Journalist Derya Okatan arrested in Turkey for allegedly possessing classified material
Istanbul, October 6, 2026—Turkish authorities must immediately release journalist Derya Okatan and stop an escalating press crackdown that in this case involves imprisoning a veteran reporter based on flimsy evidence, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Okatan, who most recently worked for independent broadcaster TELE1 before it was taken over by the government, was…
Inside Turkey’s Lawfare: How Turkey uses its disinformation law against journalists
Istanbul, October 5, 2026—Turkish authorities have weaponized the country’s disinformation law to stifle independent reporting by repeatedly detaining and arresting journalists on charges of spreading false information based on the vague tenets of this poorly conceived legislation. This tactic fits into a global pattern of using legal systems and institutions to criminalize legitimate journalism and…
Egypt detains entire newsroom of Matsadaash media platform
Washington, D.C., October 2, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Egyptian authorities to immediately release the six detained journalists working for investigative media platform Matsadaash, “Don’t Believe It”, reveal their whereabouts, ensure they have prompt access to lawyers and families, and drop any charges stemming solely from their legitimate journalistic work. The crackdown began…
CPJ urges Morocco to end press surveillance following Amnesty report
New York, October 1, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Moroccan authorities to immediately end the unlawful surveillance of journalists, and hold those responsible to account. This demand follows a newly published Amnesty International report documenting the use of spyware and other surveillance methods by Morocco’s intelligence services to monitor journalists, human rights defenders, and…
Hong Kong journalist Tang Ho-wing arrested in latest sedition case
Editor’s note: Tang Ho-wing was released on bail on October 2, after being held for almost two days. The last paragraph has been updated to add a response from the Hong Kong police, received on October 6. New York, September 30, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the Hong Kong government to release independent…
CPJ, partners demand release of six Egyptian investigative journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined partner organizations on Wednesday in condemning the arrest in recent days of six journalists working for independent Egyptian investigative journalism platform Matsda2sh, and calling for their immediate release. Between Monday, September 28, 2026, and Tuesday, September 29, Egyptian security forces raided homes and arrested Mohamed Ashraf Abu Emeira, Abdallah…
Turkey arrests 2 more journalists as authorities ramp up use of disinformation law to silence the press
Istanbul, September 29, 2026—Turkey is blatantly using its disinformation law to detain and arrest journalists, with two more reporters arrested in recent days. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls urgently on authorities to repeal this poorly conceived legislation and release all those unjustly held. Ali Tarakçı, a journalist who broadcasts on YouTube, was arrested on…
Iran sentences 2 journalists as media crackdown widens
New York, September 28, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Iranian authorities to overturn the convictions of two journalists sentenced on September 27, drop a new prosecution against a magazine editor, and immediately release veteran photojournalist Majid Saeedi, whose whereabouts remain unknown nearly three weeks after his arrest. “The latest convictions and prosecutions show…
Ahead of trial, CPJ, partners demand release of detained photojournalist Hamdi al-Zaeem
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined partner organizations on Saturday in condemning the prolonged pre-trial detention of Egyptian journalist Hamdi al-Zaeem, and calling on Egyptian authorities to immediately release him. Al-Zaeem was first arrested on September 26, 2016, then released conditionally on June 23, 2018. He was re-arrested in January 2021 and accused of spreading…
Turkey must release journalist Ahmet Polad following his transfer from Syria after months of captivity
New York, September 18, 2026–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Turkish authorities to immediately release Ahmet Polad, a Kurdish-Turkish journalist who was transferred to Turkey this month after nearly eight months of enforced disappearance in Syria and is reported to be in extremely poor health. Polad’s lawyer, Özlem Gümüştaş, told CPJ on Friday that…