UN and UNESCO Demand Justice for Journalists on International Day to End Impunity
November 2, 2024
Targeted Deaths in Gaza: Two Journalists Killed in Israeli Airstrikes
November 2, 2024
November 2, 2024 – General –
On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, November 2, 2024, the European Union issued a powerful joint statement condemning attacks on journalists and urging global accountability. EU High Representative Josep Borrell and Vice President Věra Jourová emphasized that violence, repression, and intimidation against media workers are not just attacks on individuals—they are assaults on truth, democracy, and international law.
The statement particularly highlighted Ukraine, where journalists continue to risk their lives documenting Russia’s full-scale invasion. The EU noted that many media workers have been killed, wounded, or detained while covering the war, with evidence suggesting that some were deliberately targeted. The targeting of journalists in conflict zones like Ukraine, they said, constitutes a war crime under international humanitarian law.
The EU leaders expressed alarm over the growing global trend of impunity in crimes against journalists, with 80 percent of journalist killings going unpunished. This culture of lawlessness, they argued, emboldens perpetrators and erodes public trust in democratic institutions. Borrell and Jourová called for justice in every case, regardless of location or political context.
To address the crisis, the EU reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening national and international mechanisms to protect media workers. This includes support for prevention strategies, protective tools (both physical and digital), and legal frameworks that ensure prosecution of perpetrators. The EU is also advancing efforts through its new Global Europe Human Rights and Democracy Observatory, which will monitor attacks and provide data for advocacy and accountability.
In addition, initiatives like ProtectDefenders.eu and the EU’s Media Freedom Rapid Response continue to offer emergency support for at-risk journalists worldwide. The statement underscored that safeguarding press freedom is not optional—it is a legal and moral obligation.
This message comes at a time when the role of journalists is increasingly under threat from authoritarian regimes, armed conflicts, and disinformation campaigns. By placing press freedom at the heart of its foreign policy agenda, the EU reinforces the principle that no democracy can function without a free, protected, and independent media.
The world cannot turn a blind eye to these crimes. Justice for journalists is justice for society itself.
Reference –
