BRUSSELS, Dec 31 (KUNA) -- The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has recorded 49 killings of journalists and media professionals in 2019.
However, it is a significant drop from 95 posted in 2018, IFJ said in a statement.
The IFJ listed 18 countries from the four corners of the world where journalist were killed since the start of the year, including Africa (nine), Asia Pacific (12), Europe (two), Latin America (18) and the Middle East and Arab world (eight).
It has also recorded six work-related accidental deaths in Tanzania (five) and the United States (one).
The death toll is the lowest since 2000, when 37 journalists and media staff were killed, but the causes of the loss of life during 2019 remain largely the same.
"This low figure should be a lifting moment for those who joined the campaign for the safety of journalists, which the IFJ has spearheaded over decades," said IFJ President Younes Mjahed.
"Yet, it gives little comfort when our report's findings consistently reveal that more journalists are killed in so-called peace time for reporting corruption, crime and abuse of power in their own countries than in war zones. The failure by governments to stop the impunity for these crimes needs to be addressed," he added.
The Brussels-based IFJ represents around 600,000 journalists in 146 countries worldwide. (end) nk.ibi