UNESCO Report Highlights Rising Impunity in Journalist Killings
Translated & summarized from Arab48 by baba
UNESCO's latest report reveals a global increase in impunity for journalist murders, reaching 86% in 2024. The report documented 189 journalist deaths in 2024-2025, the deadliest two-year period in a decade, with two-thirds killed in conflict zones. "The State of Palestine" reported the highest number of killings in 2025. UNESCO is working to pressure for justice in these cases.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- UNESCO reported an 86% global impunity rate for journalist murders, the first increase since 2012.
- 189 journalists were killed in 2024-2025, marking the deadliest two-year period in the last decade.
- Two-thirds of journalist killings occurred in conflict zones, including the Palestinian territories, Yemen, and Ukraine.
- Drones were responsible for 26% of journalist killings in 2024-2025.
- "The State of Palestine" recorded at least 32 journalist killings in 2025.
- UNESCO aims to exert pressure for justice in cases of journalist murders.
A new report from UNESCO, released on Monday for the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, indicates a concerning rise in impunity for journalist murders, marking the first increase since 2012. The global impunity rate for killing journalists has risen by one percentage point this year to 86%, meaning six out of seven perpetrators escape justice. This figure had been steadily declining since 2012, when it peaked at 95% before dropping to 85% in 2024. Impunity in this context refers to cases where investigations yield no results or are still ongoing.
Maria Gabriel, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, stated that investigations and prosecutions related to journalist killings in war zones remain insufficient. She clarified that while UNESCO is not a court, it exerts pressure to achieve justice. The biennial report documented the deaths of 189 journalists, media workers, and social media content creators during 2024 and 2025, including 14 women. This two-year period was the deadliest for journalists in the past decade, with two-thirds killed in conflict zones like the Palestinian territories, Yemen, and Ukraine.
Gabriel noted this shift signifies a major change in the global landscape of risks faced by journalists. The report also highlighted the increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, which were responsible for 26% of all killings in 2024 and 2025. "The State of Palestine" recorded the highest number of cases in 2025, with at least 32 killings. The report also pointed out that journalists continue to be killed in their homes or while wearing press-identifying vests.
Since UNESCO began its monitoring in 2006, a total of 1,641 journalists have been killed worldwide, averaging one death every four days. UNESCO attributes discrepancies between its figures and those from organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists or Reporters Without Borders to the difficulty in assessing death circumstances amidst constantly shifting conflicts.