PARIS — (CNN) At least 110 journalists around the world were killed over the past year, according to a new report that warns of “the increasingly deliberate use of violence” against reporters.
The study by the monitoring group Reporters Without Borders reports that at least 67 of the journalists were killed during or because of their work. A further 43 journalists were killed for unclear reasons.
“The motives or reasons for their deaths remain unclear because of the lack of thorough and impartial official investigations, the lack of good faith on the part of governments, or the difficulty of investigating in unstable or lawless regions,” the report says.
France makes an unusual appearance near the top of the list of the deadliest countries for journalists as a result of the Islamic terrorist attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in January.
The eight journalists killed in that attack put France third in the grim rankings for journalists killed in connection with their work.
Most journalists killed in countries ‘at peace’
The violence-plagued Middle Eastern countries Iraq and Syria share first place with nine deaths each, not including those killed for unclear reasons. Two other war-torn countries, Yemen and South Sudan, are also in the top five.
But unlike in 2014, armed conflicts weren’t the main cause of death for journalists this year.
“Two-thirds were killed in countries ‘at peace,’ ” the report says.
That includes India, the deadliest country for journalists in Asia, where reporters covering organized crime and its ties to politics have been attacked, according to the report.
“The inadequacy of the Indian authorities’ response is reinforcing the climate of impunity for violence against journalists,” Reporters Without Borders warns.
Similar problems are evident in Mexico, the deadliest country in Latin America.
“The most dangerous regions are the southern states of Veracruz and Oaxaca, where organized crime and local politicians target reporters as soon as they start covering corruption,” the report says.
Since 2005, a total of 787 journalists worldwide have been killed in connection with their work, according to the monitoring group, which is based in New York.
“The creation of a specific mechanism for enforcing international law on the protection of journalists is absolutely essential,” said Christophe Deloire, the secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders.
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