Press freedom

Ahmed Shihab‑Eldin attends the Opening Night during the Doha Film Festival 2025 on Nov. 20, 2025 in Doha, Qatar.

Kuwait acquits journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin after 7 weeks in detention

The American-Kuwaiti journalist is expected to be released after 52 days in custody over posts about wartime damage.

Amal Khalil, a veteran correspondent for the daily newspaper Al-Akhbar, in the southern Lebanese border village of Jebbayn in 2024.

Lebanon bids farewell to Amal Khalil, journalist killed by Israel: What to know

Khalil's death in a targeted strike on a house where she and a colleague took cover sparked widespread condemnation by Lebanese officials and international media groups.

Ahmed Shihab‑Eldin attend "Palestine 36" red carpet during the Doha Film Festival 2025 on November 24, 2025 in Doha, Qatar.

Kuwait detains American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin: What to know

Kuwaiti authorities have been cracking down on alleged violators of the country's media law during the Iran war.

Journalists gather outside the Ankara courthouse on March 10, 2020 behind a banner reading in Turkish "journalism is not crime," to protest over jailing of journalists, sparked by the recent arrest of OdaTV's news director and a journalist's report on the funeral of a Turkish intelligence officer apparently killed in Libya.

Journalist who investigated Erdogan’s son jailed on 'disinformation' charges in Turkey

Human rights organizations warn Ari’s detention signals a broader campaign against journalists probing government corruption and elite networks.

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Analysis

Iran’s longest-ever internet blackout leaves 99% offline: What to know

Traffic rolls along a main throughfare under a banner with images of past and present leaders that reads in Farsi, "Domino fall", as daily life returns to the streets following nationwide protests, in the Iranian capital Tehran on January 19, 2026. Demonstrations sparked in late December by anger over economic hardship exploded into protests widely seen as the biggest challenge to the Iranian leadership in years. Limited internet access briefly returned in Iran before dropping again, a monitor said January

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Qatar-based Al Jazeera commentators go dark on social media: What to know

This picture taken on August 11, 2025, shows the headquarters of the Qatari state-funded news television network Al Jazeera in the capital Doha. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Israeli-Russian journalist removed from Netanyahu’s US flight: What to know

Israeli state aircraft Wing of Zion, which flew to Greece from Ben Gurion Airport, is seen at International Airport in Athens on June 13, 2025, in Athens, Greece.

Washington Post cuts 30% of staff, guts foreign desk, Mideast team: What to know

A man exits the Washington Post office building in Washington, DC, on Feb. 4, 2026.

Syrian journalist Zeina Shahla types on her laptop at a cafe, Damascus, Syria, March 1, 2021.

Jihadist group in Idlib bans pro-opposition news channel

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has banned the pro-opposition Orient News channel from media coverage in Idlib, raising fears about the state of press freedom in Syria’s Idlib.

Activists, including supporters of Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International, hold up the photos of journalists, including Turkish-German journalist Deniz Yuecel, who are currently in prison in Turkey.

Turkey plans further clampdown on independent media

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP says it won't allow "fifth column" activity from independent media organizations.

The mother of Omar Radi (pictured), a prominent Moroccan journalist and activist on trial over charges of rape and receiving foreign funds.

Morocco sentences journalist Omar Radi in trial slammed by rights groups

The court on Monday sentenced Omar Radi to six years in prison on espionage and rape charges he denies.

Protest against Soulaiman Raissouni's sentencing

Moroccan journalist's jailing draws rebuke from US

State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States is "disappointed" by a Moroccan court's five-year sentence of journalist Soulaiman Raissouni.

Reports highlight crackdowns on press in Kurdistan Region

The Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government has rejected the charges, citing the independence of courts and media partnerships.

Egyptian prime minister with TV presenter

Egypt to launch regional news channel

Egypt is planning on launching a regional news channel, including joint projects and productions with Saudi Arabia.

EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images

Israel says Hamas used AP, Al Jazeera building in Gaza to jam Iron Dome

Israel will help rebuild AP offices in Gaza, said its UN ambassador.

Khaled Dawoud

Egypt releases journalist Khaled Dawoud from prison

Khaled Dawoud was arrested as part of a sweeping crackdown on anti-government protesters in 2019.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Talaat Fahmy speaks during an interview in his office, Istanbul, Turkey, Jan. 19, 2021.

Is Turkey going to crack down Muslim Brotherhood aligned TV in gesture to Egypt?

The Turkish government has advised Brotherhood aligned stations against insulting Egyptian officials.

Erbil court convicts journalists, activists of spying, organizing armed groups

Five defendants, including journalists and activists, were sentenced to prison in Erbil in a decision that international rights groups say is an attack on press freedoms.

Prominent Turkish lawyer defiant after jail sentence over media trial

Eren Keskin, a prominent human rights lawyer, was among four defendants sentenced to prison on terror-linked charges Monday in a newspaper trial that raised concerns over media freedom in Turkey.

Activists fear Iraqi cybercrime law could limit press freedoms

The Iraqi cybercrime bill makes a reappearance amid widespread objections by civilians and activists who label it as repressive of freedoms and rights guaranteed in the Iraqi Constitution.