Eight journalists were killed in Pakistan in 2020,PEC report
India and Mexico most dangerous countries in 2020
Geneva, December 10 (PEC) India and Mexico have been the most dangerous countries for media work this year, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said in its annual report in Geneva on Thursday. The number of journalists killed increased by 10% compared to last year.
In total, since January, 83 media workers have been killed in 30 countries around the world (up from 75 last year). India leads with 13 assassinations (+10), ahead of Mexico where 11 journalists were killed (-2). Among the most dangerous countries are Pakistan (8 dead, unchanged), Afghanistan (5, -3), Iraq (5, +2), the Philippines (4, unchanged) and Honduras (4 also, -1).
Three assassinations were recorded in Nigeria (+2), as well as in Syria (-3) and Venezuela (+3). The following countries deplore two victims: Brazil (unchanged), Guatemala (+2), Liberia (+2), Somalia (+1).
Finally, one victim has been identified in the following countries: Argentina, Bangladesh, Barbados, Cambodia, Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Indonesia, Mozambique, Paraguay, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Turkey, and Yemen.
By region, Asia, with 33 dead (+6), is ahead of Latin America (27 victims, +1), the Middle East (11, +1), Africa (9, -1) and Europe (3, +1).
Of the 83 journalists murdered, only 16 were in conflict zones (Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen). It seems that the pandemic has helped to freeze some conflicts and also limit the movement of journalists to dangerous areas.
“Fewer journalists have died in areas of armed conflict this year, but too many of them have been targeted for their work in peaceful countries,” commented PEC General Secretary Blaise Lempen. While Mexico has been among the most dangerous countries for several years, the rise in India is particularly worrying, with 10 more deaths in a year. The PEC strongly condemns these attacks and calls for those responsible for these crimes to be brought to justice. A very high price
In ten years, from 2011 to 2020, 1180 journalists were killed, or 118 per year, 2.26 per week, according to figures from the PEC. More than 520 journalists have also died from Covid-19 since March (see our corona-ticker). Over the year, nearly 600 journalists died as a result of the violence and the pandemic, a very heavy price, the worst since the Second World War. The PEC figures are higher than those of other organizations because the PEC lists all killed media workers, whether or not their deaths are related to their professional activity. It is indeed difficult to prove that a crime takes place due to the work of a journalist without independent and comprehensive investigations which are often lacking in countries in conflict and shaken by violence. For this, the creation of an independent investigative mechanism within the framework of the United Nations is essential to fill the gaps that may exist at the national level in terms of prevention, protection and prosecution.
Source: PEC
