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An US court has determined that the effective closure of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has directed the return of many of its staff.

Judicial Order Issues One-Week Timeline

Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.

Historical Roots and Trump-Era Closure

The VOA was first set up in World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.

Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to shut down the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had political bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.

Management Changes and Widespread Firings

President Trump appointed 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 sack more than 85% of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a small number of employees in their jobs.

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.

Judge’s Reasoning and Decision

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

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

“The government have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.

Journalists’ Lawsuit and Response

Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was deeply grateful for the judge's decision.

“We hope the American people will keep support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to the Associated Press.

Uncertain Next Steps and Wider 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 nearly 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.