Global Press Freedom Under Siege: 99 Journalists Murdered in 2025 Amidst Rising Impunity
A disturbing surge in violence against journalists worldwide has prompted international calls for greater protection and accountability, as highlighted on November 2nd during the commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its global network of affiliates are urgently appealing to governments to adopt a legally binding international instrument to safeguard journalists and ensure their attackers face justice.
The threats to press freedom are multifaceted and escalating. Journalists are increasingly targeted with physical violence, including attacks with rubber bullets – despite clear identification as members of the press. Even newsrooms themselves are not immune, with media outlets facing vandalism and raids by unknown perpetrators.
The threats are evolving, with women journalists facing a especially insidious form of attack: targeted online harassment, including hate campaigns, threats of sexual violence and death, and the malicious exposure of personal information – known as doxxing.Beyond online abuse, reporters investigating sensitive topics like organized crime and corruption are at grave risk of disappearance or death under suspicious circumstances, particularly in active conflict zones.
According to recent statistics from the Fédération Internationale des Journalistes (FIP), at least 99 journalists and media workers have been murdered in the line of duty since the beginning of 2025. The vast majority of these killings have occurred in war-torn regions, with 50 deaths reported in Gaza (Palestine), 8 in Ukraine, and 6 in Sudan. This grim statistic underscores the escalating dangers faced by those dedicated to informing the public.
The scale of impunity is staggering. UNESCO data reveals that only one in ten murders of journalists ever results in a triumphant inquiry. This year’s campaign by the IFJ focuses on four particularly poignant cases that exemplify this systemic failure of justice.
One such case is that of Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian-American journalist for Al Jazeera, who was fatally shot by an Israeli soldier on May 11, 2022, while covering an army raid in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank. Akleh was wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest clearly marked with “press” identifiers, yet no one has been held accountable for her death.
The disappearance of Frédéric Nérac, a French cameraman working for British channel ITN, remains another open wound. Nérac vanished in Iraq on March 22, 2003, and despite the recovery of his identification card, his fate remains unknown.
In Sri Lanka, the case of Prageeth Eknaligoda, an investigative journalist and cartoonist, highlights the long-term consequences of unchecked impunity. Eknaligoda was subjected to a forced disappearance on January 24, 2010, in the Koswatte area of Colombo. To date, a meaningful investigation has not been conducted, and no one has been brought to justice.
However, some cases do see eventual resolution, albeit after decades of struggle. Hugo bustíos Saavedra, a Peruvian journalist, was murdered by an army patrol on November 24, 1988. It took 36 years – until 2007 – for two officers to be convicted in connection with his murder. Further investigation led to the implication of former army general Daniel Urresti Elera, who was ultimately sentenced to 12 years in prison for his participation in the crime.
“Allowing the murderers and attackers of journalists to go free sends a chilling signal that the powerful can silence voices, destroy families, erase stories and evade obligation,” stated a senior official with the FIP. “The families of these journalists are left helpless and powerless.”
The consequences extend far beyond individual tragedies. As the official continued, “entire communities lose access to vital information. And they are robbed of the collective right to know, so the fight against impunity is a universal responsibility.” The IFJ is advocating for a binding international instrument that compels governments to take responsibility for protecting journalists and actively working to end the cycle of impunity. “We need a binding international instrument for the protection of journalists, which forces governments to assume their responsibility and act to put an end to the devastating consequences of impunity,” the official added.
