Paris [France], December 12 : The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Thursday published a report, highlighting an alarming surge in violence against journalists, particularly in conflict zones like Gaza, which has become the deadliest region for media professionals. Meanwhile, China remains the leading prison for journalists, with 124 media professionals detained.
Around the world, the number of journalists killed for covering conflict zones in Iraq, Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, and the region affected by the war in Gaza has reached a five-year high (57.4 per cent).
The RSF report said that Gaza stands out as the most dangerous region in the world, with the highest number of journalists murdered in connection with their work in the last five years. "In 2024, the Gaza Strip accounted for nearly 30% of journalists killed on the job," the RSF said.
"Palestine is the most dangerous country for journalists, recording a higher death toll than any other country over the past five years. More than 145 journalists have been killed in Palestine since October 2023, including at least 35 targeted in the line of duty, according to our latest information," it added.
The number of journalists behind bars also increased. Notably, 550 journalists are currently imprisoned worldwide, a 7 percent increase from last year.
"Locked-up journalists are concentrated in four countries. The world's four largest prisons China (124, including 11 in Hong Kong), Myanmar (61), Israel (41) and Belarus (40) hold almost half of the world's detained journalists," it added.
The report further said that Asia is the second most dangerous region for journalists. The RSF report said, "Due to the large number of journalists killed in Pakistan (seven) and the protests that rocked Bangladesh (five), Asia remained the region with the second-highest number of killed media workers."
Thibaut Bruttin, RSF's Director General called for the protection of journalists. He said, "Journalists do not die, they are killed; they are not in prison, regimes lock them up; they do not disappear, they are kidnapped. These crimes often orchestrated by governments and armed groups with total impunity violate international law and too often go unpunished. We need to get things moving, to remind ourselves as citizens that journalists are dying for us, to keep us informed. We must continue to count, name, condemn, investigate, and ensure that justice is served. Fatalism should never win. Protecting those who inform us is protecting the truth."
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