UNESCO has launched a report on attacks committed against journalists during elections. entitled: The Role of Law Enforcement Agents: Ensuring Safety of Journalists During Public Demonstrations and Elections.

The report is being released ahead of 2024 which is a major election year, with over 80 countries voting.

Among the key trends of attacks against journalists during elections are as follows:

Attacks against journalists and violations of their rights are particularly frequent during election periods. Between January 2019 and June 2022, UNESCO documented 759 individual attacks against journalists, including 5 killings, during 89 elections in 70 countries around the world.

42 percent of attacks against journalists were committed by police and security forces. The UNESCO issue brief shows that during elections and public demonstrations, many government authorities blocked the public’s right to access to information by implementing internet blackouts and disruptions, by censoring the media and critical voices, and by digitally surveilling journalists. All these interventions were made in the name of public order and national security.

in the report, UNESCO calls on law enforcement agencies to protect journalists covering elections.