950 rights activists, journalists, labour unionists killed in 2025
A new UN report reveals that 950 human rights activists, journalists, and unionists were killed or disappeared in 2025. The data highlights a concerning global trend of rising violence against those defending human rights and civilian populations in conflict zones.
Why it matters
The record-breaking levels of violence against civil society actors signal a significant decline in global human rights protections and media freedom.
This was contained in the latest global dataset documenting attacks on rights defenders titled, “Human Rights Count”, published by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The article reports on UN data and institutional findings without injecting editorial opinion.
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