CPJ joined more than 30 groups to urge Iran to free jailed journalists, activists, and restore internet access
On January 14, the Committee to Protect Journalists, along with more than 30 press freedom and human rights organizations, called for urgent protections for journalists, human rights defenders, and others jailed for their writing, expression of opinion, or peaceful assembly amid nationwide protests and internet shutdown. The signatory organizations called on Iranian authorities to immediately…
Bahá’í photographer arrested in Iran amid internet blackout
Paris, January 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Iranian authorities to immediately release freelance documentary photographer Navid Zarrehbin Irani, and to halt the systematic harassment and intimidation of journalists in Iran. Irani was arrested on January 16, 2026, at his home in Mashhad, the capital of Khorasan Razavi province in northeastern Iran, according…
Harassed at home, convicted abroad: Pakistan steps up prosecution of overseas journalists
Pakistan’s government has stepped up the use of in absentia convictions and arrest warrants against Pakistani journalists living overseas since late 2025, highlighting an escalating crackdown by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government on critical reporting and commentary that extends beyond domestic borders. In early January, four foreign-based Pakistani journalists and commentators were convicted on the…
Haiti’s presidential council expands defamation laws as end of political immunity looms
Miami, January 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Haitian authorities to rescind a decree that broadens criminal defamation laws after Haiti’s ruling body, the Transitional Presidential Council, published the decree without prior public discussion. “The Transitional Presidential Council is in place to provide stability at a time of deep upheaval in Haiti. Measures like…
CPJ joins 2 urgent calls for legal transparency following FBI search of WaPo journalist’s home
The Committee to Protect Journalists has joined two coalition efforts to express concern over the Wednesday search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home, during which the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized her electronic devices in connection with a reported investigation into a government contractor’s handling of classified documents. In a joint statement led by the Free Press, 31…
Report: Georgia violated journalist Mzia Amaglobeli’s right to a fair trial
New York, January 16, 2026—A report released Friday by TrialWatch found that Georgian authorities violated the fair trial rights of jailed journalist and Sakharov Prize laureate Mzia Amaglobeli, citing a series of violations that indicate that Georgian authorities sought to make an example of a leading journalist amid a wider press freedom and rights crackdown in Georgia. The Committee to…
Azerbaijan sentences exiled journalists to lengthy prison terms in absentia
January 16, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Azerbaijani authorities to stop targeting exiled journalists after a court sentenced U.S.-based journalist Sevinj Osmanqizi on January 14 to eight years in prison in absentia on charges of calling for mass unrest and the overthrow of the state. The ruling follows a seven-year sentence handed down on December 23 to…
Argentinian journalism stifled by President Milei’s public attacks, government repression
When a tear gas cartridge fired by a policeman struck independent Argentinian photographer Pablo Grillo in the head while he was covering a pensioner protest in Buenos Aires on March 12, 2025, a line was crossed in the country’s deteriorating relationship between President Javier Milei’s administration and the press, according to Agustín Lecchi, the general secretary at…
CPJ to release 2025 prison census
New York, January 16, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) will release its annual report of journalists imprisoned globally on January 21, 2026. CPJ’s 2025 prison census includes analysis from CPJ experts about the leading countries that imprisoned journalists last year, as well as insights into the dire conditions many journalists face in…
Argentinian journalist waiting to fight President Milei in court after deepfake pornography bullying scandal
Journalist Julia Mengolini, founder and director of radio station Futuröck, caught widespread attention last summer after suing Argentinian President Javier Milei and more than 20 people connected to his administration, accusing them of “unlawful association, embezzlement of public funds, coercive threats,” and “public incitement to hatred.” A judge has yet to take up the case, Mengolini told CPJ….