News Center - As violations against press freedom continue to rise worldwide, Iraq stands out as one of the countries where perpetrators of crimes against journalists most often go unpunished, according to both international and local reports.

In a special report issued to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists- observed annually on November 2- the Al-Nakheel Center for Human Rights and Press Freedom stated that over the past ten years, 100 journalists have been killed in Iraq, with ongoing threats to media professionals and a continued failure by authorities to conduct serious investigations into these crimes.

The report highlighted that 30 journalists and activists were assassinated during the Tishreen (October) protests that erupted six years ago, which left more than 600 people dead and thousands injured or disabled. Yet, no Iraqi government to date- including the current one, which pledged in its ministerial program to identify the perpetrators- has announced the results of these investigations.

According to the center, Iraq faces a serious legal crisis, with about 2,700 unresolved criminal cases related to killings and enforced disappearances, including 11 cases involving journalists that have remained unopened for over a decade. This places the country seventh globally on the Impunity Index for journalist killings, and 11th in the Global Impunity Atlas.

Data from the United Nations indicate that 90% of journalist killings worldwide go unpunished, while 41% of victims had received threats prior to their assassination. The Al-Nakheel Center also shed light on the double targeting of female journalists in Iraq, who face threats, defamation, and digital blackmail due to being both journalists and women.

According to UNESCO data, Iraq ranks alongside Somalia, Syria, and South Sudan among the countries with the highest impunity rates, while 73% of female journalists reported experiencing intimidation and threats online because of their journalistic work.