The vast majority of murders of journalists remain unpunished around the world, UNESCO denounced in a report on Saturday, on the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for these crimes.
“In 2022 and 2023, a journalist has been killed every four days simply for doing their essential work of seeking the truth. In the majority of cases, no one will ever be held responsible for these murders”declared the director general of the UN organization, Audrey Azoulay, quoted in the report.
85% of the murders of journalists recorded by UNESCO since 2006 are considered unsolved, the report indicates.
Faced with this “impunity rate” very high, UNESCO calls on States to “considerably increase their efforts”.
162 journalists killed in two years
During the two years covered by the UNESCO report (2022-2023), 162 journalists were killed, almost half of them working in countries experiencing armed conflict.

Demonstration for justice and freedom of expression after the murder of journalist Luis Enrique Ramirez in Culiacan, in the state of Sinaloa, on May 6, 2022 in Mexico / Jesus VERDUGO / AFP/Archives
In 2022, the country with the highest number of crimes was Mexico, with 19 cases. Just before Ukraine where the assassination of 11 journalists was recorded that year.
In 2023, “the highest number of murders was recorded in the State of Palestine: 24 journalists were killed there”points out the report, Palestine was admitted as a full member of UNESCO in 2011.
The report generally notes a “rising number of murders in countries in conflict”.
Local journalists “accounted for 86% of murders linked to conflict coverage”Unesco estimates.
Furthermore, the organization specifies that “journalists continue to be killed in or near their homes, putting their families at great risk”.
In other geographic areas, most of the journalists killed were covering “organized crime, corruption” or were killed “during reporting on demonstrations”adds Unesco.
More than in previous years, female journalists have been particularly targeted by these murders in 2022.
The organization recorded ten murders of female journalists this year alone.

Portraits of the deceased Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, on the facade of the building housing the offices of the Qatari television channel Al-Jazeera, September 22, 2024 in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank / JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP/Archives
Among the victims, Mexican journalist Maria Guadalupe Lourdes Maldonado López, shot dead on the border between Mexico and the United States.
Or the Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, killed during an Israeli raid while covering clashes in the occupied West Bank.