85 percent of murders of journalists go unpunished

The dangers faced by journalists, including risks to their lives, are highlighted each year on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, which falls on November 2nd.

This year, the International Day coincides with the UNESCO Director-General's biennial report on the safety of journalists and the problem of impunity, which recorded a 38 percent increase in the number of murders of journalists compared to the previous study .

In his message for the day in 2024, UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that Gaza had seen the highest number of murders of journalists and media workers in a war in decades and called on governments to take urgent measures to protect journalists and media workers to investigate crimes, to take action against them and to prosecute the perpetrators.

Journalists in Gaza were killed “on a scale never seen in any modern conflict”

The war in Gaza inevitably dominated Friday's 2024 United Nations International Media Seminar on Middle East Peace, an event that has been held annually for three decades with the aim of improving dialogue and understanding among media professionals and promoting their contributions to the Supporting a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In a statement to the seminar, read by UN global communications chief Melissa Fleming, Mr. Guterres noted that journalists in Gaza were being killed “on a scale unseen in any conflict in modern times.” , adding that the ongoing ban prevents international conflicts from Gaza journalists “stifling the truth even more.”

Below is an excerpt of comments from Cheikh Niang, Chairman of the UN Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations; Guilherme Canela, Head of the Department of Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists, UNESCO; and Mohammad Ali Alnsour, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Sheikh Niang: A year has passed since the events of October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militants attacked Israel and subsequently destroyed Israel. Israeli reaction in Gaza.

Since then, access to information has been severely restricted. Journalists were killed, newsrooms destroyed, foreign press blocked and communications disrupted. The Israeli armed forces, as the occupying power, have systematically dismantled the Palestinian media infrastructure. Silencing voices through restrictions, threats, targeted killings and censorship.

In the last 380 days, over 130 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. These were voices that reported possible war crimes and were silenced before their stories could be fully told.

Journalists in Gaza continue to report on the humanitarian crisis, often at great personal risk, providing the world with an accurate picture of the unfolding tragedy. We salute their courage and recognize that their loss silences their stories and significantly limits the public's access to the truth.

The Palestinian journalist Mohammad Awad reports from practice (file)

Guilherme Canela: The UNESCO Director-General's report on the safety of journalists and the problem of impunity shows for many years a decline in the number of journalists killed in conflicts compared to journalists killed in other situations.

This does not apply to this report. Since our report was published in 2017, it has been completely changed due to the situation in Gaza. Journalists were killed because they told a story, a story that is relevant to every one of us and every citizen.

And to be honest, it's very scary to see how much mistrust there is towards media around the world and towards journalists. And this mistrust arises because of a narrative of political leaders, religious leaders, celebrities against journalists and against journalism as a cornerstone of our democratic values ​​and the protection of human rights.

Mohammad Ali Alnsour: The media has a very important role to play in initiating the accountability process, from documenting the crimes and violations, to investigation and subsequent accountability, to building peace. Unfortunately, this has not been the case in the occupied Palestinian territories for four decades, nor is the issue of access limited to the media and journalists.

According to international humanitarian law, the occupier Israel is obliged to protect civilians, including journalists. We hear from senior politicians and leaders that it is okay to kill civilians to achieve petty military objectives during this process, which is a violation of proportionality, principles and also military necessity.

The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists

Every two years, the awareness campaign commemorating the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists coincides with the findings of the report that sets out the current state of global and regional impunity.

UNESCO is concerned that impunity harms entire societies by concealing serious human rights violations, corruption and crime. Governments, civil society, the media and all those concerned with upholding the rule of law are called upon to join global efforts to end impunity.