BRUSSELS (NPTV/IFJ): As 2025 closed, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) released its annual list of journalists killed around the world – highlighting the ongoing and grave challenges to the profession of journalism globally.
The 2025 IFJ Killed List documented that 58% of media workers killed in the field were a result of the ongoing Gaza War and the conflicts in Lebanon, totalling 56 deaths in Gaza out of 74 recorded in the Middle East and Arab world.
In the Asia-Pacific, the ongoing impunity, draconian legislation and censorship led to ongoing intimidation and incarceration of media workers and resulted in a total of 15 recorded deaths of media workers.
The highest death toll was recorded in India – with four journalists killed in the line of duty – followed by three in both Pakistan and the Philippines, two each in Bangladesh and Afghanistan and one in Nepal.
The IFJ found that the Asia-Pacific region also continues to lay claim to the largest number of imprisoned media workers in the world, with a total of 277 currently incarcerated or detained without charge.
China remains the world’s largest jailor of journalists and media workers with at least 143 media workers behind bars. This was followed with high tallies of jailed workers in Myanmar (49) and Vietnam (37) – both closed and authoritarian states.
The IFJ released its list on December 10 on International Human Rights Day and releases its full report this month. IFJ monitoring around the world found that a total of 128 journalists were killed for simply doing their jobs, including 10 women journalists.
IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, called it a global crisis, saying governments should act with haste to protect media workers from ongoing persecution.
In its annual report IFJ had informed that 122 journalists and Media workers were slain in the year 2024 all over the world. Across Asia, 22 Media workers were killed, including seven in Pakistan. Israel’s actions in Gaza was responsible for one of the deadliest years for journalists across the globe with 58% of the killed statistics coming from that conflict. In all, 108 men were killed and 14 women. IFJ cited the case of Punjab journalist Malik Zafar Iqbal Naich, who was shot dead on 12th Dec, 2024, by two assailants while distributing local newspapers in Rahim Yar Khan. Janan Hussan’s killing has also been mentioned in the report, who was one of 41 people killed in a shooting attack on a convoy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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