Geneva - 2009 is taking on signs of being more dangerous for journalists than 2008, the Press Emblem Campaign said Thursday.

In the first three months of 2009, 35 journalists have been killed, including eight in March. Two died in Afghanistan, two in Iraq, and one each in India, Pakistan, Russia and Honduras.

During the first quarter of last year, 20 journalists were killed. In total in 2008, 91 died on duty.

The Geneva-based campaign said kidnapping also remained a looming threat to reporters.

Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Geoffrey Brennan, abducted last summer, were still in captivity in Somalia. Khadija Abdul Qahaar, also from Canada, has been abducted in Pakistan since late 2008.

Two American reporters were also captured last month by North Korea, which claimed they had illegally crossed the border from China.

The campaign asked the United Nations Human Rights Council to hold a special session on the threats to journalists during its summer.(dpa)