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An federal court has declared that the practical closure of the VOA last year was against the law and has commanded the return of many of its staff.

Court Order Sets 7-Day Timeline

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

Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure

The VOA was originally created during World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi propaganda.

Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his administration accused of left-wing bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.

Leadership Shake-Up and Widespread Dismissals

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

Lake then fire over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just 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 Ruling

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

In Tuesday's decision, the federal judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had not taken into account 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.

Reporters’ Lawsuit and Response

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 keep support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.

Uncertain Next Steps and Wider Context

It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.

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

Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his broader criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.