Fears mount over fate of missing Turkmen dissidents in Turkey The pair vanished after being released from a Turkish deportation center, prompting concerns they were abducted or secretly returned to Turkmenistan. Turkey
Egypt holds second Senate vote as pro-Sisi parties dominate: What to know The Senate elections, dominated by pro-Sisi government parties, feature fewer party list and individual candidates compared to elections held in 2020. Egypt
Turkey’s Sozcu TV forced off air in latest crackdown on opposition: What to know As Istanbul's mayor remains jailed, pressure mounts on opposition-aligned media to soften their criticism, analysts say. Turkey
Turkey jails satirical magazine staff over alleged Prophet Muhammad cartoon Four staff members of the satirical weekly LeMan were arrested and charged with “publicly insulting religious values” amid protests against the image and government crackdown on the magazine’s social media accounts. Turkey
Feature Families of Kurdish journalists slain in suspected Turkish drone strike in Syria want their remains By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Lebanon: arrest of standup comedian Nour Hajjar sparks fears despite release Beirut already undergoing economic and political paralysis, was struck this week by arrest of a standup comic who joked about Lebanon's army and offended religious figures five years ago. By Beatrice Farhat In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict
Egypt releases journalist detained over reporting on Zambia plane seizure A reporter for a local fact-checking site is the latest Egyptian journalist to be arrested over the weekend. Egypt
Iraqi militias continue to use Telegram despite block Iraq’s state media channel switched to the Israeli-founded Viber in response to the ban. Telegram is popular with protesters and militias alike in Iraq. Iraq
Turkey arrests journalist over social media post, sparking outcry from civic groups International and local rights watchdogs lambasted Firat Can Arslan’s and four other journalists’ detention. Turkey
Israel's protest movement takes judicial overhaul battle to media, courts Israel’s main newspapers on Tuesday morning published blacked-out front pages in a coordinated campaign by the protest movement. Israel
Twitter or Threads? Egypt's activists join but not sold on Meta's idea yet Activists weigh concerns about misogyny and chaos on the pre-existing platform vs. censorship and data collection on Meta's new offering. Egypt
Outrage in Lebanon as journalist Dima Sadek sentenced to prison Journalist Dima Sadek's one-year jail sentence for defamation and slander has raised an uproar among activists and others who fear for freedom of expression and media in the country. Lebanon
UAE COP28 president calls on oil firms to 'deliver climate action' Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber gave a televised address to delegates at the OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, a meeting of oil executives and OPEC ministers. United Arab Emirates
Iran: 3 women journalists go on trial as rulers continue with crackdown Repression of journalists has worsened since widespread protests began in Iran last year, and the government is also restricting use of VPNs. Iran
Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia follow close behind China in VPN blocking China led the ranking, blocking about 73% of all attempts to access VPN providers, with Iran and several Gulf Arab countries following close behind. Legacy: Gulf
Turkey arrests prominent TV journalist over criticizing Ocalan's isolation Journalist Merdan Yanardag’s arrest comes amid a post-election climate in which many journalists feel threatened, according to media watchdogs. Turkey
Two Palestinian journalists shot during Israeli operation in West Bank The incident follows a US senator calling on the Biden administration to declassify the report on Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by Israeli forces while covering a raid last year. Palestine
