Middle East & North Africa

  
Ahmed Shihab-Eldin

CPJ shares statement from international legal counsel acting in case of US-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin

On April 22, the international legal counsel acting for the sisters of U.S.-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin issued an urgent statement, saying they were “extremely concerned for Ahmed’s safety and wellbeing” in Kuwaiti detention, and demanding his release.  The international legal team has filed urgent appeals with United Nations experts, and they are engaging with U.S.,…

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A view of the London-based Iran International studio. (Photo: Volant Media Ltd)

3 arrested after arson attack on London-based Iran International

London, April 16, 2026—Three men have been arrested following an arson attack on the London premises of Iran International, a Persian-language broadcaster whose journalists regularly face threats and intimidation from the Iranian regime. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on U.K. authorities to fully investigate this latest attack and put additional protection in place for…

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Hassan Bouras

Algeria re-arrests freelance journalist Hassan Bouras ahead of Pope’s visit

New York, April 16, 2026—Algerian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release freelance journalist and human rights defender Hassan Bouras and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On Monday, an investigating judge at the court of El-Bayadh, in northwestern Algeria, ordered Bouras’ detention pending investigation into four accusations — two…

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Civilians and members of the press

CPJ, partners file emergency motion to Israeli Supreme Court seeking independent media access to Gaza

On Monday, April 13, 2026, the Committee to Protect Journalists, together with its amicus partners the Foreign Press Association in Israel, the Union of Journalists in Israel (UJI) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), filed an emergency motion to the Israeli Supreme Court asking the justices to expedite a decision on allowing the international media to…

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Sudanese army soldiers patrol an area in the city of Khartoum North on November 3, 2024. (Photo: AFP/Amaury Falt-Brown)

CPJ, partners urge decisive U.S. action to end Sudan war on third anniversary

New York, April 15, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 28 other civil society organizations in a joint letter urging the United States to take decisive action to help end the war in Sudan, as it marks its third anniversary. The letter highlights escalating atrocities by both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese…

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AFP journalist Abdelmoneim Abu Idris Ali holds his wedding picture as he searches through documents at his home in Khartoum North's Bahri neighbourhood on March 17, 2025, as he returns to visit for the first time since being displaced.

Sudan’s 3 years of war, impunity, and the silencing of the press

As Sudan’s war marks its third anniversary, on April 15, 2026, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has turned the country into one of the world’s most dangerous and deadliest environments for the press, where reporting the truth comes with the constant risk of imprisonment, disappearance, or death….

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Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, an award-winning Kuwaiti-American journalist, was imprisoned in Kuwait for 52 days.

CPJ calls on Kuwait to release US-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin

Washington, D.C., April 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Kuwaiti authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Kuwaiti-American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin. Shihab-Eldin, an award-winning journalist who posts prolifically on social media, has not posted online or been seen in public in Kuwait – where he was visiting family – since March 2. It is…

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Ihab Diab and Marwan Harzallah

CPJ demands answers after deaths of journalist, media worker in Israeli custody

Amman, April 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Israeli authorities to provide immediate and transparent explanations for the deaths in Israeli custody of Palestinian journalist Ihab Diab and media worker Marwan Harzallah, return their bodies to their families without delay, and ensure an independent, impartial investigation that leads to accountability.  “The deaths of…

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Sonia Dahmani, a lawyer, writer, and prominent commentator in Tunisia, a law that has become the government main weapon against political commentary and independent journalism.

CPJ condemns 18-month sentence against Tunisian commentator Sonia Dahmani

New York, April 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Tunisian authorities to repeal the April 13 appeals court decision to uphold the conviction of Tunisian political commentator and lawyer Sonia Dahmani while reducing her sentence to 18 months in prison. Dahmani is currently free, but she risks being arrested at any moment, her…

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Mohammed Samir Washah's vehicle

Israel kills 3 journalists in Gaza and Lebanon in one day; CPJ calls for international action

New York, April 8, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns in the strongest terms the killing of at least three journalists in Lebanon and Gaza by Israel in one day, at least one of which was in a targeted attack. This pattern of attacks underscores a worsening climate of impunity and a blatant disregard for…

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