Middle East & North Africa

New York, May 12, 2026 — For years, Tunisia was viewed as one of the few post-Arab Spring success stories for press freedom in the region. In the decade following the 2011 revolution, journalists gained greater space to investigate corruption, criticize authorities, and report more openly than anywhere else in North Africa. Those gains, while…

New York, May 8, 2026 – Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Zied el-Heni and stop prosecuting journalists under repressive laws for their reporting and commentary, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday after a Tunis court sentenced him to one year in prison. On May 7, authorities convicted El-Heni, founder of the…

To mark the upcoming fourth anniversary of the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, on May 11, 2026, the Abu Akleh family issued a public statement affirming that they “will not stop” pursuing “justice for Shireen through all available avenues.” Abu Akleh was murdered while covering an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operation in the…

New York, May 7, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan to immediately release journalist Adam Issac Minan, who was kidnapped by the paramilitary group on April 5, 2026, in the city of Kutum in North Darfur state, according to two local journalists, who spoke with CPJ on…

On Thursday, 61 Members of the European Parliament called on the European Union leadership to make stronger calls for foreign journalist access to Gaza. The letter, addressed to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, as well as EU member…

Washington, D.C., April 29, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the Kuwaiti government’s decision to revoke the citizenship of U.S.-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin and his two sisters, just days after his release from two months of wrongful detention. “Stripping Shihab-Eldin of his citizenship is not just punitive, it is a dangerous escalation in the use…

Washington, D.C., April 28, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is appalled by the 10-year prison sentence handed down to Bahraini photographer Sayed Baqer Al-Kamel after reportedly posting a video of the aftermath of an Iranian attack on the Gulf nation.  The photojournalist was convicted on charges including allegedly promoting content deemed supportive of…

New York, April 28, 2026—Tunisian authorities must immediately release journalist Zied el-Heni, who has been placed in pretrial detention over a social media post last week, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.  El-Heni, editor-in-chief of independent news site Tunisian Press, was arrested on April 24, 2026, after complying with a summons to appear before…

Sulaymaniyah, April 27, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calls on Syrian authorities to provide immediate and transparent information on the detention of German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann and the continued enforced disappearance of Kurdish-Turkish journalist Ahmed Polad, who sources say is being held in a Syrian detention facility. Despite confirmation from Michelmann’s…

New York, April 25, 2026—Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been reunited with his family and is in a place of safety, a legal team acting for his sisters said on Saturday. The award-winning U.S.-Kuwaiti journalist was detained on March 3 in Kuwait, where he was visiting family. “We are delighted that Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been released…