CPJ, partners urge Tunisia to end unjust imprisonment of journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined partner organizations on Thursday to call for an end to the unjust imprisonment of journalists and other human rights defenders in Tunisia. In a joint statement to Tunisian authorities, the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), along with CPJ, and 45 other organizations denounced Tunisia’s ongoing crackdown on freedom…
The high price journalists paid for LGBTQ+ reporting, and how to protect yourself now
As LGBTQ+ communities celebrate Pride this June, many journalists continue to face an ugly reality: simply reporting on this community can open them up to prosecution, physical attacks, threats, arrest, exile, and even death. Avijit Roy, a Bangladeshi-born American who blogged about LGBTQ+ rights and free expression, was stabbed to death alongside his wife after…
Ugandan journalist missing, forced into van after radio show
Kampala, March 30, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ugandan authorities to immediately disclose whether they have detained journalist and activist Arnold Anthony Mukose and to ensure his safe return, following his forcible disappearance in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on Sunday. “The brazen seizure of Arnold Anthony Mukose in broad daylight, outside a radio…
CPJ, Free Press lead call for journalist Estefany Rodríguez’s release from ICE detention
The Committee to Protect Journalists and Free Press led a coalition of more than 40 press freedom, human rights, and media organizations in a joint statement Tuesday calling for the release of journalist Estefany Rodríguez from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Rodríguez was detained on March 4 in Nashville, Tennessee, in a targeted ICE…
Iranian authorities arrest Japanese journalist Shinnosuke Kawashima
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…
Record 129 press members killed in 2025; Israel responsible for 2/3 of deaths
Key findings Introduction At a time when armed conflict has reached historic levels around the world, journalist killings also reached an all-time high primarily due to the actions of one government: Israel was responsible for two-thirds of all journalist and media worker killings in 2025, driving the total number killed worldwide last year to a…
‘We returned from hell’: Palestinian journalists recount torture in Israeli prisons
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…
Russia’s repression record
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, its media has experienced an unprecedented crackdown. Hundreds of journalists have been forced into exile, where they continue to face transnational legal persecution, and their families have been harassed back home. Meanwhile, reporting from inside Russia has become increasingly difficult, with journalists and media outlets often silenced…
Iran: 3 journalists arrested as news trickles out under internet shutdown
New York, January 27, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Iranian authorities to immediately release journalists Hassan Abbasi, Artin Ghazanfari, and Hamed Araghi, as news of their detention emerged weeks after a nationwide internet shutdown began on January 8. CPJ was unable to confirm the charges against the journalists or their current whereabouts. “The…
Harassed at home, convicted abroad: Pakistan steps up prosecution of overseas journalists
Pakistan’s government has stepped up the use of in absentia convictions and arrest warrants against Pakistani journalists living overseas since late 2025, highlighting an escalating crackdown by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government on critical reporting and commentary that extends beyond domestic borders. In early January, four foreign-based Pakistani journalists and commentators were convicted on the…