POPE Leo has called for the unconditional release of all journalists currently in detention worldwide, describing their arrests as a violation of press freedom and human dignity.
The Pope made the call during his first media address at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, as part of activities marking the 2025 World Press Freedom Day.
He expressed deep concern over the growing repression of the media in many countries, including the imprisonment of journalists for doing their jobs.
“Journalists should not be punished for seeking the truth,” the Pope said, adding that “Their detention is a threat to justice and an attack on the collective right to know.”
Pope Leo XIV, who was elected as the new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, May 8, urged world leaders to guarantee freedom of expression and ensure that journalists operate without fear of persecution.
He said silencing the media would threaten democracy and peace.
The Pope also prayed for the safety of all journalists, especially those reporting under hostile conditions.
The Pope’s call came at a time when press freedom continues to face serious threats globally. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 320 journalists were detained in 2024, many of them without trial or access to legal representation.
In Nigeria, several cases of journalist harassment and unlawful detention have been reported in recent years, with media rights advocates consistently condemning the use of state security agencies to intimidate or silence media practitioners.
Nigeria ranked 120th on the World Press Freedom Index in 2021 and has been described as one of the most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists in West Africa.
In 2023, The ICIR tracked 39 journalists who were harassed during the year in the line of duty, though the list was not exhaustive.
The ICIR reported that journalists continue to face threats to their lives in Nigeria despite large-scale corruption, insecurity and injustice pervading the nation. Crimes are alarmingly high, and many citizens have lived in unprecedented hardship since the post-civil-war era. These are some of the enormous tasks the Nigerian media are constitutionally bound to report on.
Most recently, a Nigerian veteran journalist, Lanre Arogundade, was removed from the State Security Services (SSS) watchlist after four decades.
Reacting to the decision, Arogundade challenged the nation’s security agencies to focus on fighting terrorists and other criminals beleaguering the nation.