Israel leads as 2025 ends as deadliest year for Journalists: RSF

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in its latest report said the year 2025 is ending as the deadliest year for journalists with majority of them killed by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IDF) in Gaza

Paris: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in its latest report said the year 2025 is ending as the deadliest year for journalists with majority of them killed by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IDF) in Gaza.

In its annual report, the Paris-based media freedom group said the total number of journalists killed reached 67 globally this year, slightly up from the 66 killed in 2024.

“Nearly half (43%) of the journalists slain in the past 12 months were killed in Gaza by Israeli armed forces”, the Reporters Without Borders said in the report released Tuesday.

“In total, since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed nearly 220 journalists, at least 65 of whom were slain either due to their work or while they were working”, the RSF said.

The other countries listed by Reporters Without Borders, where hate and impunity lead, are Ukraine, Sudan, Mexico, China, Russia, Burkina Faso, Syria and others.

Over 500 journalists detained worldwide

According to Reporters Without Borders, as many as 503 journalists were detained in 47 countries across the globe as of December 01, 2025.

“The world’s largest prison for journalists is still China (121), now followed by Russia (48) and then Myanmar (47). Russia imprisons more foreign journalists than any other state (26), followed by Israel (20)”, the RSF said.

The RSF annual report said that the situation in countries such as Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Belarus illustrates the serious threats facing press freedom across the former Soviet bloc.

Also Read: Israel's War on Journalists Deadliest in Three Decades

In Georgia, the government’s relentless authoritarian tactics led to the January arrest of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli. In Azerbaijan, 25 journalists are currently behind bars.

“Russia now occupies the second place on the grim podium of the world’s largest prisons for journalists, with 48 news professionals behind bars as of 1 December 2025, 26 of whom are Ukrainian”, the RSF said.

“After Russia, Israel is the second country to imprison the largest number of foreign journalists. As of 1 December 2025, 20 Palestinian journalists are behind Israeli bars, 16 of whom were arrested over the past two years in Gaza and the West Bank”, the RSF said.

Also Read: Israel's War on Journalism Systematic, Not Incidental

Currently, 135 journalists are missing in 37 countries. Some have been missing for more than 30 years. Although news professionals go missing all over the globe, the trend spikes sharply in Mexico (28) and Syria (37), the RSF said.

Among the Asian countries where freedom of press is in danger are Afghanistan, North Korea, Sri Lanka, China, Nepal, Cambodia, India, Bangladesh, Laos, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Hong Kong as per the RSF.

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