Reporters Without Borders: 110 journalists killed in 2015 – Iraq and Syria most deadly countries

More than 100 journalists have been killed in 2015 in connection with their work or for unclear reasons, according to a new report.

Reporters Without Borders research has found 67 of the 110 journalists were killed while reporting or because of their work.

This means, according to the body, that 787 journalists have been killed in connection with their work since 2005.

RWB was not able to establish the circumstances or motives of the 43 other journalist deaths this year.

It said a further 27 citizen journalists and seven media workers were also killed this year.

Following the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris in January, France moved to become the joint-third most deadly country for journalists, with eight killed.

This meant it was only behind Iraq and Syria, where 11 and ten journalists respectively were killed.

RWB said the Charlie Hebdo attack "contributed to a reversal of last year’s trend, when two thirds of the deaths of occurred in war zones. This year, two thirds of the deaths were in countries 'at peace'."

RWB's secretary-general Christophe Deloire said: "The creation of a specific mechanism for enforcing international law on the protection of journalists is absolutely essential.

“Non-state groups perpetrate targeted atrocities while too many governments do not comply with their obligations under international law. The 110 journalists killed this year need a response that matches the emergency. A special representative of the United Nations secretary-general for the safety of journalists must be appointed without delay.”

The report also highlighted the concerns of UN general-secretary Ban Ki-moon. In his annual report on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity on 6 August this year, he said: “I am deeply concerned about the failure to reduce the frequency and scale of targeted violence that journalists face and the near absolute impunity for such crimes.”

RWB has produced an annual report rounding up violations against journalists for 20 years. Read the full report here.

The Committee to the Protect Journalists also released its annual round-up today. This found 69 journalists killed this year with the motive confirmed.

Reuters picture shows Paris after the Charlie Hebdo attack