Paris – Seventy-four journalists and other media workers were killed worldwide in 2016, the majority of whom died as a result of targeted attacks, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Monday in the second part of its annual report.
It added that Syria, where 19 journalists were killed this year, was the world’s most deadliest country for journalists to work in.
Afghanistan, where 10 journalists have been killed, was listed as the second deadliest, followed by Mexico, where nine journalists lost their lives.
“The violence against journalists is more and more deliberate,” Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire said.
“They are clearly being targeted and murdered because they are journalists,” he noted.
The number of deaths in 2016 is slightly lower than the previous year, when 101 journalists were killed.
Reporters Without Borders said the fall in deaths was partially due to the fact that many journalists have already fled dangerous countries such as Syria, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan.
“So that international law can be enforced, the UN must establish a concrete mechanism for implementing resolutions,” Deloire said, adding that “with the arrival of a new UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, a special representative for the protection of journalists must be appointed as a matter of urgency.”
