NN Online:
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has identified four countries as the most dangerous place for journalists worldwide. In a recent report, the organisation also highlighted the grim statistics of journalists who lost their lives while fulfilling their professional responsibilities over the past year.
It has highlighted a grim picture of press freedom worldwide, with 54 journalists including five in Bangladesh killed in 2024, saying journalists increasingly pay the ultimate price in conflict zones and under repressive regimes.
Due to the large number of journalists killed in Pakistan (7) and the protests that rocked Bangladesh (5), Asia remained the region with the second-highest number of killed media workers, according to RSF.
Among 54 journalists 31 lost their lives in conflict zones, marking the highest fatality rate in five years.
The Gaza Strip has been singled out as the deadliest region for journalists, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of fatalities, where 35 journalists were reportedly killed by the Israeli army in connection to their work.
Press Freedom Under Siege
The report highlights the broader issues of media suppression, as 550 journalists are currently imprisoned worldwide – a 7 per cent rise from last year. Israel has become the third-largest jailer of journalists, with a sharp increase in detentions since October 2023.
The report also sheds light on enforced disappearances, with nearly 100 journalists missing across 34 countries. Alarmingly, 45 per cent of these cases are attributed to enforced disappearances, often under authoritarian regimes or amidst government negligence.
Bangladesh’s Situation
Protests triggered by the reinstatement of a controversial quota system for public jobs were violently repressed by the police: five journalists lost their lives and many others were injured.
Mehedi Hasan, a journalist for the Dhaka Times, was killed on July 18 while covering clashes between protestors and security forces.
RSF Urges Action
RSF Director General Thibaut Bruttin emphasised the urgent need to combat impunity and protect press freedom. He said, “Journalists do not die, they are killed; they do not disappear, they are kidnapped. Protecting those who inform us is protecting the truth.”
The RSF has reiterated its call for global governments to ratify the 2006 International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, underscoring the urgent need for international solidarity in safeguarding journalists and preserving press freedom.
This year’s findings highlight the human cost of bringing truth to light, reinforcing the need for collective action to protect those who risk their lives to keep the world informed.
“Journalists do not die, they are killed; they are not in prison, regimes lock them up – they do not disappear, they are kidnapped. These crimes – often orchestrated by governments and armed groups with total impunity – violate international law and too often go unpunished. We need to get things moving, to remind ourselves as citizens that journalists are dying for us, to keep us informed,” said Thibaut Bruttin.
“We must continue to count, name, condemn, investigate, and ensure that justice is served. Fatalism should never win. Protecting those who inform us is protecting the truth,” Bruttin added.
