Human Rights Day 2025: 111 journalists killed this year, say IFJ
On Human Rights Day, the NUJ has joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in urging governments to end clear violations of international law after 111 journalists were killed this year.
The IFJ’s annual Killed List records another lethal year for the profession after 122 journalists were killed in 2024.
Despite journalists’ status as civilians under international law, the IFJ notes a high concentration of deaths in conflict zones. Almost half of deaths in 2025 have been in Gaza, where 51 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed by Israeli forces. This includes the killing of five Al-Jazeera journalists and a freelance photojournalist in an airstrike on a tent.
Yemen ranks second with 13 journalists killed - all in a single Israeli airstrike on the offices of the 26 September newspaper - followed by Ukraine with eight journalists killed, at least half of whom were targeted by Russian drones. Six killings were recorded in Sudan, where warring parties, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have targeted journalists reporting on the civil war.
Elsewhere, there were four deaths in India and three in Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, and the Philippines.
© IFJ
The IFJ has also published the list of 533 jailed journalists. 143 journalists are jailed in China while 149 journalists are imprisoned across Europe, marking an almost 40% rise from last year, largely due to increased repression in Azerbaijan and Russia. In the Middle East and Arab World, 74 journalists are in prison, primarily in Yemen (11), Egypt (15), and Israel, where 41 Palestinian journalists are detained.
The NUJ joins the IFJ in deploring the killings and urging governments to strengthen protections for media professionals and hold accountable those who kill journalists.
Séamus Dooley, NUJ assistant general secretary, said:
“Journalists around the world are on the frontline in defending press freedom and upholding truth. Many have been killed while reporting from conflict zones, including at least 51 journalists in Gaza in 2025 alone. We owe all those colleagues an enormous collective debt and express our deep condolences to their families.
“There must be an end to the impunity that enables the targeting and killing of journalists at such a shocking scale. We urge all states to enforce international law and call on the UK to support a binding UN convention that would oblige governments to investigate every crime, prosecute the perpetrators, and protect journalists in all circumstances.”
Dominique Pradalié, IFJ president, said:
“Journalists’ killings and imprisonment are rising in 2025, and it is deeply shameful to see how little governments around the world are doing to protect them or uphold the basic principles of press freedom. Instead, we are witnessing direct targeting, blatant attempts to silence critical voices, and efforts to control the narrative on matters of public interest. These actions are all in clear violation of international law.
“The world must wake up to these brutal attacks on journalists and to the growing efforts to restrict the public’s right to pluralistic and independent information. The time has come – indeed, it is long overdue – to adopt an international instrument dedicated to the safety and protection of journalists. We therefore urge all United Nations Member States to move forward on this goal without delay.
“More than ever, people everywhere deserve full access to information, and journalists must be protected from any attempt to silence them. We demand justice."