So far this year, 67 journalists have been killed for their work, writes the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). That is considerably more than a year earlier, when there were 47. The decline seemed to have started in recent years.
The journalists killed this year are different types of media people: reporters, cameramen, photographers and editors. The organization attributes the increase mainly to the war in Ukraine, which killed twelve journalists. Many journalists were also killed for their work in Mexico and Haiti.
In addition, at least 375 journalists are imprisoned worldwide, the IFJ writes. That is the highest number since the organization started tracking the number of prisoners two years ago. The list of countries with the most journalistic prisoners is led by China (84 people, including in Hong Kong) and Myanmar (64 people). Both countries score very badly on the world press freedom rankings.
The IFJ calls the rise “a major concern, and a wake-up call for governments around the world to take action to protect journalism.” The union calls on the United Nations to act. According to the organization, it is time for the international community to ensure that all illegally imprisoned journalists are released.