Ukraine and Mexico emerge as most dangerous countries for journalists in 2022
Press Emblem Campaign (PEC)
Geneva, 14 December 2022: Ukraine and Mexico emerge as the most dangerous countries for media work this year, stated the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) in its annual report published in Geneva on Wednesday.
Since January, 115 media workers have been killed in 29 countries around the world and the number of victims is increased by 45% compared to last year (79 journo-casualties).
“It is the highest number of casualties since 2018 with a brutal deterioration in Europe due to the war in Ukraine. By region, Latin America is ahead with 39 journalists killed, followed by Europe with 37 victims, then Asia 30, Africa 7 and North America 2,” said PEC president Blaise Lempen. He strongly condemns these attacks and calls for those responsible for these crimes to be brought to justice as quickly as possible.
Europe experienced the worst deterioration in the safety of journalists since the wars in former Yugoslavia from 1992 to 1999. In Ukraine, it is very difficult to establish the exact circumstances of the deaths of journalists in the absence of an independent investigation. PEC counted 34 victims (including 8 foreign nationals) since the beginning of 24 February Russian invasion.
At least 8 journalists were clearly killed in the line of duty, 12 others on Russian shelling attacks or other crimes and at least 14 as fighters in the Ukrainian army (Kyiv institute of mass information).
After Ukraine, Mexico was the most dangerous country with 17 victims, the highest annual death toll since at least the beginning of the century in this country. They were the target of criminal gangs in a climate of violence and impunity. At the third place with 8 victims, Haiti has experienced significant deterioration due to growing insecurity. Six deaths were recorded in Pakistan, 5 in the Philippines, 4 in Colombia and 4 in India.
Three victims were registered in the following countries : Bangladesh, Honduras, Israël/Palestine, and Yemen. Two deaths were recorded in Brazil, Chad, Ecuador, Myanmar, Somalia, Syria, United States of America. Finally, one victim has been identified in the following countries : Central African Republic, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Paraguay, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, and Vietnam.
As a positive note, there was no casualties among journalists so far in Afghanistan in 2022 instead of 12 in 2021. However, many journalists were obliged to flee the country.
On average more than 2 journalists killed each week. In the last decade (from 2013 to 2022), 1135 journalists were killed, or 113 per year, 2.2 per week, according to figures from the PEC. It hopes that the international community will start in 2023 the work for an international convention to enhance the safety of journalists. It would be a great step forward to better fight against impunity.
Pakistan and India continue to be dangerous countries for media professionals in the recent past, reveals PEC’s south Asia representative Nava Thakuria. Last year Pakistan witnessed the killing of 7 journalists (6 for India) and in 2020 Pakistan lost 8 and India 15 media persons to assailants.
This year, Pakistan reported the killing of Sadaf Naeem, Arshad Sharif, Muhammad Younis, Iftikhar Ahmed, Hasnain Shah, Murtaza Shar and Athar Mateen. Naeem, a Pak television reporter was crushed to death as she fell from a truck during the political march of former premier Imran Khan. Another broadcast journalist Sharif, who remained critical to Pak military agencies, was shot dead in Nairobi by Kenya police.
India witnessed the murder of journalists Rohit Kumar Biswal, Sudhir Saini, Juned Khan Pathan and Subhash Kumar Mahato. Three journalists (Hashibur Rahaman Rubel, Mohiuddin Sarker Nayeem and Abdul Bari) were killed in India’s eastern neighbour Bangladesh, where Myanmar lost photojournalist Aye Kyaw and reporter Pu Tui Dim to the relentless military atrocities.
India’s other neighbours namely Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka did not report any incident of journo-murder during the year.
