UNESCO: One journalist killed every four days worldwide

WORLD, Nov. 02 (YPA) – A new report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), released on Saturday, revealed that one journalist was killed every four days over the past two years.

The report, published in conjunction with the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, noted that among the 162 verified cases of journalist killings in 2022 and 2023 by UNESCO’s Paris headquarters, more than half occurred in countries experiencing armed conflict.

It emphasizes that most of these journalists lost their lives in their home countries.

The biannual report, which analyzes the safety conditions of journalists worldwide, explained that those who died in non-conflict countries were often targeted for their work in combating organized crime or corruption, or while covering protests.

The 162 verified journalist killings during 2022 and 2023 represent a 38% increase compared to the previous two years, during which UNESCO recorded 117 killings. This two-year period also marks the highest number of murders since 2016 and 2017.

UNESCO reported that Mexico had the highest number of journalist killings in 2022, with 19 cases, while 2023 saw the largest number of journalist deaths in the Palestinian territories, totaling 24.

The report indicated that Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Arab countries, are the regions where the most journalists have been killed.

@E.Y.M