abducted

Iran is now in the grip of the longest internet blackout in its history, a near-total shutdown that has stretched more than 30 days and reduced connectivity to almost zero. Imposed amid war and unrest, the sweeping, government-imposed blackout has effectively sealed off the country, cutting journalists’ access to sources and audiences, and blocking their…

Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, April 1, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Iraqi authorities to take all necessary measures to secure the release of U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped in the capital Baghdad on Tuesday. “The abduction of Shelly Kittleson in broad daylight reflects an alarming breach of journalists’ safety in Iraq that highlights the…

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…

The Committee to Protect Journalists submitted a statement for the record to a March 25 hearing held by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the U.S. Congress on the abduction of Ukrainian children and ongoing accountability efforts related to the Russia-Ukraine war. The statement highlights the impact of the war on journalists and media.  The physical…

New York, February 27, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Swiss authorities to ensure exiled journalist and human rights defender Emin Huseynov’s safety after Huseynov said he was followed on multiple occasions, including by at least one man he said was carrying a gun. “Claims that Emin Huseynov is being surveilled and followed by armed men are deeply…

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…

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…

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…

For the fifth year in a row, more than 300 journalists were imprisoned worldwide as of the end of 2025, according to CPJ’s annual prison census. These record-setting numbers reflect growing authoritarianism and escalating numbers of armed conflicts worldwide. Often, journalists are held under cruel and life-threatening conditions – “a cemetery of the living,” as one freed Palestinian prisoner described it.

The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on military authorities in Guinea-Bissau to rescind an order prohibiting unauthorized press conferences and public statements, as reporters warned of an increasingly repressive media environment following the junta’s November 26 seizure of power. “During times of political instability, freedom of expression and access to information must be protected to…