Ukraine: Russian drone strike on TV channel building in Kyiv injures six people, damages newsroom
London, September 8, 2026—A Russian drone strike on a building housing two TV channels in Kyiv wounded six people and seriously damaged the newsroom on Tuesday while the team was on air. Three employees were taken to hospital following the attack on the premises of We Are Ukraine and We Are Ukraine+ TV channels, according…
CPJ condemns 15-year prison sentence handed down by Russian authorities to retired Ukrainian journalist Iryna Levchenko
Berlin, September 8, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the harsh 15-year prison sentence handed down by Russian occupation authorities to retired Ukrainian journalist Iryna Levchenko on charges of “espionage,” and calls for her immediate and unconditional release. The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Regional Court said on September 4 it had sentenced Levchenko, who is 64 and…
German journalist recounts 5-month detention in Syria, urges colleague’s release
On January 18, 2026, German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann and her Kurdish-Turkish colleague Ahmed Polad were detained while reporting from the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, as government forces advanced on the territory controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). After months of denying knowledge, authorities admitted holding them in custody. Michelmann, who had…
Journalist Oya Lale Arslan arrested in Turkey on suspicion of ‘spreading disinformation’
Istanbul, September 8, 2026—Turkish authorities must immediately release arrested journalist Oya Lale Arslan and stop weaponizing the law against independent media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday. Arslan, a freelance journalist with over 118,000 followers on X and 151,000 on YouTube where she posts under the name Lale Özan Arslan, was detained on…
CPJ says Kazakhstan’s new parliament should scrap rules restricting journalists’ access
London, September 7, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Kazakhstan’s newly inaugurated parliament, or Kurultai, to scrap new rules that restrict journalists’ movements in the parliament building and limit their ability to question politicians. The unicameral parliament, established by a new constitution passed earlier this year, was inaugurated on August 28. The new rules,…
Tunisian authorities arrest journalist Mohamed Yousfi amid financial investigation
New York, September 7, 2026 —Tunisian authorities must immediately release journalist Mohamed Yousfi, a well-known critic of President Kais Saied’s government, and end its use of financial crime allegations to target members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On Friday, September 4, police from the financial crimes unit arrested Yousfi, editor-in-chief…
Journalists in Lebanon and Gaza injured amid fragile ceasefires
Amman, September 7, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the recent escalation in Israeli strikes on Gaza and Lebanon, which have injured at least four journalists, including three on Sunday, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefires in both locations. On September 6, 2026, Lebanese correspondent for the local Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV…
Somaliland journalist detained without charge after interviewing poet
New York, September 7, 2026–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for the release of Somali journalist Abdiqani Hussein Abokor, also known as Baylood, who has been held without charge since August 29 in the breakaway region of Somaliland after interviewing a poet. “Abdiqani Hussein Abokor joins a long list of journalists in Somaliland who have…
Taliban shut down Rah-e-Farda TV after coverage of crackdown on Shiite minority
New York, September 7, 2026—Taliban authorities must allow independent broadcaster Rah-e-Farda TV to resume operations, immediately release its owner, Salman Akhlaqi, and end their crackdown on news outlets serving Afghanistan’s persecuted Shiite Hazara community, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday. On September 6, Taliban security forces raided Rah-e-Farda TV’s office in the capital…
CPJ, partners call on Sudan’s RSF to release 3 female journalists detained in Darfur
The Committee to Protect Journalists was joined Monday by 16 civil society organizations in calling on the Sudanese paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to immediately release Nyala Radio journalists Ishraqah Abdulrahman, Zahraa Muhammad Al-Hassan, and Mawahib Ibrahim, who have been detained in South Darfur since February 28. CPJ and its partners expressed alarm over…