Most dangerous countries over the last 5 years (2018-2022)
JANUARY 2022: 1 Amady John Wesley (C), Ecoute FM, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan 6 – 2 Wilguens Louissaint (C), Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan 6 – 3 Muratkhan Bazarbayev (A), Almaty TV, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Jan 6 – 4 Pu Tui Dim (A/T), Khonumthung Media Group, Matupi, Chin State, Myanmar, Jan 9 – 5 Pablo Isabel Hernandez Rivera (C/T), Radio Tenan, Tierra Colorada, Honduras, Jan 9 – 6 Jose Luis Gamboa (C), Inforegio, Veracruz, Mexico, Jan 10 – 7 Jaynard Angeles (C/O), Radyo ni Juan Tacurong, Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, Phillppines, Jan 12 – 8 Margarito Martinez (C/T), Cadena Noticias, Tijuana, Mexico, Jan 17 – 9 Lourdes Maldonado (C/T), PSN, Tijuana, Mexico, Jan 23 – 10 Hasnain Shah (C/T), Capital TV, Lahore, Pakistan, Jan 24 – 11 Murtaza Shar (C/O), Urdu TV channel Ummat, Sanghar, Sindh, Pakistan, Jan 30 – 12 Roberto Toledo (C/T), Monitor Michoacan, Zitacuaro, Michoacan, Mexico, Jan 31
FEBRUARY 2022: 13 Rohit Kumar Biswal (A), Dharitri daily, Kalahandi, Odisha, India, Feb 5 – 14 Marcos Ernesto Islas Flores (C/T), Notiredes, Tijuana, Mexico, Feb 6 – 15 Mervan Yusuf (Marwan Yousef) (A), Harad, Hajjah governorate, Yemen, Feb 6 – 16 Givanildo Oliveira (C/T), Pirambu News, Fortaleza, Brazil, Feb 7 – 17 Djaï-Loramadji Evariste (A/T), radio Lotiko, Sandana, Moyen Chari, Tchad, Feb 9 – 18 Sudhir Saini (C), Shah Times, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, Feb 10 – 19 Heber Lopez Osorio (C/T), Noticias Web de Salina Cruz, Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, Mexico, Feb 10 – 20 Juned Khan Pathan (C), Surat, Gujarat, India, Feb 13 – 21 Athar Mateen (C), Samaa TV, Karachi, Pakistan, Feb 18 – 22 Gungor Arslan (C/T), Ses Kocaeli, Izmit, Kocaeli, Turkey, Feb 19 – 23 Lazarre Maxihen (C/A), Rois des infos, Port-au-Prince, Haïti, Feb 23 – 24 Michelle Perez Tadeo (C/T), TV presenter, Mexico City, Mexico, Feb 23 – 25 Jean Sinclair Gbossokotto (C/O), Anti Intox RCA, Bangui, Central African Republic, Feb 23 – 26 Shakirov Dilerbek Shukurovych (C/A), Navkolo Tebe (Around You), Kherson, Ukraine, Feb 26 – 27 Ihor Hudenko (A), photojournalist, Kharkiv, Ukraine, Feb 26
MARCH 2022: 28 Yevhenii Sakun (A), TV cameraman, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 1 – 29 Serhyi Pushenko (A), freelancer, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 2 – 30 Juan Carlos Muñiz (C/T), Testigo Minero, Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico, March 4 – 31 Viktor Dudar (on military service), Expres, Mykolaiv, Ukraine, March 4 – 32 Orlando Villanueva (C/T), Noticias del Puerto, Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, March 8 – 33 Pasha Lee /Pavlo Li) (A), Dom TV, Irpin, Ukraine, March 8 – 34 Viktor Dedov (A/T), Sigma TV, Mariupol, Ukraine, March 11 – 35 Brent Renaud (A/T), New York Times, Irpin, Ukraine, March 13 – 36 Maks Levin (A/T), freelance, Huta Mezhyhirska (Kyiv), Ukraine, March 13 (found dead April 1rst) – 37 Pierre Zakrzewski (A/T), Fox News, Horenka, Ukraine, March 14 – 38 Oleksandra