Journalists Under Attack

Greek crime journalist shot dead in Athens in ‘execution-style’ murder

A prominent Greek crime journalist has been shot dead in what was described as an “execution-style” murder near his home in Athens.

Nigerian journalist found dead

Onifade Emmanuel Pelumi, a Nigerian reporter and intern with the privately owned Gboah TV broadcaster, was found dead on October 30, 2020, in a mortuary in southwestern Lagos state, according to Pelumi’s family lawyer, Lekan Egberongbe, who spoke with CPJ in a phone interview, and a statement by local media protection group Media Rights Agenda.

Journalist stabbed while returning home from work

Iliyas Hossain, 45, a correspondent for the local Bangla daily newspaper, Dainik Bijoy, was repeatedly stabbed while returning home from work on the evening of October 11, 2020, in Narayanganj, a suburb of Dhaka, according to news reports and a photo of the body, which CPJ has seen. He was found in the street and taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead.

Gunmen on motorcycle kill journalist in Honduras

Gunmen riding on a motorcycle shot to death a journalist in Honduras who had worked in radio and television before starting his own social media information channel.

Former radio reporter killed in Sorsogon shooting

A former radio reporter in Sorsogon – now with the Balangibog News Online portal – was gunned down on Monday evening, September 14.

Director-General urges investigation into killing of community radio journalist Abelardo Liz in Colombia

The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has condemned the killing of Abelardo Liz, a community radio journalist in the town of Corinto, in the southwestern department of Cauca on 13 August.

Journalists killed in Honduras

On July 1, 2020, two unidentified individuals shot Jorge Posas, a camera operator and technician at the local privately owned TV station Canal 45, and German Vallecillo Jr., a host at the station, while they drove in the residential area of El Naranjal, in the northeastern Honduran city of La Ceiba, according to news reports.

Second journalist killed in Mexico in under a week

Unidentified assailants shot a journalist dead outside his home in the western Mexican state of Michoacan, state prosecutors said on Wednesday, in the second killing of a reporter in the past week.

Photojournalist Christoff Griffith killed at crime scene in Barbados

Authorities in Barbados must thoroughly investigate the killing of photojournalist Christoff Griffith and ensure those responsible are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Griffith is the first journalist CPJ has recorded as killed in relation to his work in Barbados.

Killing of Pakistani anti-corruption journalist sparks protests

The murder of a reporter known for exposing corruption has set off a wave of protests across Pakistan’s western Balochistan province, one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist.

Mexico journalist gunned down – the fifth to be killed this year

Press groups have called for justice after unidentified gunmen killed a journalist in southern Mexico, along with a police officer assigned to protect him after a 2016 attack.

Journalist killed when bomb targets Khurshid TV

Mir Wahed Shah, an economics reporter at the privately-owned broadcaster Khurshid TV, was killed when a bomb targeted a Khurshid TV van, according to news reports. Shafiq Amiri, a technician with Khurshid TV, was also killed in the blast, and six employees were injured, TOLO News reported.

Syrian journalist killed in Russian airstrikes

Russian and Syrian military forces must ensure the safety of journalists and other civilians and hold those responsible for journalists’ deaths to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Mexico: first journalist found dead in 2020 after high number of 2019 killings

It has taken just over a week for Mexico – one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists – to record its first murder of a reporter in 2020.

TV journalist Abdiwali Ali Hassan killed by gunmen in Somalia

Gunmen killed a TV and radio journalist in Somalia’s Afgooye district on Sunday, police said.

Nigerian journalist Alex Ogbu dies at protest

Nigerian authorities should conduct a credible and transparent investigation into the death of journalist Alex Ogbu, publicize the results of his autopsy, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Brazilian journalist Léo Veras shot and killed in Paraguay

Authorities in Brazil and Paraguay must work together to promptly and thoroughly investigate the killing of Brazilian journalist Lourenço “Léo” Veras and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Body of Pakistani reporter found hours after he went missing

The body of a Pakistani journalist was found dumped in a canal just hours after he went missing while on his way to work, police said Monday. His family said he was brutally killed but that they have no idea who was behind the slaying.

Sharp decline in 2019 media deaths as reporters retreat from deadly conflicts

A total of 48 journalists died in incidents, and accidents, directly related to their job in 2019. That was the lowest number of media workers killed in 16 years, according to the ‘Killing The Messenger’ report of journalism casualties from around the world, published annually by the International News Safety Institute (INSI).

Director-General condemns murder of radio journalist Maxwell Nashan in Nigeria

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has denounced the killing of broadcaster Maxell Nashan in Nigeria’s State of Adamawa on 15 January and called for an investigation into this crime.

“I condemn the murder of Maxwell Nashan,” said the Director-General. “I call on the authorities to investigate this crime and ensure that attacks on journalists are brought to trial in the interest of press freedom, the fundamental human right of freedom of expression, and rule of law.”

Maxwell Nashan, a reporter and news presenter for the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), was abducted on 15 January and died in hospital on the same day after he was found unconscious and severely injured. The journalist is reported to have received threats to his life.

UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and a range of actions, notably in the framework of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

Al-Rasheed TV CEO Nizar Thanoun shot and killed in Baghdad

Beirut, February 12, 2020 — Iraqi authorities should conduct a swift and transparent investigation into the killing of Al-Rasheed TV chief executive officer Nizar Thanoun and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said.

Freelance photographer killed in a Russian airstrike

On February 4, 2020, Syrian freelance photographer Amjad Anas Aktalati was killed in a Russian airstrike on the city of Ariha, south of Idlib, according to news reports, Facebook posts by other Syrian journalists, and a report by the Syrian Journalists’ Association, a France-based independent journalists’ syndicate.

Hundreds mourn reporters shot dead after covering Iraq protests

Hundreds of Iraqis on Saturday mourned two reporters shot dead the previous evening in the country's southern city of Basra, where they had been covering months of anti-government protests.