Haiti, Israel most likely to let journalists’ murders go unpunished, CPJ 2024 impunity index shows - Committee to Protect Journalists 10/31/24, 10:37 AM #e countries are spread across continents, but all on the index su"er from one or more of the corrosive factors that allow journalists’ killers to evade justice: wars, insurgencies, authoritarian governments, criminal gangs, and a lack of political and judicial action. #e e"ect on press freedom is pernicious. #e longer these conditions last, the more likely it is for impunity to become entrenched and for journalists to be forced to $ee their home countries, self-censor, or abandon their profession entirely. Democracies are not immune to this disturbing trend. Mexico recorded the highest overall number of unpunished murders of journalists – 21 – during the index period and ranks eighth on the index because of its sizable population. Long one of the world’s most dangerous countries for the media, Mexico reported a rise in deadly violence in 2024 after dropping from record levels in 2022. A joint report by CPJ and Amnesty International found that the Mexican government’s failure to adequately address the shortcomings of the federal Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists limits its capacity to prevent violence against reporters. Rampant corruption and organized crime often make it di%cult to determine whether a journalist was directly targeted for their work. In Brazil, which has had a democratic system since the 1980s, corruption and censorship remain pervasive, contributing to the deaths of 10 journalists in the index period. Most of the cases occurred outside major urban centers and involved journalists from small local media outlets (5), radio stations (3), and freelancers (2). Impunity is extensive; even cases with international repercussions, such as the 2022 murder of Dom Phillips in the Brazilian Amazon, remain unsolved. #ree defendants have been arrested and are due to stand trial. #e alleged mastermind has also been arrested, but justice has yet to be served. CPJ 2024 Global Impunity Index Rankings https://cpj.org/thematic-reports/haiti-israel-most-likely-to-let-journalists-murders-go-unpunished-cpj-2024-impunity-index-shows/ Page 7 of 21