‘It's time to protect the press media now’
Thus, the Investigative Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls out world leaders as the final kill list garnered over 128 deaths and 533 imprisoned journalists and media workers worldwide in 2025.
In the list released on December 31, IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger described the statistics as a 'global crisis' as it is labeled as a dangerous year for journalists.
“These deaths are a brutal reminder that journalists are being targeted with impunity, simply for doing their job”, Bellanger said.
He condemned authorities for failing to protect the press and urged them to end the cycle of violence.
"The world can no longer wait: it is time for a United Nations convention that guarantees the safety and independence of journalists everywhere." He added.
The Middle East and Arab World tops the list for the third consecutive year with 74 deaths, where 56 Palestinian journalists were killed in the Gaza war and 13 in Yemen after a one-time attack by the Israeli army.
The list follows as 18 deaths were recorded in Africa, 15 in Asia-Pacific, 11 in America and 10 in Europe.
Moreover, 533 journalists were imprisoned where Asia-Pacific tops the list as 227 media workers are behind bars with China having 143 detainees.
