Fighting impunity and seeking justice for journalists who investigate and report on corruption, malpractice, legislative negligence, and human rights violations must never cease. Journalists and the right to free media must be protected at all costs, for there can be no prosperous democracy without a robust and independent press. Freedom of expression in the media in any medium, including writing, images and actions, such as protests and demonstrations, is imperative to public accountability and transparency in the government. Above all, it is a fundamental human right. It is focal in establishing most other rights and allows them to blossom, as well as plays a crucial role in the healthy growth process of a society. In the development of a nation, it is vital in aiding the communication channels between the public and government. 

Yet, perpetrators of crimes against journalists and freedom of media continue to operate with impunity. Investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated by a powerful car bomb outside her Bidnjia home in October 2017. Since then, seven men have been arrested or implicated for their involvement in the cold-blooded murder of the prominent journalist. Five of them have entered some sort of plea bargain, and a public inquiry report has held the state responsible. Justice is yet awaited.

On this International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, CFWIJ extends heartfelt support to women and LGBTQ+ journalists who face mistreatment and abuse due to their gender and their work. As we call for an end to impunity against journalists, we must be cognizant that violent attacks on journalists that go unpunished help create a climate which encourages further violence. As we demand safety for all journalists, CFWIJ highlights the countless violations against women journalists, in particular.

Murdered Women Journalists in 2022

12

women journalists were
murdered between Jan-Oct 2022.

42

major organized troll campaigns were carried out against women journalists in 2022.

CFWIJ Observatory of Killed Women Journalists 2021-2022

Swipe bar right/left to see murdered women journalists in 2021 and 2022.

Kiran Nazish
Founder, CFWIJ

"Since the beginning of our work on press freedom advocacy, we have seen an astonishing rise in frequency and seriousness of violence against women and LGBTQ journalists. Imprisonments, detentions, police violence and state violence, often leaving journalists under serious harms and at times fatal. All our investigations of these incidents reveal an overpowering tool that makes them possible, i.e: impunity.

Today, it is time to emphasize that for democracy to prevail, we have to revive the importance of accountability for crimes against journalists. We must remember that nations fail without a robust journalism, and a free press and we must work hard to fight for it."

Resources