Kurshynova (A/T), Fox News, Horenka, Ukraine, March 14 – 39 Armando Linares (C/T), Monitor Michoacan, Zitacuaro, Michoacan, Mexico, March 15 – 40 Sierra Jenkins (A), The Virginian Pilot, Norfolk, USA, March 19 – 41 Oksana Baulina (A), The Insider, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 23 – 42 Fawaz Al Wafi (C/T), photojournalist, Taiz, Yemen, March 23 – 43 Yuriy Oliynyk (on military service), 24th channel, Luhansk, Ukraine, March 23 – 44 Sergey Zaikovsky (A), translator, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 24 – 45 Denis Kotenko (A), press officer, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 24 – 46 Oleg Yakunin (on military service), Mlsto.zp.ua, Ukraine, March 25
APRIL 2022: 47 Eugene Bal (tortured), Mariupol, Ukraine, April 2 – 48 Mantas Kvedaravicius (A/T), doc. filmmaker, Mariupol, Ukraine, April 3 – 49 Roman Nezhyborets (found dead), Dytynets TV, Yahidne, Ukraine, April 6 – 50 Oksana Gaydar (A), Brovary city, Kyiv, Ukraine, April 12 – 51 Olexander Lytkin (A), dtp.kiev.ua, Kyiv, Ukraine, April 12 – 52 Zoreslav Zamoysky (found dead), freelancer, Bucha, Ukraine, April 13 – 53 Mohiuddin Sarker Nayeem (C), Dainik Cumillar Dak, Cumilla district , Bangladesh, April 13 – 54 Jhannah Villegas (C/T), Sagad and Bugso/Radyo Ukay, Kidapawan city, Maguindanao, Philippines, April 15 – 55 Vira Hyrych (A/T), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kyiv, Ukraine, April 28 – 56 Evgen Starinets (A), Suspilne TV, Cherkasy, Ukraine, April 30
MAY 2022: 57 Oleksandr Makhov (in fighting), Ukraine/Dom TV, Izyum, Kharkiv, Ukraine, May 4 – 58 Luis Enrique Ramirez (C/T), El Debate, Sinaloa, Mexico, May 5 – 59 Maxim Medinskiy (in fighting), Odessa region, Ukraine, May 6 – 60 Yesenia Mollinedo (C/T), El Veraz, Veracruz, Mexico, May 9 – 61 Sheila Johana Garcia (C/T), El Veraz, Veracruz, Mexico, May 9 – 62 Shireen Abu Akleh (A/T), Al-Jazzera, Jenin, West Bank/Israel, May 11 – 63 Francisca Sandoval (A/T), Senal 3La Victoria, Santiago, Chile, May 12 – 64 Subash Kumar Mahato (C/T), City News Begusarai, Begusarai, Bihar, India, May 20 – 65 Ricardo Alcides Avila (C/T), Metro TV, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, May 25 – 66 Vitaliy Derekh (in fighting), Ternopil, Popasna Donetskyi District, Ukraine, May 28 – 67 Kostyantyn Kits (in fighting) Avers channel, Lutsk, Ukraine, May 28 – 68 Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff (A), BFMTV, Severodonetsk, Ukraine, May 30
JUNE 2022: 69 Ghufran Harun Warasneh (C/T), Hebron, West Bank/Israel, June 1 – 70 Dom Philips (C/T), The Guardian, Javari valley, Amazon, Brazil, June 5 – 71 Abdul Bari (C), DBC News, Dhaka, Bangladesh, June 8 – 72 Oleksiy Chubashev (in battle), Rekrut program, Ukraine, June 10 – 73 Saber Al-Haidari (C/T), NHK TV, Aden, Yemen, June 15 – 74 Antonio de la Cruz (C/T), Expreso, Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico, June 29 – 75 Federico Ding Gempesaw (C/T), Radyo Natin, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, June 29
JULY 2022: 76 Iftikhar Ahmed (C/T), Express, Shabqadar, Khyber Pakchtwakhwa, Pakistan, July 2 – 77 Hashibur Notun Shomoy (O), Kushtiar daily, Kushtia, Bangladesh, July 7 – 78 Michel Hangi (C/O), radio Le Soleil Levant, Nyragongo, North Kivu, DRC, July 17
