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A federal court has ruled that the practical shuttering of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has commanded the reinstatement of hundreds of its staff.

Court Mandate 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 Shutdown

The VOA was originally set up 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 officials 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.

Management Changes and Widespread Firings

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

Lake then terminate over 85 percent of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a small number of employees in their jobs.

Most of the affected staff have been on leave with pay 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 lacked 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 described the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account laws that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“The government have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.

Reporters’ Lawsuit and Reaction

Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was profoundly thankful for the judge's decision.

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

Uncertain Future and Wider Implications

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

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

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