Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 02-11-2017
The United Nations (UN) says justice must be done for the murder of journalists, who perform important functions in taking forward fundamental freedoms and bolstering the strength of societies.
Yesterday marked the International Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists in commemoration of the assassination of two French journalists in Mali on November 2, 2013.
From 2006 to 2016, at least 930 journalists were killed. In 2016 alone, some 102 journalists were killed in the line of duty. Worryingly, more than nine out of 10 cases, the perpetrators are never brought to justice.
Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) says justice is a cornerstone of a free society.
“It dissuades those who threaten freedom of expression and emboldens those who stand to defend it. This is why injustice against journalists is so costly for all societies.”
Bokova says the world must ensure justice is done for every journalist that is killed.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres says that when journalists are targeted, societies as a whole also pay the price.
“Indeed, the kind of news that gets silenced – corruption, conflicts of interest, illegal trafficking – is exactly the kind of information the public needs to know.”
The UN General Assembly, Security Council and Human Rights Council have all condemned attacks against journalists and called for ensuring their safety. The United Nations system has also endorsed a Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.
On Wednesday in Geneva, two UN experts warned that the world is witnessing a “downward spiral of attacks” on journalists, spurred on by hate speech even from senior politicians.
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