By Staff Reporter
THE UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, says that worldwide 90% of cases involving the murder of journalists have gone unresolved amid calls for member states to put in place watertight measures to protect media practitioners.
While Zimbabwe has recorded improvements in recent years, as shown by the country’s leap ten places up the Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 World Press Freedom Index, local journalists still face different types of persecution, including arbitrary arrests, harassment and intimidation prompted by a blend of a hostile legal framework.
Journalists Blessed Mhlanga and Faith Zaba, both from Alpha Media Holdings (AMH), were recently arrested and detained in 2025 on charges of transmitting data messages inciting violence and undermining the authority of or insulting the President, respectively.
Another UNESCO 2025 report revealed that 63% of women journalists in Zimbabwe have experienced technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), including hate speech and cyber harassment, contributing to self-censorship.
“Over the past decade, more than one thousand journalists have been killed, in both peacetime and war. In Gaza alone, my Office has documented the killing of 252 journalists since 7 October 2023. And in nearly nine out of ten cases, those who kill journalists around the world have not been brought to justice. This culture of impunity fuels further attacks and undermines freedom of expression, civic space, and ultimately, peace,” Türk said.
The UN High Commissioner made the remarks in a video message to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, which is commemorated annually on November 2.
He said journalists who expose injustice and give voice to the voiceless are human rights defenders, yet, across the globe, governments, corporations and criminals threaten, harass and detain them as well as subjecting them to arbitrary detention, to transnational repression, and even murder.
The UN official said the emergence of new journalisms have been weaponised to amplify abuse, distort reality, and intensify harm including deepfake sexual images, AI-generated defamatory content, and the amplification of misogynistic hate speech through algorithmic tools and bots.
“Women journalists are targeted not only for their reporting, but also because of their gender. They face harassment, sexual violence, and coordinated online attacks designed to silence their voices and strengthen patriarchal norms. Nearly three in four women journalists report that they have been subjected to online violence. This may lead them to self-censor, to leave their jobs, or to live in fear,” said Türk.
The UN official said his office is working to address these challenges by monitoring, documenting and reporting violations against journalists, including online, and advocating with States and technology companies guided by the dimensions of GBV online.
“States have a legal obligation to prevent, investigate, and punish all attacks against journalists — including those that take place online. Technology companies also have responsibilities to respect human rights and to pursue accountability for people who use their platforms and products to perpetrate abuses.
“To end impunity for crimes against journalists, we need stronger, more determined political will, better legal frameworks, and accountability mechanisms that respond to today’s digital world,” added Türk.
