Journalists Killed in 1992: IFJ Preliminary Survey

Overview

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) published an initial report detailing press fatalities throughout 1992. Because the IFJ exclusively tracks individuals killed on assignment or targeted directly due to their reporting, this list may not be fully exhaustive. The report covers both work-related accidents and deliberate assassinations. Unconfirmed cases or those subject to active investigations are recorded but excluded from the official tally.

The IFJ collaborates with partner organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ, New York) and Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF, Montpellier), which follow slightly different methodologies. These figures remain subject to future updates as the CPJ continues to consolidate data.

Overall Figures (1992)

Journalists: 62 killed, 39 counted
Other Media Workers: 4 killed, all 4 counted
Total: 66 killed, 43 counted

Country-wise Report

Angola (2 Killed / 1 Counted)

Fernando Mardelino (20/10/1992) – Jango (PRESS). Founder of Jango, slain at a restaurant alongside his wife and sister; motive unconfirmed (not counted in official IFJ tally).
David Bernardino (04/12/1992) – Njongo (PRESS). Medical doctor and UNITA-critical publisher, murdered in his office following explicit threats (counted).

Azerbaijan (1 Killed / 0 Counted)

Tchinguiz Mustafaiev (15/06/1992) – Azeri TV (TELEVISION). Reported killed near Nakhitchevanik village in Agdam on the Nagorno-Karabakh border (not counted).

Bosnia-Herzegovina (8 Killed / 7 Counted)

Kianis Smajlovic (09/04/1992) – Oslobođenje (PRESS). Shot in his office, marking the first journalist fatality in the Bosnian conflict (counted).
Jordi Puyol (17/05/1992, age 24) – AFNE (Madrid) (PHOTOGRAPHY). Mortally injured alongside colleagues in a grenade blast (counted).
Ivo Standeker (16/06/1992, age 31) – Mladina Magazine (PRESS). Shot while covering active conflict; died during emergency transport to the hospital (counted).
Saša Lazarević (19/06/1992) – Sarajevo TV (TELEVISION). Slain at his residence (not counted).
Salko Hondo (16/07/1992) – Oslobođenje (PHOTOGRAPHY). Killed by artillery fire while documenting civilians in Sarajevo (counted).
David Kaplan (13/08/1992, age 45) – ABC (TELEVISION). Killed by sniper fire while traveling alongside Yugoslav Prime Minister Milan Panić (counted).
Tihomir Tunuković (01/11/1992) – BBC (TELEVISION). Cameraman killed in action by a mortar attack (counted).
Dušan Tepšić (12/11/1992) – News Agency SRNA (PRESS). Caught in crossfire near Brčko (counted).

Chad (3 Killed / 1 Counted)

Maxime Koudingar Kladoumbaye (23/01/1992) – Agence Tchadienne de Presse (PRESS). Succumbed to severe injuries inflicted by military forces (not counted).
D’Albo Madjigoto (04/10/1992) – Radio Nationale (RADIO). Shot while returning from an assignment; motive unconfirmed (not counted).
Djerabe Declaud (28/11/1992) – Télévision Tchad (TELEVISION). Ambushed en route home; attack likely linked to his trade union activities (counted).

Colombia (7 Killed / 3 Counted)

Carlos Alberto Llanos Milán (21/01/1992, age 38) – Radio Noticiero Popular (RADIO). Fatal shooting following a dispute; professional motive unconfirmed (not counted).
Jorge Alberto Bermúdez Zambrano (01/02/1992, age 42) – Freelance (PHOTOGRAPHY). Slain during an armed robbery attempt while on vacation (not counted).
Freddy Mario Erazo (14/02/1992, age 29) – El Combo Deportivo de Radio Súper (RADIO). Kidnapped and murdered; directly linked to his professional duties (counted).
José Miguel Amaya Espinosa (?/03/1992) – PRESS. Police investigation into motive remains unresolved (not counted).
Ismael Jaimes (06/05/1992) – La Opinión (PRESS). Ambushed after dropping off his children at school; targeted for his journalistic work (counted).
John Félix Tirado Castaño (05/08/1992, age 31) – Diario del Otún (PRESS). Shot while riding a bicycle; case under active review (not counted).
Cortés Soto (16/11/1992) – Urrá (Radio, Valencia) (PRESS). Gunned down at his home; Popular Liberation Army involvement suspected (counted).

