CPJ demands release of arrested Palestinian-US journalist near Bethlehem
Amman September 17, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Israeli authorities to immediately release Palestinian-American journalist Naqaa Hamed, arrested on Tuesday at a temporary Israeli army checkpoint in the village of Tuqu, near Bethlehem. Hamed, a freelancer with the local 4D Media production company, was returning from a work assignment for Turkish…
CPJ, partners call on Rubio to press for release of imprisoned Vietnamese journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists and nine partner organizations sent a joint letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to press for the immediate release of imprisoned journalists during upcoming high-level meetings with senior Vietnamese officials. The public letter, released September 16, urges Rubio to prioritize the humanitarian release of Vietnamese journalists Le…
CPJ urges US Congress, Trump to press for Jimmy Lai’s release ahead of Xi visit
The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration to “resolutely demand” for the release of jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, ahead of a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. U.S. authorities must use “all available diplomatic means and opportunities” to secure Lai’s freedom,…
How a Somali journalist tried to fix regional president’s Facebook page — and spent 38 days in jail
It’s been a month since journalist Mascuud Warsame was freed from a detention facility in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, but his memories of the harrowing experience are still vivid. He remembers trying to sleep in a tiny room where the lights were kept on most of the night, his stomach pains and acid reflux from…
Netanyahu escalates threats against ‘NAZA’ filmmakers with proposed citizenship law
Paris, September 17, 2026 — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that his government will seek legislation to revoke the citizenship of Israelis who “defame” Israeli soldiers abroad, explicitly citing the documentary “NAZA” and its filmmakers, investigative journalist Yuval Abraham and filmmaker Rachel Szor, is a dangerous escalation in official efforts to intimidate and punish…
CPJ welcomes release of 3 journalists in Belarus
Berlin, September 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of journalists Andrei Aliaksandrau, Dzmitry Navazhylau, and Kyril Pazniak, who were among 25 prisoners freed on Wednesday by Belarus following months of U.S. diplomatic efforts. The releases followed a meeting between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and John Coale, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy…
Journalist Tuğba Tekerek arrested in Turkey for ‘obscenity’ during LGBTQ+ crackdown
Istanbul, September 16, 2026—Turkish authorities must immediately release freelance journalist Tuğba Tekerek and stop jailing, detaining and intimidating reporters for simply doing their jobs, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Police in Istanbul took Tekerek into custody late on September 13 during a sweeping crackdown against the LGBTQ+ community, which saw dozens of activists…
Imprisoned Tunisian journalist Zied el-Heni faces new terrorism charges
New York, September 16, 2026—Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release and drop all charges against journalist Zied el-Heni, who is serving a one-year prison sentence and faces two separate other criminal cases, including a new case where he is facing four terrorism-related charges that his family says could expose him to life imprisonment, the…
CPJ calls on ICE to release exiled Nicaraguan journalist Luis Galeano
Mexico City, September 15, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on U.S. immigration authorities to release Nicaraguan journalist Luis Galeano, director of the radio and internet program Café con Voz, who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on the morning of September 14 in Orlando, Florida. Galeano was detained while driving for…
CPJ, partners urge China to ensure #MeToo journalist Sophia Huang’s freedom as jail term nears end
New York, September 15, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists and partner organizations call on the Chinese authorities to ensure journalist Sophia Huang Xueqin is freed without any arbitrary restrictions, as she approaches the end of a five-year prison sentence. Huang, whose reporting on human rights and sexual abuse helped spark China’s #MeToo movement, is due…