On World Press Freedom Day 2025 which is observed today (May 3), the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has issued an urgent call for renewed international efforts to combat the increasing violence and legal persecution of journalists worldwide.
Journalists play a critical role in maintaining democracy and ensuring accountability. Yet, in 2024, attacks against media workers reached alarming levels, marking the deadliest year for journalists since records began in 1992. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 124 journalists and media workers were killed, primarily in conflict zones. The Gaza conflict alone accounted for 85 deaths, with evidence suggesting that some were deliberately targeted.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression has noted that killings of journalists in the Occupied Palestinian Territory have never been transparently investigated, raising concerns about impunity for such crimes. In Sudan, at least three journalists were deliberately killed, acts that could constitute war crimes under international law.
Beyond conflict zones, press freedom faces threats from governments leveraging the law to silence dissent. In the United States, restrictions on journalists’ access to the White House and the dismantling of the US Agency for Global Media have weakened transparency and accountability. Meanwhile, Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) continue to be used as a legal tactic to suppress critical reporting, as seen in Slovakia, where Prime Minister Robert Fico sued the editor-in-chief of Aktuality.sk.
The crackdown on the press has also manifested through ‘Foreign Agents’ laws that label independent media as acting in the interest of foreign powers. Georgia recently enacted such a law, while Peru introduced severe legal amendments that risk stifling criticism of the government.
The IBAHRI is deeply concerned about the rising number of journalists arbitrarily detained, with 2024 marking the second highest year on record. Prominent cases include Jimmy Lai in China, José Rubén Zamora in Guatemala, and numerous journalists detained in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Egypt, Eritrea, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, and Israel.
Lawyers advocating for journalists are also under attack. The legal team representing Jimmy Lai has reported harassment from Chinese authorities, and in Guatemala, ten lawyers defending José Rubén Zamora were forced to abandon his case due to persecution.
The IBAHRI calls for accountability and demands that states uphold their international obligations, including independent investigations into the killings of journalists through the International Criminal Court and national courts under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
As attacks on the press continue, the institute underscores the urgency of protecting journalists and safeguarding democracy from further erosion.
You can read the IBAHRI’s full statement below.
On World Press Freedom Day 2025 (3 May), the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) underscores the urgent need to renew international commitments to address escalating attacks on journalists and the erosion of press freedom. Journalists and media workers serve as the watchdogs of democracy and their reporting allows the public to hold those in power to account. Attacks against journalists are a hallmark tactic of autocratic regimes, intended to silence dissent and prevent the reporting of human rights violations in violation of the public’s right to know.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 2024 was the deadliest year for journalists since the organisation began records in 1992, with at least 124 journalists and media workers killed, predominantly in conflict zones. Eighty-five of these killings took place in the Gaza conflict. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression highlighted that none of the cases of journalists killed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory have ever been transparently investigated. In Gaza and Lebanon, CPJ also documented ten cases where they found evidence that the killing was a result of the journalist being specifically targeted. In Sudan, six journalists were killed, including at least three who were deliberately targeted. These specific targeted killings are not only violations of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, but might also constitute a war crime, in violation of the Geneva Conventions and Rome Statute. The IBAHRI calls for renewed commitments from states to address the killing of journalists, and tackle impunity for crimes against them through independent investigations undertaken by the International Criminal Court, and national courts under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
The erosion of press freedom extends beyond conflict zones. In the United States, the Trump administration’s rhetoric and actions continue to restrict the vital work of journalists. Measures such as restricting journalists’ access to the White House and pursuing unfounded lawsuits against the media all signal a crackdown on the press as part of the ongoing assault on democracy. The dismantling of the US Agency for Global Media — which oversees Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia — has taken a huge toll on transparency and accountability both domestically and internationally.
The IBAHRI also notes with grave concern the weaponisation of the law against journalists globally, including the global proliferation of ‘Foreign Agents’ laws used increasingly to silence the media. On 2 April 2025, the President of Georgia signed the contentious Foreign Agents Registration Act. This law requires independent media and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) receiving more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad to register as ‘acting in the interest of a foreign power’, or face possible criminal charges. On 14 April 2025, Peru introduced amendments to Law 27692 on International Cooperation. The law’s severe sanctions on those critical of the government raise the risk of arbitrary and politically motivated enforcement, which could lead to stigmatisation and persecution of organisations and media outlets. Likewise, Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs) continue to be used to target journalists and media outlets to silence their critical reporting through expensive and time-consuming legal proceedings. For instance, in 2024, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico sued the editor-in-chief of Aktuality.sk, Peter Bárdy, over the cover of a book that exposed his political power. This weaponisation of the law is intended to create a chilling environment for free expression and stifle dissent.
These baseless and targeted lawsuits have contributed to 2024 marking the second highest year on record for the number of journalists arbitrarily detained worldwide. The IBAHRI is gravely concerned about the rising levels of arbitrary detentions, including journalists detained by the Nicaraguan and Venezuelan regimes, as well as Jimmy Lai in China; José Rubén Zamora in Guatemala; Dawit Isaak in Eritrea; Alaa abd El Fattah in Egypt; Nguyễn Lân Thắng and Phan Chí Düng in Vietnam; Saparbek Akunbekov, Aike Beishekeeva, Azamat Ishenbekov, Akylbek Orozbekov, Aktilek Kaparov, Tynystan Asypbekov, Saipidin Sultanaliev, Maksat Tazhibek uulu and Zhoodarbek Buzumov in Kyrgyzstan; and Moath Amarneh, Abu Iram Ameer and Badr Mohammad in Israel.
As journalists are targeted, so too are the lawyers who represent them. The international legal team for Jimmy Lai, led by Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, have repeatedly reported online harassment and transnational repression enacted by the Chinese authorities. The ten lawyers representing Jose Ruben Zamora in Guatemala were forced to abandon the case after the persecution they faced for carrying out their function as independent lawyers to represent their client. The IBAHRI reminds states of the principles under the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers that lawyers shall not be identified with their clients’ cause and calls for states to take urgent action to provide accountability for transnational repression.