The Steps of Freedom · 2026 Edition
One more step to our freedom
Walk to remember, remember to act . Act for the protection of human life.
Next march
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Starts
in
The event has started!
Our Mission
01
Remember
Honor the lives lost.
02
Raise awareness
Make the urgency of protecting journalists understood.
03
Mobilize
Act together for human life.
An alarming toll
Over 1,700
journalists killed worldwide between 2006 and 2024
Source:
UNESCO
— Director-General's Report on the Safety of Journalists, 2024.
Accessed on 25 October 2026.
Every journalist killed is a life lost, a family broken and a voice reduced to silence.
Faced with the killing of journalists and the impunity that too often surrounds these crimes, Freedom Steps is committed to an essential cause: the protection of human life.
Through walking, music and sport, we pay tribute to journalists who have died, raise citizens' awareness of the dangers they face and mobilize consciences so that their safety becomes a collective responsibility.
Music — gives memory a resonance and carries our call for the protection of life.
Sport — brings citizens together and turns solidarity into movement.
Together, walking, music and sport become a collective call for the protection of human life.
On 2 November, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists recalls the urgency of preventing these acts of violence, protecting journalists and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.
The concept
Every year, Freedom Steps invites citizens to symbolically take one more step to promote the memory of fallen journalists, solidarity with their families, and respect for human life.
Our motto
“One More Step to Freedom, Solidarity and Human Life”
Our commitment
01
Raise awareness about the protection of journalists.
02
Keep alive the memory of journalists who were victims.
03
Mobilize people around solidarity and respect for human life.
Our means of action
Advocacy
Making the cause heard
Press conferences, debates and panels.
Memory & solidarity
Honoring and supporting
Flower-laying, visits and donations to families.
Commemorative sport
Getting moving
Race, walk, football match…
Artistic actions
“Freedom of Expression” album
Artistic performances and songs dedicated to journalists killed for informing the public.
Memorial
We take a step to preserve their memory.
They made information a commitment. Through their investigations and testimonies, they helped bring to light realities that some wanted to silence. We honor their memory and defend the right to inform.
Palestinian Territories
1971 – 2022 · Correspondent · Al Jazeera
Shireen Abu Akleh covered Palestinian news for Al Jazeera for about 25 years, recognized throughout the region for the rigor of her reporting.
She was shot dead on May 11, 2022 while covering an Israeli raid in the Jenin refugee camp, while wearing a press vest. Several independent investigations (UN, international media) concluded the shot came from Israeli forces; Israel acknowledged the probability that its own forces were responsible without opening a criminal investigation.
Malta
1964 – 2017 · Investigative journalist, blogger · Running Commentary
Daphne Caruana Galizia investigated corruption at the top of the Maltese state, notably through her blog Running Commentary, one of the country's most widely read news sites.
She was killed on October 16, 2017 by a bomb placed under her car, near her home in Bidnija. Several people have been convicted over her assassination, including for ordering it.
Côte d'Ivoire
1953 – 2003 · Correspondent · Radio France Internationale (RFI)
Jean Hélène (real name Christian Baldensberger) was an RFI correspondent in Africa, previously a reporter for Le Monde during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
He was shot dead on October 21, 2003 in front of Abidjan police headquarters, where he had gone to interview opposition figures just released from detention. The officer responsible was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Ghana
1987 – 2019 · Undercover investigative journalist · Tiger Eye Private Investigations
Ahmed Hussein-Suale was a member of Tiger Eye Private Investigations, Anas Aremeyaw Anas's investigative collective. His work on corruption in Ghanaian football led to the lifetime ban of the federation's president.
He was shot three times in Accra by unidentified men on motorbikes. Those who ordered the killing have still not been identified; CPJ denounces the ongoing impunity surrounding his assassination.
Saudi Arabia
1958 – 2018 · Columnist · The Washington Post
Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi journalist and columnist, known for his critical analyses of the Saudi government published in the Washington Post.
He was killed on October 2, 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he had gone for an administrative formality. The CIA and several Western governments concluded that senior Saudi officials were directly responsible.
Ukraine
? – 2022 · Fixer, journalist · Fox News
Oleksandra “Sasha” Kuvshynova, a young Ukrainian, worked as a fixer for a Fox News crew, guiding journalists and helping gather information in the field.
