New York, US Mission UN, November 02, 2024
Today, across the world, journalists continue to be harassed and intimidated, violently attacked and arbitrarily surveilled, met with disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks – all for speaking truth to power. Those in conflict zones face even greater danger: In Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and elsewhere, journalists have been killed as they dared to report the facts.
Crimes against journalists only continue to rise. Nearly 800 journalists across 45 countries were jailed at some point last year – more than 500 of whom are still in prison or under house arrest. And yet, despite increasing violence against journalists, we have failed to see accountability for the perpetrators.
Indeed, over the past three decades, UNESCO reports that in more than 1,700 journalist deaths, only one in 10 perpetrators were held responsible for their crimes.
Today, on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, we call on the international community to ensure crimes against journalists are brought to light and perpetrators brought to justice by making progress on the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists.
