67 journalists killed in 2015 worldwide; Iraq and Syria most risky countries

Earlier in the day, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) estimated that 69 journalists had been killed for their work in 2015 and said in its own annual round-up that Islamic radical groups were responsible for 40 percent of journalists’ deaths this year.

More than two-thirds of those killed for their reporting between 1January and 23 December were murdered, a higher proportion than any time in the past three years, according to the annual report from the Committee to Protect Journalists. The January attack on Charlie Hebdo contributed to a reversal of last year’s trend, when two thirds of the deaths of occurred in war zones.

Thirteen journalists were killed in Syria this year, reflecting lower numbers than in past years, as fewer media outlets operate in the country and many local journalists have fled a conflict that has left more than 200,000 people dead.

While some of the deaths were among reporters in conflict zones, others were killed after reporting on sensitive topics, including a Brazilian radio anchor killed during a broadcast of his show in October. “Region-wide, CPJ has received reports of dozens more journalists killed, but is unable to independently confirm that the individuals have in fact died and, if so, whether journalistic work was the reason”. Numerous killings had a jihadist background, especially in recent years. “This is, clearly based on the data, an incredible risk for journalists”.

In 2012, 2013, and 2014, deaths in Syria far outnumbered those in the rest of the world.

The CPJ has also faced particular difficulty working out whether journalists who are heavily involved with militant groups in places such as Syria and Iraq were primarily carrying out journalistic activities or fighting in the conflict.

The deaths in Bangladesh included the February attack on Bangladeshi-American blogger and writer Avijit Roy with meat cleavers on a crowded street in Dhaka, the capital.

Worldwide, CPJ revealed that more than two thirds of the journalists killed this year were singled out for murder “in reprisal for their work”, a statistic which the organization reports as “in line” with the historical average, but a greater percentage in comparison to the previous five years. Brazil, with six murders, registered its highest number of killings since CPJ began keeping detailed records in 1992.

Other countries with several journalists killed included Bangladesh, where the deaths of four bloggers and a publisher were attributed to extremist groups, and South Sudan, where five journalists traveling with a local official were killed in an ambush by unidentified gunmen.

At least 28 of the 47 murder victims received threats before they were killed. 29 of those killed worked online. “Several of these journalists can be found on CPJ’s “missing” list”. However, at least seven journalists were killed in unclear circumstances, and CPJ continues to investigate these cases for a work-related motive.