Media rights body urges UN action after ‘bloody year’

BRUSSELS–Media rights activist International Federation of Journalists called on the United Nations Saturday to take “drastic action” against governments of the most dangerous countries for media after 106 journalists and media personnel were killed in 2011.

The IFJ said 2011 was “another bloody year” for the media.

It blamed “governments’ failure to uphold their international obligations for the ongoing violence targeting media”.

In a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon the IFJ called for effective implementation of international legal instruments to combat the prevailing culture of impunity for crimes against journalists.

“It is abundantly clear that deadly violence against journalists is not just a blip due to conflicts around the world but has become a regular cycle in many countries where journalists are hunted down, targeted and murdered by the enemies of press freedom,” said the letter signed by Jim Boumelha, the IFJ president.

“In a situation where governments are in denial or indifferent to what has become a regular pattern of targeted killings of journalists, it is incumbent upon yourself and the United Nations to remind them of their responsibility to protect journalists.”

The IFJ list of work-related media killings of 106 journalists and media personnel was coordinated with the International News Safety Institute (INSI). The figure is up from 94 killings recorded in 2010.

An additional 20 journalists and collaborators also died in accidents and natural disasters.

The deadliest region in 2011 was the Middle East and Arab World with 32 journalists and media personnel killed.

Iraq had the region’s highest death toll with 11 dead, as many as each Pakistan and Mexico.

The Philippines, Libya and Yemen had six deaths each, followed by five each in Honduras and India.