“Right now, the risks for journalists are higher than ever, and this is dramatically evident in the Middle East, where UNESCO recently lamented the deadliest week for journalists in any recent conflict,” the organization stressed in a declaration.

Various sources reported the death of over thirty reporters in the context of the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the indiscriminate bombings against the Gaza Strip. At least 12 journalists lost their lives in the exercise of their profession: 10 in Gaza, one in Israel, and another in Lebanon.

However, UNESCO warned that the data also reveals the significant risks that journalists face in times of peace. In particular, the UN institution drew attention to threats during electoral periods, stating that 759 individual attacks were documented between January 2019 and June 2022, including five murders, within the course of 89 elections in 70 countries.

“Journalists should not be subjected to threats or attacks, nor deprived of reporting freely at any time. We urge governments to take additional measures to guarantee the safety of journalists, the right to freedom of expression and access to information (…)”, said the Deputy Director General of Communication and Information, Tawfik Jelassi.

Jelassi also affirmed that these are fundamental human rights crucial for the functioning of democracy.

UNESCO reminded in its call that in 2024 more than 2.6 billion people will be summoned to the polls, a context in which journalists will play a fundamental role in guaranteeing the public access to accurate information.

The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists was set in December 2013, when the UN General Assembly approved its first resolution related to the security of journalists and the issue of impunity. The day was chosen in commemoration of the murder of two French journalists (Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon) that year in Mali.

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