Killed

The Committee to Protect Journalists alongside 17 other press freedom and human rights organizations have written to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging his government to take immediate steps to uphold the country’s constitutional and international obligations to protect press freedom. In a joint letter, the groups said recent legal and institutional developments, coupled with…

Sulaymaniyah, February 24, 2026 —The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for a prompt and transparent investigation into the killing of journalist Alaa Mohammed, who was found dead at his home in Syria’s coastal governorate of Lattakia on February 21.  Mohammad, who belonged to the country’s Alawite minority, was initially known as a sports journalist before…

For Congolese journalist Prince Cikala Mihigo, the first day of 2026 brought a brutal reminder of the risks of reporting: rebel soldiers beat and kicked him while questioning him about his work, leaving his face swollen and raw.   Cikala was assaulted at a checkpoint in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern city of Bukavu,…

Manila, January 27, 2026—Fifteen years after the murder of radio journalist Gerry Ortega, the Committee to Protect Journalists has urged Philippine authorities to swiftly deliver justice for his family and end impunity in one of the world’s most dangerous countries to be a journalist. Ortega was gunned down in 2011 outside a thrift store in…

Amman, January 21, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for a transparent investigation after three journalists were killed on Wednesday in an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in central Gaza during an ongoing ceasefire.  According to news reports, the three were killed while on assignment for the Egyptian Committee, which oversees Egypt’s humanitarian work…

Amsterdam, January 21, 2026—Despite Pakistan’s repeated promises to protect press freedom, justice for murdered journalists remains out of reach. An investigation by international press freedom organizations has uncovered new evidence in the killing of journalist Shan Dahar, exposing police misconduct, political inaction, and years of impunity. Given the extensive evidence unearthed, and the suspected culprits…

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…

Mexico City, January 14, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Mexican authorities to swiftly and comprehensively bring journalist Carlos Castro’s killers to justice and to end a troubling continuation of impunity after at least six journalist were killed in the country last year. Castro, 25, was shot dead January 8 while eating at a restaurant in the…

Mexico City, December 19, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Guatemalan authorities to quickly and comprehensively complete its investigation into the killing of journalist Jorge Agustín Zapeta Aguilar, determine whether he was targeted for his work, and bring those responsible to justice. Zapeta, 56, was found dead on December 16 in a rural area…

In his campaign to win an eighth term, Cameroonian President Paul Biya pledged to “strengthen measures to protect freedom of expression and journalists” in one of Africa’s most dangerous countries for the press. But six journalists who spoke to CPJ after October’s contested election — which opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed to have won,…