Committee to Protect Journalists

A senior journalist in Kenya escaped an attempted abduction following angry criticism of his newspaper by President William Ruto. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for an investigation into the incident.

The Committee to Protect Journalists called for an investigation into the attempted kidnapping of a senior journalist in Kenya following angry criticism of his newspaper by President William Ruto.

A journalist was abducted in Abuja by four men in plain clothes arriving in an unmarked Mitsubishi Pajero SUV. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has linked the disappearance to an investigative report. The incident was first reported by Premium Times Nigeria.

A court in Belarus convicted journalist Kiryl Pazniak and sentenced him to 3.5 years in prison on charges of discrediting the country and forming an extremist organization. Pazniak, arrested in September 2025, is seriously ill in prison and designated a political prisoner, with 21 journalists currently detained in Belarus and 863 political prisoners reported by the Viasna human rights center.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and seven other media freedom organizations have condemned attacks on foreign nationals and the targeting of journalists covering anti-migrant protests in South Africa.

Nika Soon-Shiong, a board member of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), was removed from the board amid a review of journalists killed in Gaza. She questioned the organization's exclusion of certain Palestinian journalists from its death toll, and CPJ stated her five-year term ended in June 2026.

Nika Soon-Shiong, a former CPJ board member, was removed as the organization reviews journalists killed in Gaza. She criticized CPJ for excluding certain Palestinian journalists from its death toll, citing a Free Beacon article that accused the board of anti-Israel sentiment.

Uganda’s military leader Muhoozi Kainerugaba ordered the closure of two major media outlets owned by Nation Media Group, stating they would only reopen with his permission. The move, described as a 'deeply troubling escalation' by the Committee to Protect Journalists, follows recent arrests of politicians and activists and highlights fragile press freedoms across Africa.

An Israeli strike in central Gaza killed Al Jazeera journalist Ahmed Samir Wishah, following the death of his brother Mohammed Samir Wishah two months earlier. The Israeli military claimed Ahmed was a Hamas terrorist without evidence, while Al Jazeera condemned the attack. The Committee to Protect Journalists reported at least 260 Palestinian journalists have been killed since October 2023.

The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Mozambican authorities to return investigative journalist Estacio Valoi's equipment and cease intimidating reporters covering environmental crimes and conflict in Cabo Delgado province. Valoi faces 'clear intimidation' for his environmental reporting.

Israeli authorities deported French journalist Alice Froussard after denying her entry at Ben Gurion Airport, despite her holding travel authorization and applying for a press visa to work in the occupied West Bank. The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that at least 84 journalists and media workers were killed by Israeli forces in 2025, primarily in Gaza.

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, a Kuwaiti-American journalist detained in Kuwait under new security laws, was acquitted on all charges after 52 days in custody. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) praised his release, citing concerns over vague charges targeting press freedoms.

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, a Kuwaiti-American journalist detained in Kuwait, was acquitted of charges related to spreading false information after 52 days in custody, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. He has previously worked for several major media outlets including PBS, HuffPost, and the New York Times.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is demanding Kuwait release American-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, detained under new security and misinformation laws. Shihab-Eldin faces vague charges including 'spreading false information' and 'harming national security,' with CPJ criticizing the case as part of a broader crackdown on press freedoms in the Middle East since the Iran war began.

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, a US-born Kuwaiti journalist, was arrested for reporting on a friendly fire incident involving a US F-15 E Strike Eagle. The Committee to Protect Journalists has raised concerns about the crackdown on freedom of speech in the Middle East amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran.