67 journalists, media workers killed

 

According to a report by The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), this year 2022 witnessed the killing of 67 journalists and media workers, which was a 30 percent surge than last year’s 47 killings on the job for these professionals. The report said that these deaths were attributed to the ongoing war in Ukraine, rising violence by the criminal gangs in Mexico, and political and economic chaos in Haiti.

The IFJ group represents 600,000 media professionals from trade unions and associations across more than 140 countries. The report by the group was released on the eve of the United Nations Human Rights Day.

The Brussels-based group also said that 375 journalists are currently imprisoned due to their work, with was majority being held in China, Myanmar, and Turkey. According to last year’s report, 365 journalists were jailed.

The report highlights that the maximum number of media workers, 12, were killed while covering the war in Ukraine – which is the largest number than in any other country. The IFJ report added that the maximum of these was from Ukraine, along with many other nationalities. The IFJ said “the rule by terror of criminal organizations in Mexico, and the breakdown of law and order in Haiti, have also contributed to the surge in killings.”  It added that with 2022 being one of the deadliest years ever for journalists in Mexico, the country is now considered the “most dangerous country for reporters outside a war zone”.