\u201cIsrael\u2019s war in Gaza has become a death trap for the media. My Office has verified the killing of nearly 300 journalists since October 2023, with many more injured,\u201d T\u00fcrk said.<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrk urged States to investigate all violations against media workers and expressed alarm at the lack of accountability for killings of journalists, be they happen in country in conflict or elsewhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year alone, at least 14 journalists have been killed. Over the past 20 years, only around one in ten killings has led to full accountability,\u201d T\u00fcrk said.<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrk called on States to \u201cend the persecution of the press, lift arbitrary restrictions, repeal abusive laws, and align legal frameworks with international human rights standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Lebanon, ongoing hostilities have made the country one of the deadliest places for media workers, with reporters facing direct strikes and shrinking safe zones. He emphasized that local reporters are often the only people conveying the dreadful reality of war, even as they themselves may be hungry, frightened, and stripped of everything but their voice.<\/p>\n
We will continue our work despite everything. We will stay close to the people, and we will keep telling their stories, no matter the cost.<\/em> – Mohammad Olwan, a Palestinian journalist based in the West Bank<\/p><\/blockquote>\nRecalling his visit to Sudan, T\u00fcrk said he met journalists who had faced extreme violence, brutality, and even famine while continuing their essential work. He added that even away from the frontlines, virtually no country is truly safe for those who speak truth to power.<\/p>\n
In Sudan, Khalid Ewais, a journalist for Alsharq News in Port Sudan, said he had faced personal attacks. He was based in Khartoum when the war broke out and said he was targeted for his efforts to provide objective coverage. The threat was not only to him, but also to his entire family.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was forced to move with my family. We kept moving from place to place. My mother was very sick, and after ten days she was exhausted from the constant movement. She passed away,\u201d Ewais said.<\/p>\n
The threat to journalists is not only physical. Many have also raised concerns about the psychological effects of working in conflict situations.<\/p>\n
Shamael Elnoor, an independent journalist from Sudan, described the psychological strain of receiving and reporting graphic details of the war.<\/p>\n
\u201cPersonally, in many cases I cannot finish listening to a voice message or watching a video because of the level of horror we see,\u201d she said. \u201cThe war has also doubled the psychological strain on journalists, to the extent that coverage of violations has become incomplete because of that psychological burden.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elnoor said women journalists face another layer of attacks, both online and offline.<\/p>\n
\u201cInvasion of privacy, and attacks on morality and honour. This has nothing to do with the conflict itself. It happens simply because you are a woman,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrk emphasized the role of press freedom, describing it as \u201coxygen in society.\u201d He warned of the wider consequences when attacks on journalists are normalized.<\/p>\n
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When attacks on the media are normalized, freedom itself begins to decay, and with it, the foundations of peace, security, and sustainable development.<\/em> Volker T\u00fcrk, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Human Rights Chief<\/p><\/blockquote>\nPersistence and purpose<\/strong><\/h3>\nDespite these dangers, journalists in conflict situations remain undeterred.<\/p>\n
\u201cI prefer to stay and cover the tragedy here in Sudan. It is my duty. It is my job,\u201d said Ewais, who has been a journalist for 25 years.<\/p>\n
According to Li Fung, Representative for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Human Rights in Sudan, the Office has helped refer at-risk journalists to trusted protection partners for legal aid, emergency support, safer relocation options, and confidential follow-up.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that support has made a tangible difference \u2014 helping journalists, including women journalists, reach greater safety and continue their work,\u201d Fung Said. \u201cBecause protection\u00a0is not limited by borders. And journalists should never have to choose between telling the truth and staying alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abu Muamar, a journalist and mother of two in Gaza, asked: \u201cWho conveys the voice, the image, and the truth?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what makes us continue covering,\u201d she said. \u201cOn this day, the world witnesses that the press brings the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
She called on the international community to advocate for the protection of journalists and to \u201cstop the violations against journalists and the targeting of them in the Gaza Strip.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe, the journalists in the Gaza Strip, have seen many of our colleagues killed while covering the situation,\u201d she said. \u201cWe will continue to convey the voice, so it reaches the world.\u201d<\/p>\n