Assassinations of journalists worldwide increased by 38% in 2022-2023 compared to the previous two years, with 162 verified deaths, according to a new UNESCO report released on Saturday.

“In 2022 and 2023, a journalist was killed every four days simply for carrying out their vital work of seeking the truth,” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement.

Dangerous regions

More than half of the killings in 2022 and 2023 took place in countries experiencing armed conflict, with most journalists killed in their home countries.

Other journalists were killed while working on organized crime or corruption, or while covering protests, the report said.

In 2022, Mexico recorded the highest number of journalist assassinations, with 19 cases, while in 2023, the highest number occurred in the Palestinian territories, with 24.

Overall, the report indicates that the most dangerous regions for journalists are Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Arab countries.

North America and Western Europe are the least dangerous regions for journalists, with six murders.

In total, 14 of the journalists killed in 2022-2023 were women, or 9% of the total.

Widespread impunity

The report shows that most cases remain unpunished, with 85% of cases identified by UNESCO since 2006 still unresolved or abandoned, according to figures from responses provided by each country.

This is a slight decrease compared to 2018, when 89% of cases remained unsolved, and 2012, when the impunity rate was 95%.

“These crimes must not and cannot go unpunished. Yet, this is still the case for nearly 85% of them,” Azoulay said.

The biannual report from the Paris-based scientific and cultural organization analyzes the state of the safety of journalists around the world.

tj/ko (AFP, afp)