The United Nations has raised alarm over the escalating assault on journalists worldwide, insisting that such attacks must cease immediately.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, made the call in a statement issued ahead of World Press Freedom Day.
According to UN data, about 330 journalists are currently behind bars globally, alongside nearly 500 citizen reporters and human rights bloggers.
The global body also decried the growing misuse of laws on defamation, disinformation, cybercrime, and terrorism, noting that such legislation is increasingly weaponised to shield powerful interests. It added that expensive lawsuits are often deployed to intimidate and silence members of the press.
Türk stressed that no nation can presently guarantee a completely safe environment for journalists.
“When attacks on the media are normalised, freedom itself begins to decay, and with it, the foundations of peace, security, and sustainable development,” he warned.
He honoured journalists and photographers across the globe “who document horrific atrocities, expose corruption, and scrutinize business operations.”
However, he observed that “journalism today has become an insecure and, at times, dangerous profession”.
He lamented that media practitioners have been “bombed in their cars, abducted from their offices, silenced behind bars, and dismissed from their jobs.”
At least 14 journalists have been killed since the beginning of the year, while only a fraction of such killings over the past two decades has resulted in full justice.
The High Commissioner identified conflict reporting as especially perilous, describing Israel’s war in Gaza as a deadly zone for journalists.
“My Office has verified the killing of nearly 300 journalists since October 2023, with many more injured,” he said.
Türk further highlighted the plight of local journalists in war-torn regions, including Sudan, noting that they “had faced extreme violence, brutality, and even famine”.
He warned that “virtually no country is truly safe for those who speak truth to power.”
Drawing from his recent trip to Mexico, Türk said journalists investigating corruption, environmental issues, and organised crime often expose themselves, and even their families, to serious danger.
“I am deeply concerned that media workers are the primary targets of growing transnational repression and surveillance – most recently seen in attacks against Iranian journalists abroad,” he said.
The UN rights chief also raised concern over widespread online harassment, particularly against women journalists. He noted that nearly three-quarters of them have endured abuse ranging from smear campaigns to threats of sexual violence.
Such attacks, he warned, “risk creating a disinformation society, in which the media is forced to obscure facts and deny science to operate in safety.”
He urged technology companies to take decisive steps against online abuse and misinformation, while emphasising the need for independence, transparency, and integrity in the media.
In a separate message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that “recent years have seen a sharp rise in the number of journalists killed, often deliberately targeted, in war zones.”
He referenced the saying that truth is often the first casualty of war, adding: “Far too frequently, the first casualties are the journalists who risk everything to report that truth – not only in war, but wherever those in power fear scrutiny.”
Guterres also expressed concern that press freedom is facing “unprecedented strain” driven by “economic pressures, new technologies, and active manipulation.”
He called on governments worldwide to safeguard journalists, protect them from surveillance, especially when working abroad, thoroughly investigate violations, and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
