In Tajikistan in 2025, freedom of expression was very limited. The government continued to punish journalists and critics who spoke out against leaders or reported independently. Some journalists were jailed for many years after secret trials, and others were accused of crimes with no clear public evidence. A planned conference for women journalists was cancelled [...]
Human rights groups are calling on the government of Laos to investigate the suspicious death of government critic Sisay Luangmonda. The 32-year-old activist, who often criticized corruption and poor governance online, was reported missing by his family on February 14, 2026. Witnesses said soldiers arrested him near the capital, Vientiane, and took him to Phonthan [...]
Since the coup in Niger in 2023, freedom of expression and association has been under threat. Journalists claim that they are intimidated, harassed, and arrested at times, and this has forced many of them to self-censor. On January 17, 2025, the government suspended the Canal 3 TV station for 30 days because the station’s editor, [...]
Eritrea has one of the worst press freedom situations in the world. It kept the lowest position in the 2025 Global Press Freedom Index, showing that there is almost no independent media in the country. The government controls all news, censors information, and watches people’s communications closely. Independent journalism is banned and any reporter who [...]
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says Iran is one of the world’s top countries that jail journalists, after China, Russia, and Myanmar. The report says 21 journalists are in prison in Iran, and one is missing. RSF also warns that journalists are facing deadly risks in war zones like Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan. Almost 43% [...]
On the fifth anniversary of Pham Doan Trang’s arrest, the Committee to Protect Journalists and 20 partner groups urge Vietnam to free her now. Trang is serving nine years in prison for “anti‑state propaganda” after a one‑day trial. Her conditions are worsening, and she lacks access to medical care, family, or independent oversight. Press freedom [...]