On the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, we wish, on behalf of the Group of Friends, to reiterate a fundamental point: when a journalist is silenced, everyone’s right to access free, reliable and diverse information is undermined.
The figures remain alarming. Since 1 January 2026, 25 journalists have been killed worldwide, and 466 journalists and media workers are currently detained, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). In 2025, the Platform for the Safety of Journalists recorded 344 alerts concerning serious threats to media freedom in Europe. UNESCO reports that, as of 2024, 85% of journalist killings recorded worldwide since 2006 remained unresolved.
These figures highlight the urgent need to address the serious threats to journalists’ safety and to put an end to impunity for crimes committed against them. Impunity denies victims and their families justice and undermines journalists’ ability to investigate freely. We call on States to ensure effective, independent and impartial investigations and to prosecute those responsible for these crimes.
Threats to journalists go beyond physical violence. They can include intimidation, arbitrary detention, surveillance, harassment campaigns, and political, economic and legal pressure, particularly through strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). Online violence, which disproportionately affects women journalists, must not be underestimated either.
In conflict zones, particularly in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, journalists and media workers continue to pay a heavy price. Journalists and media professionals operating in areas of armed conflict are civilians and must be respected and protected as such.
In this context, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting freedom of expression, safeguarding journalists and combating impunity. Journalists must be able to do their jobs without fear of reprisals and threats to their safety must neither be ignored nor go unpunished. Efforts to combat impunity must go hand in hand with preventive and protective measures, so that those who keep us informed can do their jobs safely before a threat escalates into violence.
We welcome the Council of Europe’s work in this area, particularly the Platform for the Safety of Journalists and the “Journalists Matter” campaign, as well as the recent adoption by the Parliamentary Assembly of a resolution on the growing threats to media pluralism and independence, which highlights the vulnerabilities in this sector.
The Group of Friends will continue to support these efforts and send a clear message: No journalist should have to choose between informing the public and staying safe.
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This statement is delivered on behalf of the Group of Friends on the Safety of Journalists and Media Freedom, which consists of the following Member States: Austria, France, Greece, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The following other countries align with this statement: Albania, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain.