AUGUST 2022: 79 Aye Kyaw (in custody), Harman photography studio, Sagaing city, Myanmar, Aug 1 – 80 Ernesto Mendez (C/T), Tu Voz, San Luis de La Paz, Guanajuato, Mexico, Aug 2 – 81 So Cong Duong (in detention), Tieng Dan TV, Vietnam, Aug 2 – 82 Gerardo Delgado (C/T), Ola Manta TV, Manta-Montecristi, Ecuador, Aug 10 – 83 Juan Arjon Lopez (C/O), San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico, Aug 16 – 84 Daria Douguina (C/O), freelance, Moscow, Russia, Aug 20 – 85 Fredid Roman (C/T), The Reality of Guerrero, Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico, Aug 22 – 86 Muhammad Younis (C/T), Express, Jhang, Punjab, Pakistan, Aug 27 – 87 Dilla Contreras Cantillo (C/T), Sol Digital Stereo, Fundacion, Caraibe, Colombia, Aug 28 – 88 Leiner Montero Ortega (C/T), Sol Digital Stereo, Fundacion, Caraibe, Colombia, Aug 28
SEPTEMBER 2022: 89 Jeff German (C/T), Review-Journal, Las Vegas, USA, Sept 2 – 90 Nidal Ighbariya (C/T), Ynet, Umm al-Fahm, Haifa, Israel, Sept 4 – 91 Humberto Coronel (C/T), Radio Amambay, Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay, Sept 6 – 92 Tayson Latigue (C), Ti Jenn Jounalis, Cité Soleil, Haiti, Sept 11 – 93 Frantzsen Charles (C), FS News, Cité Soleil, Haiti, Sept 11 – 94 Rey Blanco (C/T), radio DYRY RFM, Mobinay, Negros oriental, Philippines, Sept 18 – 95 Dmytro Shypovsky (A), Privat TV Kharkov/Al Jazeera, Donetsk, Ukraine, Sept 21 – 96 Ahmed Mohammed Shukur (A), Somali national TV, Bal’ad, Somalia, Sept 30
OCTOBER 2022: 97 Percy Lapid (C/T), radio DWBL 1242, Las Pinas City, Metro Manila, Philippines, Oct 3 – 98 Edwin Josué Andino (C/T), La Tribuna TV, Villa Franca de Comayaguela, Honduras, Oct 12 – 99 Rafael Emiro Moreno (C/T), Voces de Cordoba, Montelbano, Cordoba, Colombia, Oct 16 – 100 Narcisse Oredjé (A), Alwihda, Djamena, Chad, Oct 20 – 101 Oleg Klokov (A), Tavria TV, Antonovsky Bridge, Kherson, Ukraine, Oct 20 – 102 Arshad Sharif (A), ARY TV (Pakistan), Nairobi, Kenya, Oct 23 – 103 Garry Tess (C), Radio Lebon FM, Les Cayes, Haiti, Oct 24 – 104 Vasyl Yavorsky (A), Espreso, Donetsk, Ukraine, Oct 24 – 105 Svetlana Babayeva (A), Rossiya Segodoya, Simfropol, Crimea, Ukraine, Oct 28 – 106 Sadaf Naeem (A), Channel 5 Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, Oct 30 – 107 Romelson Vilsaint (A), radio Generation 80, Delmas, Haiti, Oct 30 – 108 Mohamed Isse Hassan (A), M24 TV, Mogadishu, Somalia, Oct 30
NOVEMBER 2022: 109 Fritz Dorilas (C/T), Radio Tele Megastar, Tabarre, Haiti, Nov 5 – 110 Atef Al Saidi (C/A), TV Syria/Shahid Media, Deraa, Syria, Nov 5 – 111 Cesar Henry Vivanco Castro (C), photoreporter, Huaquillas, Ecuador, Nov 13 – 112 Isan Hesen Ebdullah (A), Hawar News Agency, Syria, Nov 20 – 113 Pedro Pablo Kamul (C/T), AX Noticias, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, Nov 21 – 114 Wilder Alfredo Cordoba (C/T), Union TV, La Union, Narino, Colombia, Nov 28
DECEMBER 2022: 115 Tumso Abdurakhmanov (C/T), Chechen video blogger, Sweden, Dec 2
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