Croatia (3 Killed / 1 Counted)

Cristian Wörtenberg (06/01/1992, age 27) – ATS / Swiss Radio (RADIO). Killed after joining the First International Croatian Platoon; omitted pending investigation (not counted).
Paul Jenks (17/01/1992, age 31) – EPA (PHOTOGRAPHY). Shot in the head during a ceasefire in Osijek (counted).
Siniša Glavašević (Late 1991) – Vukovar Radio (RADIO). Presumed executed by the Yugoslav Federal Army (not counted).

Egypt (1 Killed / 1 Counted)

Farag Fouda (09/06/1992, age 47) – October (weekly) (PRESS). Murdered by Islamic extremists for his outspoken critical commentary (counted).

France (3 Killed / 2 Media Workers / 3 Counted)

Michel Vivarelli – Radio-Corse F.M. (RADIO TECHNICIAN)
Michel Mattier – Radio France (TECHNICIAN)
Pierre Giudicelli – RCFM (TECHNICIAN)

Context: Perished during a stadium scaffolding collapse in Bastia that left 20 others injured. All three categorized as media staff and officially counted.

Guatemala (1 Killed / 0 Counted)

Ramón De La Mora Bueno (29/02/1992) – Radio Universitaria / Por Esto (PRESS). Tortured and killed by military personnel; investigation ongoing (not counted).

Haiti (1 Killed / 0 Counted)

Robinson Joseph (03/08/1992) – Former director of Radio Lumière (RADIO). Fatal shooting at a roadblock; active press status unconfirmed (not counted).

Hong Kong (1 Killed / 1 Counted)

Chang Kang-nan (18/01/1992) – The Express (PRESS). Beaten to death; believed to have been targeted for his critical columns (counted).

Lebanon (2 Killed / 1 Counted)

Moustapha Jaha (15/01/1992, age 56) – Hissad al Ayam (PRESS). Shot dead in Beirut in a deliberate ambush (counted).
Gabrille Marian Hulsen (18/08/1992, age 29) – Spiegel / ZDF TV (PRESS/TV). Killed by a car bomb; motive unconfirmed (not counted).

Moldavia (1 Killed / 1 Counted)

Valery Vozdvijenski (19/08/1992) – Cable TV Dniestr (TELEVISION). Slain while covering firefights between police and Russian soldiers (counted).

Papua New Guinea (1 Killed / 1 Counted)

Per-Ove Carlsson (29/04/1992, age 36) – Documentary FILM. Discovered with his throat cut during filming; originally misidentified by local authorities as a suicide (counted).

Peru (5 Killed / 4 Counted)

Marco Alemán Suárez (07/02/1992) – Página 2 (PRESS). Killed in a bomb blast near the U.S. Embassy; case under active review (not counted).
Edwin Barrios Blanca (08–10/03/1992) – Radio Libertad (RADIO). Kidnapped by Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement; body later discovered alongside other victims (counted).
Alejandro Pérez (09/06/1992) – Canal 2 (TELEVISION). Killed during a devastating bombing attack on the station by Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) (counted).
Adolfo Isuiza Urquía (23/08/1992) – Radio Tropical (RADIO). Murdered following explicit death threats from drug traffickers (counted).
Nory Navarro Gómez – Radio Propósito (RADIO). Abducted and executed by a paramilitary group (counted).

Philippines (2 Killed / 0 Counted)

Danilo Vergara (01/07/1992) – Philippine Post (PRESS). Shot dead in Iligan City; motive under official review (not counted).
Ladjid Jade Ladja (03/07/1992) – Prensa Zamboanga (PRESS). Shot near Zamboanga; motive unknown (not counted).

