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Dramatic rise in the number of journalists killed in six months

By AT News |

The number of journalists killed worldwide has surged dramatically in the first half of 2025, according to the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC). Since January, 86 media workers have been killed across 26 countries, marking a 16% increase compared to the same period last year.

Gaza: Epicenter of the Crisis

The ongoing conflict in Gaza is the primary driver behind this spike. At least 31 Palestinian journalists were killed in six months by the Israeli army, accounting for more than a third of the global toll.

“The Israeli government is directly responsible for this tragedy, which targets civilians reporting on the situation in Gaza. The Israeli soldiers involved in these war crimes must be identified and prosecuted. This is a massacre on an unprecedented scale,” said PEC President Blaise Lempen, noting that nearly 200 Palestinian journalists have died since October 2023.
He urged an immediate end to the hostilities.

Other Conflict Zones

  • Sudan: 6 journalists killed amid ongoing hostilities.

  • Mexico: 6 journalists murdered — averaging one per month.

  • Ukraine-Russia war: 6 journalist deaths, including 5 in contested Ukrainian territories and Russia.

  • Iran: 4 media workers killed in Israeli airstrikes on Tehran in June.

South Asia Update

PEC’s South & Southeast Asia representative Nava Thakuria provided regional details:

  • India: 4 journalists killed — Mukesh Chandrakar, Raghavendra Vajpayee, Sahadev Dey, and Dharmendra Singh Chauhan.

  • Pakistan: 3 journalists — Allah Dino Shar, Abdul Latif Baloch, and Syed Mohammed Shah.

  • Nepal: 1 journalist — Suresh Rajak.

  • Bangladesh and Myanmar: No journalist killings reported so far in 2025.

Other Countries with Fatalities

  • 2 deaths each in: Colombia, Honduras, Iraq, the United States, Peru, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.

  • 1 death each in: Brazil, DRC, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Lebanon, Nepal, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Zimbabwe.

Regional Breakdown

  • Middle East: 43 deaths — the deadliest region

  • Latin America: 16

  • Africa: 10

  • Europe: 6

  • North America: 2

In 2024, PEC recorded 179 media worker deaths globally, including 80 in Gaza, with 74 killed in the first half of the year.

PEC condemned all killings and called for thorough investigations, expressing hope for a safer second half of 2025 for media professionals worldwide.

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