2025 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI)

November 02, 2025 – General –

On the occasion of the 2025 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI), the global press-freedom organization Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has issued a forceful appeal for a structural overhaul of how killings and attacks on journalists are investigated and prosecuted. The group’s statement, issued on 30 October 2025, points out that despite mounting evidence of targeted violence against media workers, the rate of accountability remains unacceptably low.

The CPJ emphasizes that the arbitrary killing of journalists is not just a tragedy for individuals and families, but a profound blow to societies that rely on a free press to hold power to account and enable informed civic discourse. Impunity for such crimes sends a dangerous message that truth-tellers can be silenced at will without consequence. Without effective redress and deterrence, the underlying injustice perpetuates itself.

The campaign around this year’s IDEI also underscores that comprehensive change must involve multiple stakeholders: legislation that strengthens protections for journalists, independent and timely investigations into abuses, and international pressure where domestic systems fail. CPJ calls for an end to the cycle of neglect that allows perpetrators to evade justice and urges media organizations, advocacy groups, governments, and readers alike to recognize their role in breaking that cycle.

For organizers and journalists on the ground, CPJ notes that commemorations around 2 November are a chance to spotlight unresolved cases, especially in nations where few perpetrators have ever been held to account. The call to action extends beyond remembrance: it demands that the story of every silenced journalist becomes a catalyst for reform.

The 2025 IDEI therefore stands not only as a memorial for lives lost, but as a launchpad for sustained advocacy. The CPJ’s message is clear: unless the global community translates rhetoric into robust mechanisms of justice and protection for media workers, we risk losing not only individual voices but also the very freedom of expression that defines democratic societies.

Reference
https://cpj.org/issue/international-day-to-end-impunity-for-crimes-against-journalists-2025/