Middle East & North Africa

China, Myanmar, and Israel lead jailers of journalists in 2025 New York, January 21, 2026 — For the fifth consecutive year, more than 300 journalists were behind bars at year-end, according to a new report released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). China, Myanmar, and Israel were the leading jailers of journalists on the…

On January 14, the Committee to Protect Journalists, along with more than 30 press freedom and human rights organizations, called for urgent protections for journalists, human rights defenders, and others jailed for their writing, expression of opinion, or peaceful assembly amid nationwide protests and internet shutdown. The signatory organizations called on Iranian authorities to immediately…

Paris, January 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Iranian authorities to immediately release freelance documentary photographer Navid Zarrehbin Irani, and to halt the systematic harassment and intimidation of journalists in Iran. Irani was arrested on January 16, 2026, at his home in Mashhad, the capital of Khorasan Razavi province in northeastern Iran, according…

The Committee to Protect Journalists has submitted a 10-page report to the United Nations Human Rights Council detailing the alarming decline of press freedom in Lebanon, ahead of the country’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session this month. The UPR, a UN mechanism that reviews each member state’s human rights record every 4 ½ years, assesses…

Paris, January 13, 2026—Iranian authorities have imposed a near-total internet shutdown as nationwide protests intensify, severely restricting journalists’ ability to report and cutting off communication with the outside world. The blackout began on January 8, more than a week after protests erupted in late December over mounting economic pressure, currency devaluation, and rising living costs….

Sulaymaniyah, January 12, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern after Syrian government forces detained three journalists and imposed restrictions on independent reporting in the Aleppo neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah following the government’s recapture of the areas following clashes with Kurdish units affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces. “We are deeply troubled by…

New York, January 9, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists was joined by 87 other rights groups and journalists in expressing concern over the continued detention of Sudanese journalist Muammar Ibrahim by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and calling for his release and protection. Ibrahim has been held since October 26, 2025, following his detention in…

New York, January 8, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Tunisian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release jailed Tunisian journalist Chadha Hadj Mbarek and ensure she receives urgent, adequate medical care following reports that her health has severely deteriorated in prison. “Denying detained journalist Chadha Hadj Mbarek timely and urgent life-saving medical care is…

Amman, December 23, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Jordanian authorities to explain the arbitrary detention of Jordanian journalist Mohammad Faraj, whose whereabouts are unknown since he was arrested on December 12 upon landing in the capital Amman. Faraj, a 43-year-old journalist with the Beirut-based pro-Hezbollah broadcaster Al-Mayadeen TV, was interrogated upon arrival at…

New York City, December 19, 2025 – Since President Kais Saied’s consolidation of power in 2021, Tunisia’s press freedom landscape has narrowed sharply. A single piece of legislation—Decree-Law No. 2022-54 on combating “crimes related to information and communication systems”—has become the legal hammer used to silence critics, criminalize routine reporting, and imprison at least five…