[NUJ Bristol] UNESCO: most journalists intentionally murdered

Tony Gosling tony@gaia.org
Mon, 05 May 2003 12:19:57 +0100


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UNESCO - World Press Freedom Day 2003

http://portal.unesco.org/ci/ev.php?URL_ID=3D8757&URL_DO=3DDO_TOPIC&URL_SECTI=
ON=3D201

  "the death-knell of freedom, security and the rule of law is sounded" -
UNESCO

According to the professional organizations, of the 523 journalists killed
between 1992 and 2002, 374 were intentionally murdered: 128 for their
political opinions, 67 for having exposed corruption, and 179 because they
were in conflict areas but were killed despite having identified themselves
as reporters.

Unfortunately, in the course of exercising their profession, journalists
may be subject to harassment, imprisonment, attack, and even murder. Apart
from the suffering of the victim, such abuses are also a grave curtailment
of freedom of expression, with all that this implies as a limitation on the
enjoyment of freedoms and rights in society at large. For whenever one
journalist is exposed to violence, intimidation or arbitrary detention
because of his or her commitment to conveying the truth, all citizens are
robbed of the right to express themselves and act according to their
conscience.
It is a very sad and disturbing fact that most of the crimes against
journalists go unpunished. Impunity is not only a violation of the right of
freedom of expression but also a denial of the right to the truth =96 for th=
e
victim or closely-related persons and for the whole of society. Where
impunity rules, the death-knell of freedom, security and the rule of law is
sounded.

World Press Freedom Day 2003 will be dedicated to Impunity.

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