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An US court has ruled that the practical closure of the VOA last year was “illegal” and has commanded the reinstatement of hundreds of its reporters.

Judicial Mandate Issues One-Week Timeline

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

Wartime Origins and Trump-Era Closure

The VOA was originally established during World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.

Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his officials accused of political bias. The order also included networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.

Management Changes and Mass Dismissals

President Trump named Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.

Lake then fire over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a small number of employees remaining.

Most of the affected staff have been on paid administrative leave since last year. This included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.

Court’s Reasoning and Decision

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

In this week's decision, the judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had ignored laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“The government have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.

Journalists’ Lawsuit and Reaction

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

“We hope the American people will keep support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she said to reporters.

Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Context

It is uncertain if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.

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

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