Human Rights Day: 49 journalists killed this year, says IFJ

Human Rights Day: 49 journalists killed this year, says IFJ
IFJ will publish the full list of 2019 victims on 31 December, as it does each year. Credit: PXhere

No fewer than 49 journalists have been killed this year, the International Federation of Journalists reported on Friday on the occasion of International Human Rights Day, celebrated each year on 10 December.

While this was much lower than last year’s figure of 95, it still means more media professionals die in their own countries, communities and cities than in armed conflicts.

Of the 49 deaths in 2019, nine occurred in Africa, 12 in the Asia-Pacific region, 18 in Latin America and eight in the Middle East and Arab World. This was the lowest death toll since the year 2000, when 37 had been killed, and the fourth-lowest since 1900, the year the IFJ started issuing annual reports on media professionals killed in the exercise of their profession.

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While this is “good news”, each killing is one too many, IFJ President Younes Mjahed commented. While the number of deaths has gone down, threats, imprisonment, online harassment, censorship and self-censorship, along with legal and administrative measures continue to impinge on freedom of the media and human rights worldwide, he noted.

The most dangerous country is Mexico, where 10 journalists died, making Latin America the region with the largest number of deaths.

IFJ will publish the full list of 2019 victims on 31 December, as it does each year.

The Brussels Times


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