UN: Killing of journalists
‘outrageous’ and should not be ‘new normal’
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| Demonstrators holding portraits of killed journalists in front of the Eiffel Tower, France, on the eve of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.- AFP |
The United Nations marks the International Day to End
Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists on November 2. UN Secy-Gen, Antonio
Guterres has a message.
By Robin Gomes
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has
called on the international community “to protect journalists and create the
conditions they need to do their work,” saying the killing of journalists
around the world for doing their job is “outrageous” and should not become the
“new normal”.
Over 2000 journalists killed
In a video message on the occasion of November 2
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the UN
chief noted that in just over a decade, more than 1000 journalists have been killed
for reporting the news, and in nine out of 10 cases, the
perpetrators have never been brought to justice.
Guterres lamented that in 2018 alone, at
least 88 journalists have been killed and many thousands more
have been attacked, harassed, detained or imprisoned on spurious charges,
without due process.
The UN chief also noted that female journalists are
often at greater risk of being targeted not only for their reporting but also
because of their gender, including through the threat of sexual violence.
Calling violence against reporters “outrageous”, the
Secretary-General said this should not become the new normal.
Reporting not a crime
He expressed deep concern over the growing number
of attacks and the culture of impunity, saying when journalists are
attacked, societies as a whole pay a price.
Guterres paid tribute to the reporters in the field “who do
their jobs every day despite intimidation and threats.” Their work -
and that of their fallen colleagues – he pointed out, reminds us that truth
never dies. “Neither must our commitment to the fundamental right to
freedom of expression.”
Stressing that “reporting is not a crime”, he called on the
international community “to protect journalists and create the conditions they
need to do their work.” “Together, let us stand up for journalists, for
truth and for justice”, Guterres appealed.
UNESCO
In a separate message for International Day to End Impunity
for Crimes against Journalists, Audrey Azoulay, the
Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) said, "It is our responsibility to ensure
that crimes against journalists do not go unpunished.” She urged that
journalists be able to “work in safe conditions which allow a free and
pluralistic press to flourish."
“The fight against impunity is inseparable from the defence
of fundamental freedoms such as freedom of expression, freedom of the press and
freedom of access to information,” Azoulay said.
On the occasion of the International Day UNESCO is launching
an initiative to fuel awareness on the issue of journalists killed on the job.
Called “Truth Never Dies,” it encourages people
to share stories by and about fallen journalists to keep
their legacies alive and to push for investigations into
their deaths to be continued.
A study on global trends in media published by UNESCO in
2017 highlights that impunity for crimes against journalists remains the norm,
and trends in kidnappings, disappearances and torture have shown substantial
increases since 2012.
The UN Human Rights Council adopted a
resolution in September, calling on the international community to promote
strategies that protect journalists and bring perpetrators of violence against
the media to justice.
Khashoggi
This year’s International Day comes close on the heels of
the outrageous case of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi who
disappeared after he entered the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on
October 2. Reports claim the 59-year old was killed and dismembered
inside the consulate.
UNESCO facts and figures 2006-2017
- 1010
journalists killed in last 12 years
- 9 in
10 cases of killed journalists remain unresolved
- 93%
of killed journalists are local and only 7% are foreign
- 93%
of the killed journalists are male while 7% of are female
- Journalist
Killing per regions:
- 33.5%
in the Arab Region
- 26%
in Asia & Pacific
- 22.9%
in Latin America and the Caribbean
- 11.6%
in Africa
- 4%
in Central & Eastern Europe
- 2.5%
in Western Europe and North America
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