UN Chief: 85% of Crimes Against Journalists Go Unpunished

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the alarming level of impunity for crimes committed against journalists, revealing that 85 percent of such cases remain neither investigated nor punished.

Speaking ahead of World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on May 3, Guterres described the situation as unacceptable, stressing that press freedom remains a fundamental pillar of democracy. He noted that the media serves as a public watchdog, a principle strongly reinforced by the 1991 Windhoek Declaration, which led the United Nations to dedicate a day to defending press freedom worldwide.

The UN chief warned that economic pressures, emerging technologies, and deliberate manipulation of information are placing press freedom under unprecedented strain.

“When access to reliable information erodes, mistrust takes root. When public debate is distorted, social cohesion weakens. And when journalism is undermined, crises become far more difficult to prevent and resolve,” he said.

He added, “All freedom depends on press freedom. Without it, there can be no human rights, no sustainable development, and no peace.”

Guterres further observed that journalists are often the first casualties in conflict zones, risking their lives to report events. He noted that media workers worldwide face censorship, surveillance, legal harassment, and even death. In recent years, he said, there has been a sharp rise in the number of journalists deliberately targeted and killed.

He called for stronger protection for journalists and renewed efforts to ensure a world where the truth and those who report it are safe.