 2025, brought together colleagues, public figures, and media professionals who celebrated Violari-Iakovidou’s enduring impact on Cypriot journalism and her role in mentoring generations of reporters. Born in 1945, Violari-Iakovidou began her media career in the early 1950s, making her one of the earliest female journalists in Cyprus. Over the years,...

December 23, 2025 - Bulgaria - A leading Bulgarian television anchor has been abruptly taken off the air in a move that has sparked widespread concern among press freedom organisations and raised serious questions about political influence over public broadcasting. The removal of the anchor from their regular program on one of Bulgaria’s most-watched television channels has drawn criticism from media groups that argue the action undermines editorial independence and reflects growing political pressures on the country’s media. According to reports from the Association of European Journalists (AEJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ),...

December 23, 2025 - USA - American journalist Dylan Collins was seriously injured while reporting near the Israel-Lebanon border, and is now calling on the U.S. government to provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding the incident and to ensure greater protection for journalists in conflict zones. Collins, a veteran foreign correspondent, was struck by shrapnel on December 13, 2025, while covering escalating cross-border hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah-linked militants. He was embedded with a Lebanese news crew when an explosion occurred, inflicting wounds to his leg and shoulder. Following several days of hospital treatment...

December 23, 2025 - USA -  A new analysis by the Freedom of the Press Foundation reveals that violence against journalists in the United States spiked sharply in 2025, marking one of the most dangerous years for reporters and photojournalists covering protests and politically charged events in recent history. According to the foundation’s incident tracker, recorded assaults on media workers in 2025 nearly matched the total number of verified attacks documented over the three preceding years combined, with many incidents linked to demonstrations surrounding immigration enforcement and broader unrest. The data point to at least...

December 23, 2025 - Russia - Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Khylyuk, a correspondent with the UNIAN news agency, has shared harrowing details of his more than three-and-a-half-year detention by Russian authorities, highlighting severe conditions and the psychological toll of prolonged captivity. Khylyuk’s account, published by Ukrainian media and local sources this week, sheds light on the experiences of journalists caught amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Khylyuk was captured by Russian forces in March 2022 in the Kyiv region during the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion. His detention, which lasted until August 2025...

December 23, 2025 - Pakistan -  A coalition of media organisations has called on Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure the safety and legal rights of Afghan journalists working in Pakistan, expressing deep concern over recent detentions, deportation threats, and worsening conditions for Afghan media workers. The appeal highlights anxiety among press freedom advocates that Afghan journalists are being targeted amid broader security and immigration enforcement actions. According to the joint statement issued by the media groups, the situation for Afghan journalists in Pakistan has deteriorated in recent months, marked by arrests, raids, and...

December 18, 2025 - Iran - Two Iranian journalists based in Lorestan Province, Majid Beiranvand and Ehsan Moayedi-Kia, have been sentenced to one year in prison and one year of forced residence (exile) following a court ruling tied to their criticism of the provincial governor and an online campaign published on social media, according to a report by the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). The sentences compound growing concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression and press freedom in Iran, where journalists face arrests, legal action, and punitive measures for coverage critical of officials...

December 22, 2025 - Peru -  Two recent shooting incidents targeting journalists in Peru have prompted alarm from international press freedom organisations, which say the attacks and authorities’ limited responses highlight growing risks for media workers and a climate of impunity in the country. In the first incident on December 10, 2025, veteran investigative reporter José Medina was wounded when unknown assailants opened fire on his vehicle in Bagua, Amazonas region, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Medina, known for his reporting on regional corruption, escaped with non-life-threatening injuries, but the attack underscored persistent threats...

December 21, 2025 - Palestine - The Foreign Press Association (FPA) in Jerusalem has welcomed a decision by the Israeli Supreme Court to set a January 4, 2026, deadline for the government to respond to its petition demanding unfettered press access to the Gaza Strip, marking a significant development in ongoing disputes over media freedom and reporting amid the protracted conflict. The court-ordered deadline comes after more than two years of litigation and repeated government requests for extensions. Since the outbreak of intense hostilities in October 2023, Israeli authorities have largely barred foreign journalists from...

December 21, 2025 - Pakistan -  Amnesty International has expressed serious concern over the detention of Islamabad-based journalist Sohrab Barkat, calling on Pakistani authorities to disclose the reasons for his arrest and ensure his rights are protected. The human rights organisation said Barkat’s continued detention without a transparent legal justification raises pressing questions about press freedom and due process in Pakistan. Barkat, a journalist known for his reporting on social and political issues in the Pakistani capital, was detained by law enforcement officials in Islamabad on December 20, 2025. The circumstances of his arrest have...

December 21, 2025 - India -  Filmmakers, writers, and cultural activists have issued a strong condemnation of censorship at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) and the Kerala state government’s decision to acquiesce to restrictions imposed by India’s central authorities on the screening of select films. The controversy has drawn widespread criticism from prominent figures in the artistic community, who frame the episode as an assault on artistic freedom and democratic values in cultural expression. The dispute began in mid-December 2025 when the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting declined to grant censor-exemption...

December 21, 2025 - Bangladesh -  Hundreds of journalists in Bangladesh took to the streets in coordinated protests this week to condemn recent attacks on news organisations and demand stronger protections for media workers, following a wave of violent actions that have targeted press institutions and journalists covering nationwide demonstrations. The rallies, held in Dhaka and several major cities, reflect deep frustration within the media community over what participants describe as a climate of hostility, impunity, and insufficient government response to threats against the press. The demonstrations followed arson attacks on the offices of prominent...

December 21, 2025 - Palestine/Egypt -  Palestinian-Egyptian journalist Youmna El Sayed, a seasoned correspondent for Al Jazeera English, has navigated profound personal and professional challenges in covering the war in Gaza, ultimately choosing to protect her children while remaining committed to documenting the conflict for global audiences. El Sayed’s experience underscores the human cost of frontline reporting and the difficult choices facing journalists in war zones. El Sayed, 35, was living in Gaza City with her husband and four young children when the October 7, 2023, conflict began between Hamas and Israel. Initially, she reported...