Impunity for the killers of journalists at nearly 80% on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists

Today, as we mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the rate of impunity for killers of journalists continues unabated at nearly 80% worldwide, according to CPJ’s 2023 Global Impunity Index.

For the first time, Haiti is on the index, ranking as the world’s third-worst impunity offender, behind Syria and Somalia respectively.

Syria, which has been on CPJ’s index for a decade, reached number one as the country with the worst impunity record globally.

Somalia, which has been on the index for 16 years, is the world’s second-worst offender. The top three countries on the index are unstable and plagued with violence. Nonetheless, impunity is also continuously present in functional democracies such as Brazil, Mexico, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

“As journalist murders continue to go unpunished in nearly 80% of cases globally, in both democracies and authoritarian countries, the message is clear: journalists are fair game,” said CPJ President Jodie Ginsberg.

“Murder is the ultimate form of censorship. Swift, transparent, independent local investigations are critical, and political will can change the course of justice to stem the pervasive impunity in cases of journalists killed for their work.”

The index is available in five languages: English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Russian.

Learn more about impunity in Haiti in our special feature and in the accompanying video interview with The Haitian Times founder Garry Pierre-Pierre.

Dive deeper into a story of three Russian journalists killed with impunity in Central African Republic by CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Gulnoza Said.

Read CPJ’s former executive director Robert Mahoney on how Biden’s Saudi policy stymies the quest for justice in Jamal Khashoggi’s case

Follow CPJ’s timeline on the 35-year road to justice for murdered journalist Hugo Bustíos Saavedra.

Explore the stories of journalists killed with impunity across the world.

Raise your voice on social media for journalists murdered with impunity.

Committee to Protect Journalists

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International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, 2 November