OUTRAGE AS IPI DEATH WATCH DECLARES 45 JOURNALISTS MURDERED IN 2021
No less than 45 journalists were reportedly murdered in connection with their work globally in 2021.
It was uncovered that the sombre tally reflected the continued risks of doing journalism and reaffirms journalist safety as a global challenge.
According to the International Press Institute (IPI) research information, which New Telegraph sighted yesterday, IPI said the high death toll demands that the authorities should end impunity for these crimes and ensure the protection of journalists, who must be able to do their work freely and safely.
The Death Watch, according to IPI, reveals that killings of journalists have occurred in almost every part of the world, confirming that journalist safety is a global problem that is not confined to particular regions. Asia and the Pacific was the deadliest region for journalists in 2021, with 18 killings, most of which occurred in India (6) and Afghanistan (6).
Ten killings occurred in the Americas, which led the list in 2020. Seven journalists were killed in Mexico, one in Colombia, one in Guatemala, and one in Haiti. Six journalists were killed in Europe: two in Azerbaijan, one in Georgia, one in Turkey, one in the Netherlands (listed as Under Investigation), and one in Greece.
Two journalists were killed in the MENA region, both in Yemen, while nine journalists were killed in Sub-Saharan Africa, most of whom were in the Democratic Republic of Congo (3), followed by Burkina Faso and Somalia (both 2). The report added: “Today, the IPI global network published its yearly Death Watch. IPI’s research shows that since the beginning of 2021, a total of 45 journalists were killed in connection with their work, or lost their lives on assignment.
“Of these 45 journalists, 40 were male and five were female. A total of 28 were targeted due to their work, while three were killed while covering conflict, two lost their lives covering civil unrest, and one journalist was killed while on assignment. Eleven cases are still under investigation.”
