Guardian journalist’s byline page deleted after sudden exit

An award-winning journalist at The Guardian has departed after reports of an internal investigation.

Middle East Correspondent Martin Chulov has not written for the paper since April 9.

His byline page has now been deleted and returns an error message.

The newspaper is not currently advertising for a replacement, according to Press Gazette.

In a statement to the Mail on Sunday, which published claims at the weekend, Chulov, 52, said: “The allegations against me are categorically denied.

“Many of them have been found to be untrue following independent investigation.”

His last online activity was reposting an article on X, formerly Twitter, written by former editor Alan Rusbridger two weeks ago.

Guardian News & Media, the newspaper’s publisher, declined to comment when approached by the Standard.

Chulov - a reporter of 29 years - has been writing on the Middle East for them since 2008. He is usually based in Beirut, where he lives with his Lebanese wife and daughter.

Chulov won the Orwell Journalism Prize in 2015 for his coverage of the crises across the Arab world and the rise of Islamic State.

Collecting the award, Chulov said: “The shortlist does justice to the Orwell name and I’m tremendously honoured.”

The UK Foreign Press Association named him journalist of the year around the same time.