At least 24 journalists were killed due to their work as of December 1, 2021, and India is the deadliest country for reporters, according to Committee to Protect Journalists, a global journalist body based in New York City.
Five journalists Sulabh Srivastava, Chennakeshavalu, Manish Kumar Singh, Raman Kashyap, and Avinash Jha were killed in retaliation for their work in India, as of December 1 this year.
35-year-old Kashyap was among the eight people killed in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh during protests of farmers against BJP politicians’ visits on 3 October this year. Family members of Kashyap said that he was crushed under the car of Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister Ajay Mishra.
“He was not there to protest, or support anybody. He went there as a reporter to report the incidents. He was killed while doing his job and should be treated like that,” Ram Dulare, Kashyap’s father said.
| Name | Outlet | Killed | Motive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sulabh Srivastava | ABP News, ABP Ganga | Jun 13, 2021 | Confirmed |
| Chennakeshavalu | EV5 | Aug 8, 2021 | Confirmed |
| Manish Kumar Singh | Sudarshan TV | Aug 8, 2021 | Confirmed |
| Raman Kashyap | Sadhna Plus TV | Oct 3, 2021 | Confirmed |
| Avinash Jha | BNN News | Nov 9, 2021 | Confirmed |
Committee to Protect Journalists recorded 19 journalists murdered across the globe in retaliation for their work as of December 1, 2021, compared with 22 in all of 2020. Three more were killed this year while reporting from conflict zones, and two others were killed covering protests or street clashes that turned deadly.
Though nine journalists were killed in Mexico, CPJ said they are investigating six of nine deaths to determine whether they were work-related. Three journalists were murdered in direct retribution for their reporting in Mexico.
Countries with deaths in 2021
| Country | Motive confirmed | Unconfirmed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| India | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Afghanistan | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Pakistan | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Azerbaijan | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Burkina Faso | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Somalia | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Ethiopia | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Philippines | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Bangladesh | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Colombia | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Lebanon | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Georgia | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Greece | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Haiti | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Indonesia | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Yemen | 0 | 1 | 1 |