Spain (1 Killed / 1 Counted)

Pedro González (02–03/05/1992) – TVE (Televisión Española) (TELEVISION). Fatal traffic accident while actively covering a cycling event (counted).

Sudan (1 Killed / 1 Counted)

Helge Hummelvoll (27/09/1992, age 29) – Freelance (PHOTOGRAPHY). Caught in crossfire while documenting war and drought conditions (counted).

Tajikistan (4 Killed / 4 Counted)

Sharaliev Murodullo (05/05/1992, age 43) – Sadoi Mardum (PRESS)
Amirdjonov Shirindjon (07/05/1992, age 31) – Tadjik Radio (RADIO)
Zarobekov Olim (07/05/1992, age 44) – Tadjik Radio (RADIO)
Kobilov Tura (02/07/1992, age 57) – Bairaki Dusti (PRESS)

Context: All four perished during intense civil conflict while actively performing their professional duties (all counted).

Turkey (13 Killed / 10 Counted)

Halit Göngen (18/02/1992) – 2000'e Doğru (PRESS) (counted)
Yekta Okur (18/02/1992) – Star 1 Television (TELEVISION) (counted)
Cengiz Altun (24/02/1992) – Yeni Ülke (PRESS) (counted)
İzzet Kezer (23/03/1992) – Sabah (PHOTOGRAPHY) (counted)
Hafız Akdemir (08/06/1992) – Özgür Gündem (PRESS) (counted)
Çetin Ababay (30/07/1992) – Özgür Halk Dergisi (PRESS) (counted)
Yahya Orhan (31/07/1992) – Özgür Gündem (PRESS) (counted)
Hüseyin Deniz (09/08/1992) – Özgür Gündem (PRESS) (counted)
Musa Anter (20/10/1992) – Yeni Ülke / Özgür Gündem (PRESS) (counted)
Namık Tarancı (20/11/1992) – Gerçek (PRESS) (counted)
Yaşar Aktay (10/11/1992) – Freelance (PRESS) (not counted)
Mecit Akgün – Yeni Ülke (PRESS) (not counted)
Bülent Ülkü – Körfeze Bakış (PRESS) (not counted)

Note: Burhan Karadeniz (Özgür Gündem) sustained severe gunshot injuries during an attack but survived.

United States (2 Killed / 0 Counted)

Manuel de Dios Unanue (11/03/1992, age 48) – Cambio 21 (PRESS). Shot dead in New York City; motive under investigation (not counted).
Warren Duliere (30/04/1992) – West Virginia Advocate (PRESS). Found dead in a stream after receiving threats for reporting on Ku Klux Klan activities (not counted).

Venezuela (3 Killed / 3 Counted)

Virgilio Fernández (27/11/1992) – El Universal (PRESS). Slain while covering a military coup attempt in Caracas (counted).
Enrique Key (27/11/1992) – 2001 (GRAPHISM). Slain while on assignment in Caracas (counted).
Johnny Bruguera Vergara (27/11/1992) – Coraven Press (PRODUCTION ASSISTANT). Killed during an airstrike targeting the presidential palace (counted).

Abbreviations and Sources

AFP: Agence France-Presse

Amn. Int.: Amnesty International (London)

AP: Associated Press

ATS: Polish News Agency

BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation

CAJ: Canadian Association of Journalists (Ottawa)

CCPJ: Canadian Committee to Protect Journalists (Toronto)

CJR: Columbia Journalism Review (New York)

CPJ: Committee to Protect Journalists (New York)

DJV: Deutscher Journalisten-Verband (Bonn)

EFE: Spanish News Agency

FT: Financial Times (London)

IFEX: International Freedom of Expression eXchange (Toronto)

IFJ LARO: IFJ Latin American Regional Office (Caracas)

IHT: International Herald Tribune (Paris)

IJI: International Journalism Institute (Prague)

Intl. PEN: International PEN (London)

IOJ: International Organisation of Journalists (Prague)

NUJ: National Union of Journalists

RSF: Reporters Sans Frontières (Montpellier)

UPI: United Press International