conflicts
Press Institute: 66 media representatives died worldwide
The death of the journalist Shirin Abu Akle, who is prominent in the Arab world, caused a stir this year. photo
© Marwan Naamani/dpa/Archive
Last year, 45 members of the press were killed – this year there were significantly more. However, the most dangerous country for journalists was not Ukraine.
According to the International Press Institute (IPI), 66 media representatives around the world lost their lives this year because of their jobs. In 2021 there were 45 deaths, as the institute in Vienna announced.
The increase is due to a spiral of violence in Mexico and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the institute reported in Vienna. It was founded in 1950 to strengthen press freedom. In Mexico, 14 journalists were killed, eight while reporting on Russia’s war against Ukraine. “Mexico remains the most dangerous country for journalists,” the institute reported.
At least 39 members of the press deliberately killed
A total of eight were women among the 66 dead. At least 39 press representatives were killed in a targeted manner, for example because they reported on corruption or organized crime in their countries. Others died doing their jobs. Targeting journalists in conflict zones is a war crime under international law. In addition to Mexico and Ukraine, the situation for journalists was particularly dangerous in Haiti and the Philippines.
The death of Shirin Abu Akle, a journalist who is prominent in the Arab world, made headlines in May. She was killed in the occupied West Bank by shots likely fired by Israeli soldiers, according to an Israeli military investigation. The institute criticizes that few killings are cleared up. This is “fertile ground for violence against press representatives”.