On International Day to End Impunity, Russia Blames Kyiv and West as UN Warns Most Journalist Killings Go Unpunished

Overview

• Marking the UN-designated day on November 2–3, Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused Kyiv and Western backers of enabling attacks on Russian media, citing six Russian media workers killed in 2025.
• The ministry alleged bias by UN human-rights bodies, UNESCO and the OSCE, criticized UNESCO’s 2022–2023 safety report, noted it was only taken into consideration after a vote, and voiced hope for new leadership to restore neutrality.
• UN Secretary-General António Guterres said nearly nine in ten journalist killings remain unresolved and urged governments to investigate every case, prosecute perpetrators, and implement the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists.
• UN and UNESCO data show more than 1,700 journalists have been killed since 1993 with justice achieved in roughly one in ten cases, with Latin America and the Caribbean among the deadliest regions for the press.
• UN human rights chief Volker Türk reiterated the 90% impunity rate and called on states and technology companies to counter attacks offline and online, including gender-based abuse disproportionately targeting women journalists.