Journalist murders rise alarming: 162 dead in two years!

Journalist murders rise alarming: 162 dead in two years!

The world stands still while the numbers rise alarming! According to a shocking UNESCO report, a journalist was killed every four days in the years 2022 and 2023 - an unprecedented increase of 38 percent compared to previous years! A total of 162 journalists lost their lives as they courageously sought the truth. UNESCO General Director Audrey Azoulay describes the Situation as "alarming" and asks the governments to finally act against impunity.

The report published on Saturday falls on the international day to terminate impunity for crimes against journalists. Most murders occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean, where 61 journalists were killed. In contrast, North America and Western Europe with only six dead were the safest region for journalists. It is particularly frightening that in 2023 the majority of the journalists killed fell in conflict areas for the first time since 2017 - 44 deaths that made up 59 percent of the total number!

The most dangerous regions

Palestine leads the list of 24 killed journalists, while reporting on the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon has become a fatal challenge for journalists. Al Jazeera denounced the "systematic target tracking" of their journalists in Gaza, which are defamed by Israeli authorities as Hamas supporters. These attacks are part of a "calculated campaign" to suppress the voices of those who document the horrors of the war.

The UNESCO emphasizes that 85 percent of murder cases have remained unsolved since 2006. Although there is a slight improvement compared to previous years, impunity remains a major problem. UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres calls for urgent measures to protect journalists and to persecute crimes against media workers worldwide. "Punny promotes further violence," warns Guterres and calls on the governments to finally act!