Geneva, 11 July 2025: The number of journalists killed rose dramatically in the first six months of this year. Since January, 86 media workers have been killed in 26 countries, more than 16% compared to last year, said the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC). The continuing hostilities in the Gaza Strip largely explain this very high toll, where at least 31 Palestinian journalists were killed in six months by the Israeli army (more than a third of the six-month total).

"The Israeli government is directly responsible for this tragedy, which targets civilians reporting on the situation in Gaza. The Israeli soldiers involved in these war crimes must be identified and prosecuted. This is a massacre on an unprecedented scale, with nearly 200 Palestinian journalists killed since October 2023," said PEC President Blaise Lempen, adding that the fighting must absolutely stop.

Hostilities in Sudan have also been deadly for journalists on the ground, with six killed since January. In Mexico, six journalists were murdered, one per month. Fighting between Ukraine and Russia also claimed victims, 6 in all, including 5 in Ukrainian areas claimed by Moscow and in Russia. Another conflict led to the death of 4 media employees in Teheran, during Israeli bombardments in Iran during June.

Four journalists have been killed in India since 1 January, and 3 in Pakistan. Colombia, Honduras, Iraq, the United States of America, Peru, Somalia, Syria and Yemen follow with 2 victims in each country. One fatality was reported in Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Lebanon, Nepal, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe. By region, the Middle East was the deadliest, with 43 victims, followed by Latin America with 16, Africa with 10, Europe with 6 and North America with 2. Last year, a record 179 media workers were killed (including 80 in Gaza), 74 during the first half of the year.

PECs south & southeast Asia representative Nava Thakuria informed that India lost Mukesh Chandrakar, Raghavendra Vajpayee, Sahadev Dey and Dharmendra Singh Chauhan to assailants in the first half of 2025. Pakistan witnessed the murder of Allah Dino Shar, Abdul Latif Baloch and Syed Mohammed Shah, whereas Nepal saw one journalist (Suresh Rajak) murdered in this period. Trouble-torn nations Bangladesh and Myanmar have however evaded any journo-murder till date this year.The PEC condemns all these crimes and demands thorough investigations, in the hope that the second half of 2025 will be calmer.

Nava J. Thakuria