US Jurist Orders Former President Trump's Government to Reopen VOA.

An federal court has determined that the effective closure of the VOA last year was “illegal” and has ordered the reinstatement of hundreds of its journalists.

Court Mandate Sets 7-Day Deadline

District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.

Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Shutdown

The VOA was originally created in World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.

Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had political bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.

Leadership Changes and Widespread Dismissals

President Trump appointed Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.

Lake then fire more than 85% of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a handful of employees remaining.

Most of the dismissed staff have been on leave with pay since last year. This even applied to Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.

Court’s Reasoning and Ruling

Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake did not have the authority to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.

In Tuesday's ruling, the federal judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider legislation that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“The government have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.

Journalists’ Lawsuit and Reaction

Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being profoundly thankful for the judge's decision.

“We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she told the Associated Press.

Unclear Future and Broader Implications

It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.

Before being wound down, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.

Trump's attacks of the VOA form part of his wider criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.