BRUSSELS (AP) — Russia’s war in Ukraine, chaos in Haiti and
rising violence by criminal
groups in Mexico contributed to a sharp spike in the number of
journalists killed doing their work in 2022, according to a new report released
Friday.
The International Federation of Journalists says that
67 journalists and media staff have been killed around the world so far this
year, up from 47 last year.
The Brussels-based group also tallied 375 journalists
currently imprisoned for their work, with the highest figures in China
including Hong
Kong, in Myanmar and
in Turkey.
Last year’s report listed 365 journalists behind bars.
With the number of media workers killed on the rise,
the IFJ and other media rights groups have called on governments to take more
concrete action to protect journalists and free journalism.
“The failure to act will only embolden those who seek
to suppress the free flow of information and undermine the ability of people to
hold their leaders to account, including in ensuring that those with power and
influence do not stand in the way of open and inclusive societies,” IFJ General
Secretary Anthony Bellanger said in a statement.
More media workers were killed covering
the war in Ukraine — 12 in total — than in any other country this
year, according to the IFJ. Most were Ukrainian but also included those of
other nationalities such as American
documentary filmmaker Brent Renaud. Many deaths occurred in the first
chaotic weeks of the war, though threats to journalists continue as the
fighting drags on.
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