UN: No country safe as attacks on journalists surge worldwide

The United Nations has raised alarm over increasing attacks on journalists, warning that violence and intimidation against media workers must end.

In a message ahead of World Press Freedom Day, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said the safety of journalists is under growing threat globally.

According to UN data, about 330 media workers are currently detained worldwide, alongside nearly 500 citizen journalists and human rights bloggers.

Türk warned that laws on defamation, disinformation, cybercrime and terrorism are increasingly being used to shield those in power, while costly legal actions are deployed to intimidate and silence journalists.

“Virtually no country offers a fully safe environment for journalism,” he said, adding that when attacks on the media become normalised, “freedom itself begins to decay”.

He paid tribute to reporters and photographers who continue to expose corruption and document atrocities, despite what he described as an increasingly dangerous profession. Media workers, he noted, have been targeted in various ways — including killings, abductions, detention and job dismissals.

The UN says at least 14 journalists have been killed since the start of the year, while only a fraction of such cases over the past two decades have resulted in accountability.

Covering armed conflict remains particularly hazardous. Türk said the war in Gaza Strip has become especially deadly for journalists, with nearly 300 media workers reportedly killed since October 2023.

He also highlighted the risks faced by journalists in conflict zones such as Sudan, where reporters have endured violence, displacement and severe hardship.

The High Commissioner further expressed concern about threats beyond conflict zones, citing risks faced by journalists in Mexico, where reporting on corruption and organised crime can expose both reporters and their families to danger.

He warned that transnational repression and surveillance of journalists are increasing, pointing to recent attacks on Iranian journalists abroad.

Online harassment was also identified as a major concern, particularly for women journalists, many of whom face abuse, smear campaigns and threats of sexual violence.

Türk urged technology companies to take stronger action against online abuse and disinformation, while calling on governments to uphold press freedom and ensure accountability for attacks.

In a separate message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said there has been a sharp rise in the number of journalists killed in recent years, often deliberately targeted in war zones.

“Far too frequently, the first casualties are the journalists who risk everything to report the truth,” he said.

Guterres also warned that press freedom is under “unprecedented strain” due to economic pressures, emerging technologies and deliberate manipulation, urging governments to protect journalists and uphold media independence.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria via Punch