Haiti and Israel Top Global Shame List for Journalist Killings

October 30, 2024 – Palestine/Haiti/Israel –

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ) 2024 Global Impunity Index, Haiti and Israel are now the countries most likely to let the killers of journalists walk free. The annual index, which tracks countries with the highest rates of unsolved journalist murders relative to population, paints a grim picture of accountability and press freedom failures worldwide.

Haiti ranks first, with seven unsolved journalist killings in the past decade. This marks a sharp deterioration from last year, when it entered the index in third place. The country’s institutional collapse, widespread gang control, and political vacuum have allowed violence to flourish without consequence. With a judicial system that has all but broken down, the pursuit of justice for slain journalists is virtually nonexistent. CPJ warns that this environment of unchecked impunity is feeding a dangerous cycle where journalists are silenced with no fear of prosecution.

Israel, listed jointly with the Occupied Palestinian Territory, ranks second. It appears on the index for the first time, following eight unresolved killings—mostly of Palestinian journalists—between 2014 and 2024. Several of these deaths occurred during the recent Israel–Gaza war, including strikes that CPJ believes may have been deliberate. The organization has raised concerns that some of these attacks could constitute war crimes. Israel’s refusal to conduct independent, transparent investigations has drawn widespread condemnation and raises urgent questions about the targeting of media workers in conflict zones.

Globally, the report highlights a troubling reality: nearly 80% of journalist murders worldwide go unpunished. While this marks a modest improvement from a decade ago, when impunity stood at 90%, progress remains slow and uneven. Other countries listed include Somalia, Syria, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Mexico, the Philippines, Brazil, and India—all with multiple unsolved cases tied to systemic weaknesses, armed conflict, or corruption.

CPJ’s findings serve as a call to action. Without justice, impunity becomes a weapon used to silence dissent and obscure the truth. The index exposes not just individual failures, but the global erosion of protections for those who risk their lives to report. For press freedom to survive, accountability must be non-negotiable.

Reference –

Haiti, Israel most likely to let journalists’ murders go unpunished, CPJ 2024 impunity index shows

https://www.ecoi.net/en/document/2120975.html

Haiti, Israel most likely to let journalists’ murders go unpunished, CPJ 2024 impunity index shows