PARIS (Web Desk) – The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has said that 128 journalists were killed around the world during 2025, more than half of them in the Middle East.
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said this is the deadliest figure since 2024. He stressed that these are not just statistics but a global red alert for colleagues everywhere. He described the situation in conflict zones as extremely dangerous and alarming, noting that 56 professional journalists lost their lives within a single year during the war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
According to Bellanger, such a high number of deaths in such a short time and within such a small area has never been seen before. He added that journalists have also been killed in Yemen, Ukraine, Sudan, Peru, India, and other countries.
Condemning these incidents, the IFJ General Secretary said a form of “impunity” exists for those behind the attacks, and when justice is not delivered, it allows the killers of journalists to thrive.
The IFJ further reported that 533 journalists are currently imprisoned worldwide, a number that has more than doubled over the past five years. China once again tops the list of countries with the highest number of jailed journalists, with 143 behind bars.
Similarly, the situation in Hong Kong is not much different. Western countries have criticized the enforcement of national security laws there, accusing authorities of using them to suppress dissent.
The IFJ’s count of killed journalists is higher than that of Reporters Without Borders due to differences in methodology. Among those who died this year, nine journalists lost their lives due to various accidents.
Reporters Without Borders says that 67 journalists were killed while carrying out their duties this year, while UNESCO has put the figure at 93.