A federal judge in the United States has ruled that the effective shutdown of Voice of America was illegal and ordered the Trump administration to restore the international broadcaster within one week. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth said the mass dismissal of hundreds of journalists was arbitrary and lacked a lawful basis.

Voice of America, created during World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda, had been largely dismantled after President Donald Trump issued an executive order seeking to close it, citing allegations of political bias. More than 1,000 staff members were removed or placed on administrative leave after leadership changes at the United States Agency for Global Media, which oversees the broadcaster.

The judge determined that the agency leadership did not have proper authority to suspend the workforce and failed to consider congressional requirements governing the languages and regions the broadcaster must serve. Journalists who brought the legal challenge welcomed the decision, though it remains unclear whether the administration will appeal. Before its shutdown, Voice of America delivered television, radio and digital reporting in nearly 50 languages worldwide.