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A US judge has ruled that the effective closure of the VOA last year was unlawful and has commanded the reinstatement of hundreds of its journalists.

Judicial Mandate Issues 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 during World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.

Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had political bias. The order also included outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.

Leadership Shake-Up and Mass Firings

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

Lake proceeded to terminate more than 85% of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a small number of employees in their jobs.

Most of the affected 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 Rationale and Ruling

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

In Tuesday's ruling, the federal judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had not taken into account legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“The government have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.

Journalists’ Legal Challenge and Response

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

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

Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Implications

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

Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.

Trump's attacks of the VOA form part of his wider criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.