122 journalists and media workers killed in 2024, says the IFJ

(Labour Start) One hundred and twenty-two journalists and media workers, including 14 women, have been killed in 2024, according to the annual Killed List released by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on 31 December. The IFJ deplores 2024 as one of the deadliest years for journalists and reiterates its determination to see an International Convention for the Protection of Journalists adopted by the United Nations as a matter of urgency.

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On the International Human Rights Day, 10 December, the IFJ published an initial list of journalists killed this year documenting 104 killings. It says the updated list of 31 December is primarily the result of additional deaths in the Middle East and the Arab world – nine more journalists have been killed in Palestine and two in Syria – as well as other killings that have been brought to the Federation’s attention.

MIDDLE EAST AND ARAB WORLD: 77

The war in Gaza and Lebanon once again highlights the massacre suffered by Palestinian (64), Lebanese (6) and Syrian (1) media professionals, representing 58% of all journalists killed in 2024. Since the war’s start on 7 October 2023, the number of Palestinian journalists killed has risen to at least 147, making this country one of the most dangerous in the history of modern journalism.

Elsewhere in the region, this year the Federation has counted three media professionals murdered in Iraq, including two women on 23 August, plus a photographer killed in Syria on 4 December and two Kurdish journalists killed in northern Syria on 19 December.

ASIA-PACIFIC: 22

In Asia-Pacific, the IFJ deplores the murder of seven journalists in Pakistan, five in Bangladesh, three in India, one in Cambodia and one in the Philippines. In addition, the military regime in Myanmar is continuing its hunt for journalists – three journalists have been killed this year – while Indonesia and Kazakhstan have each had one death.

AFRICA: 10

Ten journalists were murdered in Africa in 2024 – four in 2022 and nine in 2023. But it was Sudan that paid the heaviest price with six deaths, as a result of the generals’ war, which was particularly deadly. In addition, two Somali journalists, a Chadian journalist and a journalist in DR Congo lost their lives this year.

AMERICAS: 9

In 2024, the IFJ counted nine deaths in the Americas compared to 30 in 2022 and six in 2023 including five Mexicans, two Colombians and two Haitians. As in the past, journalists in the region have suffered threats, intimidation, kidnappings and murders mainly due to their reports on drug trafficking, which has plagued Mexico for more than two decades.

EUROPE: 4

The war in Ukraine has again claimed victims, with four journalists killed in 2024, compared with 13 in 2022 and four in 2023. Despite this conflict, Europe remains the safest continent in the world for journalists.

JOURNALISTS IN PRISON: 516

On 31 December 2024, the IFJ counted 516 journalists in prison, representing a sharp increase compared with 2023 (427) and 2022 (375). With 135 journalists behind bars, China, including Hong Kong remains the world’s biggest prison for media professionals, ahead of Israel (59 Palestinian journalists) and Myanmar (44). The Asia-Pacific region alone has 254 journalists in prison, ahead of wider Europe (142), the Middle East and Arab world (102), Africa (17) and Latin America (1).

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger: “Our thoughts are with the families and friends of 122 media professionals killed this year. Behind this high figure, there are 122 truncated stories. To guarantee that the deaths of journalists do not go unpunished and to put an end to this scourge once and for all, we urge UN Member States to take steps to ensure the adoption of a binding Convention on the safety of journalists. Such a Convention would aim to end the journalist’s deaths and injuries that sadly occur every year.”