IFJ releases final 2025 list of 128 journalists and media workers killed

One hundred and twenty-eight journalists and media workers, including 10 women, lost their lives in 2025, according to the International Federation of Journalists' (IFJ) final Killed List released on 31 December. The list includes nine accidental deaths. The IFJ deplores another deadly year for journalists, while denouncing the persistent failure of authorities to protect media workers and calling for immediate, decisive action to end the cycle of violence and impunity in 2026.

The updated list documents 17 additional cases confirmed after 10 December, underscoring a particularly deadly year for journalism and the continued prevalence of impunity. The Federation had released a preliminary list on 9 December, reporting 111 killings, including one accidental death.

The list of 31 December is the result of additional deaths in Palestine, Tanzania, Peru and Guatemala, as well as the accidental deaths of seven media workers in Nigeria - one in Burundi and one in Iran - and other killings that have been brought to the Federation's attention.

• Since 1990 and the launch of its annual Killed List, the IFJ has recorded 3,173 deaths worldwide, an average of 91 deaths per year, and 876 in the last ten years.
• The Federation has also released the list of 533 journalists in jail: China stands out as the world's biggest jailer.
• For the third consecutive year, the Middle East and Arab World has been the region worst affected.

With 74 journalists killed - including 56 in Palestine - the Middle East and Arab World region accounted for 58%of all media professionals killed worldwide. Yemen ranks second with 13 deaths, then Ukraine with eight. Sudan reported six deaths, India and Peru four, and several other countries - including the Philippines, Mexico, Peru and Pakistan - each lost three journalists. These figures highlight the concentration of danger in conflict zones, while underscoring the need to strengthen the protection of media professionals and to bring to justice those who kill journalists.

In 2024, the IFJ documented122 deaths, including 14 women, and 516 imprisoned journalists.

Middle East and Arab World (74)

The Middle East and Arab World holds a macabre record for the number of journalists killed in 2025, with 74 deaths.

Palestinian journalists have paid the highest price, as a result of the war in Gaza, where the IFJ recorded 56 killings. The most emblematic was the 10 August targeted attack on Anas Al-Sharif, an Al Jazeera reporter: he was killed, along with five other journalists and media workers, in a tent housing journalists on the outskirts of Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. In Yemen, journalists have also paid the ultimate price for this conflict, with one attack by the Israeli Army on the offices of the '26 September' newspaper killing 13 journalists and media workers. This is considered one of the worst-ever attacks on media offices.

Journalists were also targeted and killed in Syria (2) and Iran (2) because of their work, where an accidental death was also recorded, bringing the total number of journalists killed in Iran to three.

Governments across the region have also shown their determination to stifle press freedom by instilling fear in critical journalists: 74 journalists are currently imprisoned, primarily in Israel (41 Palestinian journalists detained), Egypt (15) and Yemen (11).

Asia-Pacific (15)

The IFJ deplores the killing of 15 journalists in the Asia-Pacific region, including four in India, three in Pakistan, three in the Philippines, two in Bangladesh, plus two in Afghanistan and one in Nepal. Of particular note was the brutal murder of Indian journalist Mukesh Chandrakar on 1 January. He was beaten to death with an iron bar for his reporting and later found in a septic tank.

The Asia-Pacific region continues to imprison the largest number of journalists for their work: 277 are currently behind bars. With 143 journalists imprisoned, China (including Hong Kong) remains the world's largest jail for media professionals. This is followed by Myanmar with 49 and Vietnam with 37.

Europe (10)

The IFJ has recorded 10 killings in Europe this year: eight in Ukraine, one in Russia and one in Turkey.

It is the third time in the last ten years that Europe has recorded such a high number of journalists killed - first in 2015 with the Charlie Hebdo (satirical magazine) massacre in Paris, then in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This year, the war between Russia and Ukraine has been particularly deadly, with nine journalists killed.

The figures also highlight a deeply worrying trend: the use of drones to target journalists or their vehicles. Ukrainian journalists Olena Hramova, Yevhen Karmazin and Tetyana Kulyk, as well as French journalist Antoni Lallican, were deliberately killed by Russian drones. Russian journalist Ivan Zuev was reportedly also killed in a drone attack.

In Europe, the number of journalists imprisoned (149) has risen by nearly 40% compared to last year, mainly due to intensified repression in Azerbaijan and Russia. This is the highest figure recorded in Europe since 2018.

Africa (18)

Nine media workers were killed in Africa in 2025. Once again, Sudan was the epicentre of journalist killings in the region, accounting for six of the deaths. Since the conflict in Sudan began on 15 April 2023, journalists reporting on the civil war have been specifically targeted by the warring factions, particularly by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Elsewhere, the IFJ also recorded one killing each in Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

Seven media professionals were also killed in a car accident in Nigeria on 29 December. The IFJ considers these killings as non-work-related. One accidental death was also recorded in Burundi.

African journalists continued to be imprisoned on vague and fabricated charges. Twenty-seven journalists are still imprisoned in Africa. Eritrea (7) is the continent's biggest jailer of journalists, some of whom have been behind bars for over a decade. Many African countries continue to weaponise their national law, by using it to silence journalists.

Americas (11)

The region has recorded 11 killings this year. Peru tops the list of countries where practising journalism can be fatal: it has seen four journalists murdered in 2025 alone. The situation in Peru is particularly worrying, as this is a country that has seen no fatal crimes against journalists for almost a decade. Mexico recorded three killings. Colombia, Honduras and Ecuador have each recorded one killing.

Additionally, the IFJ has recorded six imprisoned journalists in the region, including four in Venezuela.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "128 journalists killed in a single year is not just a statistic, it is a global crisis. These deaths are a brutal reminder that journalists are being targeted with impunity, simply for doing their job. Governments must act now to protect media workers, bring killers to justice, and uphold press freedom. The world can no longer wait: it is time for a United Nations convention that guarantees the safety and independence of journalists everywhere."

• Download the list of journalists and media workers killed in 2025 here.
• Dowload the list of journalists and media workers jailed in 2025 here

For interviews: Anthony Bellanger, IFJ General Secretary, [email protected].