Middle East & North Africa

New York, March 3, 2026 –The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is gravely concerned about the safety of all journalists imprisoned in Iran amid the ongoing regional escalation and reiterates its calls on Iranian authorities to release them immediately and unconditionally.  A near-total internet blackout and severe communication disruptions have effectively cut off detainees from…

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined four other organizations in calling on Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Al-Manassa cartoonist Ashraf Omar, who has been in prison for almost 20 months. Following his arrest on July 22, 2024, Omar was charged with “joining a terrorist group,” “spreading false news,” and “misusing social media.” On…

Amman, February 26, 2026 –– The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Israeli authorities to lift their recent ban on five Palestinian news outlets, which Israel has designated “terrorist organizations,” placing them under security restrictions typically reserved for armed groups. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz signed an order on Sunday banning several privately-owned platforms —…

New York, February 26, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Iranian authorities to immediately release Shinnosuke Kawashima, Tehran bureau chief of Japanese public broadcaster NHK, and all other journalists detained for their work, return all confiscated property, and end the harassment of NHK’s staff. Shinnosuke was arrested on January 20 by the…

Sulaymaniyah, February 24, 2026 —The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for a prompt and transparent investigation into the killing of journalist Alaa Mohammed, who was found dead at his home in Syria’s coastal governorate of Lattakia on February 21.  Mohammad, who belonged to the country’s Alawite minority, was initially known as a sports journalist before…

Content warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of physical, psychological, and sexual violence. Palestinian journalist Ahmed Abdel Aal remembers the moment the ear-splitting music started. For five days, he said, he was held blindfolded in a room in an Israeli detention site, stripped and beaten, while loud Hebrew and English songs played at an unrelenting…

In a joint letter, the Committee to Protect Journalists and 10 rights organizations, along with independent news platforms, expressed serious concern over AppLogic Networks’ (formerly Sandvine) continued failure to provide full transparency about its withdrawal from Egypt and to offer meaningful remedies to those affected by its past business activities in the country. The groups…

New York, February 10, 2026 — Algerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release freelance journalist Abdelali Mezghiche and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday. On Thursday, February 5 , state security officers arrested Mezghiche in the capital Algiers over posts on his Facebook page, which has more than…

New York, February 9, 2026 —The Committee to Protect Journalists demands that Iranian authorities halt their ongoing attacks and harassment of journalists and media workers and roll back punitive measures used to silence reporting, including raids, equipment seizures, financial pressure, and restrictions on communications. Azadeh Mokhtari, a social affairs editor at the Rokna news website,…

New York, February 9, 2026 — Algerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Omar Ferhat, director of the local independent news website Algerie Scoop, and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday. On Thursday, February 5, Algerian state security officers arrested Ferhat, also known as ‘Karim Kaki’, from…