She was killed on March 14, 2022 in Horenka, near Kyiv, when her team's vehicle was hit by Russian armed forces fire, alongside cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski.
Mexico
1963 – 2012 · Journalist, correspondent · Proceso
Regina Martínez Pérez covered crime and corruption for the magazine Proceso in Xalapa, Veracruz state, one of the most dangerous regions in Mexico for the press.
She was found beaten and strangled at her home on April 28, 2012. Authorities concluded it was a robbery, but the suspect later retracted his confession, saying he had been tortured. RSF and Proceso requested the investigation be reopened in 2021.
Russia
1958 – 2006 · Investigative journalist · Novaïa Gazeta
Anna Politkovskaya became known for her reporting on the Second Chechen War, published in Novaya Gazeta. She openly criticized Vladimir Putin and the Russian federal forces.
She was shot in the elevator of her apartment building in Moscow, on Vladimir Putin's birthday. In 2014, five men were convicted of the murder, but the identity of whoever ordered it remains officially unestablished.
Sri Lanka
1958 – 2009 · Founder and editor-in-chief · The Sunday Leader
Lasantha Wickrematunge founded the Sunday Leader in Sri Lanka, a newspaper known for its investigations into corruption at the top of the state, notably around arms deals.
He was shot dead in Colombo on January 8, 2009, just days before he was due to testify in a corruption case. His posthumous editorial, “And Then They Came For Me,” published after his death, remains a global reference for press freedom.
Burkina Faso
1949 – 1998 · Investigative journalist · L'Indépendant
Norbert Zongo ran the weekly newspaper L'Indépendant in Ouagadougou. In 1998, he was investigating the suspicious death of David Ouédraogo, a driver linked to the presidential entourage. He had received death threats since 1997.
His body was found burned in his car near Sapouy, along with three other people. An independent commission of inquiry concluded he had been “assassinated for purely political reasons because he practiced investigative journalism.”
Our STEPS
Each edition brings citizens together around freedom, justice, solidarity and respect for human life.
Current edition
A movement without borders
For the first time, the march crosses borders and links three West African countries.
Previous editions
Every edition of FREEDOM STEPS leaves a trace. Marches, gatherings and acts of remembrance that keep alive the stories of those we do not forget.
March & movement
A march that turns public space into a space of remembrance, awareness and gathering.
Memory & tribute
Symbolic gestures to recall the stories of journalists who died, and keep their memory alive in public space.
Sport & solidarity
Races, marches and sporting events mobilize young people around the memory of journalists and press freedom.
Recognition & advocacy
Conferences, debates and award ceremonies to honor the courage of journalists and support those who carry their voice.
We invite the world
Born in Ivory Coast, Freedom Steps invites people to mobilize for an essential cause: protecting the lives of journalists. Faced with killings and impunity, we make walking, music and sport means of raising awareness and mobilizing citizens.
Source:
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ),
final tally published on 31 December 2025.
The IFJ tally includes accidental deaths.
Source: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), report published on 25 February 2026.
These figures come from two organizations using different methodologies. The IFJ tally includes accidental deaths. The CPJ figure concerns 2025 and is not an annual average.
One more step to a more just world
Next event
November 1, 2026
One day. • One place. • One same step.
Join the movement and take one more step for freedom, solidarity and respect for human life.
One more step to freedom
Our institutional partners
Our deepest gratitude to all the institutions, embassies and organizations taking the step with FREEDOM STEPS. Your trust, your support and your commitment at our side strengthen our mobilization to protect journalists' lives and push back impunity.
Join the movement
Embassies, public institutions, international organizations: join FREEDOM STEPS.
Conseil National des Droits de l’Homme (CNDH)
Côte d’Ivoire
Ambassade de Suisse
Côte d’Ivoire
Ambassade du Soudan
Côte d’Ivoire
Ambassade d’Ukraine
Côte d’Ivoire
Ambassade d’Italie
Côte d’Ivoire
Ambassade du Burkina Faso
Côte d’Ivoire
Union Nationale des Journalistes de Côte d’Ivoire (UNJCI)
Côte d’Ivoire
Ministère de la Communication de Côte d’Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire
Ministère de la Communication
Burkina Faso
Ambassade d’Allemagne
Burkina Faso
Conseil national des droits de l’homme
Sénégal
