RASC News Agency: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has identified 2024 as the deadliest year for journalists, reporting the tragic loss of 122 journalists and media professionals globally. In a statement released on Tuesday, December 31, the IFJ disclosed that 14 of the victims were women. The report highlights that 58% of these killings occurred in the Middle East, particularly in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria. Since October 7, 2023, the number of journalists killed in Palestine has surged to a staggering 147, marking an unprecedented toll.
In Asia, the IFJ documented the murders of 22 journalists in 2024, with Pakistan accounting for seven fatalities and India recording three. Meanwhile, nine journalists lost their lives in the Americas, and four others were killed in European countries during the same year. The federation has urgently called on the United Nations to bolster protections for journalists, emphasizing the alarming increase in violence and suppression against media professionals worldwide. The report also sheds light on the dire situation in Afghanistan, where hundreds of journalists were imprisoned or forced out of their jobs in 2024 under the Taliban’s repressive regime.
It underscores that the level of intimidation and control faced by Afghanistani journalists is unparalleled. Most independent media outlets in the country have been shut down, while the few remaining have been reduced to serving as mouthpieces for Taliban propaganda. These findings underscore the critical need for concerted global efforts to defend press freedom, ensure the safety of journalists, and hold those responsible for such heinous crimes accountable.
