Mideast 'one of the most dangerous places ever for journalists,' UN rights chief says

By Nur Asena Erturk

The Middle East has become “one of the most dangerous places ever for journalists,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement on Friday.

Volker Turk marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists that falls on Nov. 2, and stressed that journalists “are the eyes and ears of a world on fire, and the voice of victims in crisis.”

Turk said attacks against journalists are increasing, and they “are being killed, harassed, intimidated, imprisoned or silenced – from Gaza and Ukraine to Sudan, Myanmar and beyond.”

“In 2023, 71 journalists and media workers were killed, and over 300 imprisoned,” he shared, adding that women journalists are “often specifically targeted for online harassment that can escalate into physical violence.”

“In particular, today’s devastating conflicts have made the Middle East one of the most dangerous places ever for journalists, resulting in alarming numbers of casualties among media workers, Turk deplored.

“The toll is shockingly high for Palestinian journalists. They must be so much better protected.”

Impunity for attacks against journalists “undermines justice,” and more than “eight out of every ten killings of journalists go unpunished,” he said, calling on governments to do more “to prevent attacks, to protect journalists, and to prosecute those responsible.”