Geneva: The year 2025 has emerged as one of the deadliest for journalists since the beginning of the century, second only to 2024, according to the latest figures released by the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC). The Geneva-based media safety organisation recorded the killing of 161 media professionals across 31 countries this year, compared to 179 deaths in 2024.
The Gaza Strip accounted for the highest number of casualties, with at least 60 journalists killed, almost all reportedly victims of Israeli strikes. Since the outbreak of hostilities following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, a total of 221 Palestinian media personnel have been killed in Gaza—81 in 2023, 80 in 2024, and 60 in 2025.
The ongoing Russia–Ukraine war also continued to claim journalists’ lives. According to PEC, nine journalists were killed in the conflict this year—three Ukrainian journalists, five Russian journalists killed by Ukrainian fire in border regions, and French journalist Antoni Lallican, who was killed while reporting from Ukraine.
Warning of new dangers facing war correspondents, PEC President Blaise Lempen said the growing use of “undetectable, ultra-fast drones” has created a serious and unprecedented threat for journalists. “Access to victims is increasingly restricted, making reporting from conflict zones even more perilous,” he said.
Regional toll
By region, the Middle East led the grim tally with 87 deaths, followed by Latin America (25), Asia (22), Africa (15), Europe (10) and the United States (2). PEC noted that nearly two-thirds of the victims (108) were killed in active conflict zones.
Among the worst-affected countries, Yemen reported 15 deaths, including 13 journalists killed in an Israeli strike on September 10. Mexico continued to remain one of the most dangerous countries for journalists outside war zones, with nine murders, largely linked to violence by drug cartels. Sudan also saw a sharp deterioration in media safety, with at least eight journalists killed amid ongoing fighting.
Country-wise figures
PEC recorded six deaths in India, five each in Ecuador and Pakistan, four each in Bangladesh, Iran and the Philippines, three in Peru and Syria, and two each in Afghanistan, Colombia, Honduras, Iraq, Lebanon, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the United States. One journalist death was reported from Brazil, Guatemala, Haiti, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tanzania, Turkey and Zimbabwe.
Impunity and calls for international action
Impunity remains one of PEC’s gravest concerns. The organisation warned that the absence of independent investigations and prosecutions continues to fuel violence against journalists. PEC has reiterated its support for recommendations made at the Doha Conference on the Protection of Journalists in Armed Conflicts (October 8–9), which called for the establishment of a UN-backed international commission of inquiry and, ultimately, an international convention on the protection of journalists, including the creation of a globally recognised press emblem.
PEC also expressed alarm at the rising number of journalists seeking emergency assistance and asylum due to persecution. Journalists from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Syria, Turkey and Sudan have approached the organisation for help.
“Democratic governments are increasingly shutting their doors to persecuted journalists, and asylum requests are being rejected almost systematically. This is deeply distressing,” Lempen said.
He clarified that, unlike some organisations, PEC includes all journalists killed in its statistics, regardless of whether their deaths can be conclusively linked to their professional work. “Without independent investigations, it is often impossible to determine motive,” he added.
South and Southeast Asia
PEC’s South and Southeast Asia representative Nava Thakuria said India lost six media professionals in 2025, up from four in 2024. The victims included Mukesh Chandrakar (NDTV stringer, Bastar, Chhattisgarh), Raghavendra Vajpayee (Dainik Jagran, Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh), Sahadev Dey (Republic Andaman, Diglipur), Dharmendra Singh Chauhan (Fast News India, Gurugram), Naresh Kumar (Times Odia, Bhubaneswar) and Rajeev Pratap Singh (Delhi Uttarakhand Live, Joshiyara).
In Pakistan, which recorded 12 journalist killings in 2024, five media persons were killed this year: AD Shar (Hum News), Abdul Latif (Daily Intekhab/Aaj News), Syed Mohammed Shah (Ab-Tak TV), Imtiaz Mir (Metro One News) and Tufail Rind (Royal News).
Bangladesh reported four killings in 2025, down from seven last year, while the Philippines, which had only one casualty in 2024, lost four journalists this year. Afghanistan, which saw no journalist deaths in 2024, reported two killings in 2025. Nepal recorded one journalist killing for the second consecutive year.
In contrast, Myanmar, Cambodia and Indonesia, which reported journalist casualties in 2024, did not record any such deaths in 2025.
The PEC warned that without urgent international action, the cycle of violence and impunity against journalists is likely to continue, further eroding press freedom worldwide.
