November 2 is the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. The observance of this day helps highlight killings, kidnappings and torture of journalists around the world and to ensure full justice for journalists who fell victims to these crimes.
According to the International Federation of Journalists, 47 media persons have been killed in the line of duty in 2023. The IFJ recorded 68 killings of media professionals in work-related incidents in 2022. This was 21 more killings than the previous year.
In a small step to ending impunity, the report released on October 16, 2023, by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, found Israeli forces used “lethal force without justification” when they shot and killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11, 2022, in the occupied West Bank, violating her “right to life”. The Commission has also pledged to provide its evidence to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Reporting on war and conflict increases the risks to journalists' lives.
According to the United Nations, there was a 50 per cent increase in journalist deaths during the last year. The main reason for this was the war in Ukraine, that is, in the 'war and conflict zone', journalists are killed because of their work. The war between Israel and Hamas has had a deadly toll, with at least 32 journalists killed in Palestine. Reporting human tragedies in this war is becoming increasingly difficult.
A few journalists from Pakistan also went to Lebanon to cover the war, among them two senior journalists of Geo TV, Tariq Abul Hasan and Ali Imran Syed. Both journalists have experience of conflict reporting at the local and international level. They had insurance cover provided by their organization as well as the required communication equipment. The Geo team returned safely on October 30.
Talking about how difficult it is to report from a war zone, Tariq Abul Hasan said, “First of all, you must understand the conflict. Your job is to report, not take sides, so it's important to report responsibly. The number of Palestinian journalists killed in this war is also high because Israel is actively targeting them. Press vehicles clearly have PRESS written on them, but if it is targeted by a drone, it is clear that it was the target. We also see the style of collective punishment here because the purpose of targeting the Al Jazeera journalist's house was that the journalist and his family would also be punished. Israel does not want its war crimes to be reported internationally. We chose a place in Lebanon where the Christians lived. There was hope that this area would not come under direct attack.”
Geo journalist Ali Imran Syed said that the first question in reporting any conflict is the journalist's own safety. Here too, the important question for us was where to stay. We found a hotel in the border area. We both wanted to stay at the 'Dana Hotel' where other international media journalists were staying, but it was fully booked. We chose another hotel 'Rasha' near the border area on the instructions of an Al Jazeera journalist.
According to Ali Imran, "I felt many times during the night that the explosion happened very close to us. Even during the day, we heard sounds of explosions many times. At that time, we were the only South Asian TV reporters in Lebanon. We made several good reports due to our proximity to the border. In particular, the UN convoy passed through here, which was reported by Tariq Abul Hasan, while India clearly reported with the Israeli position.
Suno TV's Editor Investigation Tariq Habib is currently in Lebanon. He told us from Karba, Lebanon, "First of all, the organization and other media organizations should provide training for the protection of journalists." Risk management is very important for a journalist. While working on any report, take your organization as well as the union into confidence, was his advice.
He said that first of all, every journalist should understand that in any conflict and war zone, always be non-controversial. “One-sided reporting is your greatest danger, so always report conflict following journalistic principles. Organizations should also provide insurance to their journalists, including journalists from small towns,” he said.
Where does Pakistan stand?
According to the Freedom Network crimes against journalists have increased in Pakistan like all over the world. From August 2022 to August 2023, 37.5 per cent of journalists faced violence and faced harassment, kidnapping, physical violence and lawsuits.
From 2021 to 2023, 93 out of 248 such cases have been registered in Islamabad alone. There were 56 cases against journalists in Sindh and according to the Pakistan Press Foundation, two journalists were killed, 72 were tortured and three were kidnapped.
If journalists are attacked, society suffers.
Jane Worthington, director of the International Federation of Journalists, Asia Pacific, said in response to a question over email, “Sadly, too many people and too many journalists tend to think of fighting impunity as justice for journalist murders, but what we are talking about is justice full stop – that is for all crimes against journalists. That is justice for all crimes that block the public’s right to know. In Pakistan, historically we have had a high death toll of which 95-99 per cent of crimes have gone unpunished.”
Worthington added, “Impunity across the board is also being translated in other malevolent ways – through forced abductions, silencing of journalists, legal threats, journalists being forced off air, journalists being pursued beyond the country’s borders, media outlets being silenced through various means. Impunity is where silencing of the media is allowed to run rife – condoned by the establishment and the authorities – but this environment effectively darkens the reputation of the country across the board. When media is stifled, society suffers – that is all Pakistani citizens. When media is infiltrated with stooges and spies, journalists are insecure and vulnerable. On this day, we say to governments and those who believe in democracy and a better society for all – do better.”
It has been one year since the murder of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif on October 23, 2023. His wife Javeria Siddique had to approach the Kenyan court. Siddique says, "No effort was made at the government level to catch his killers." She has also filed the case in a Kenyan court in her personal capacity. She emphasized that the Journalist Protection Bill should be discussed. It should be fully implemented to prevent crimes against journalists.
Pakistani journalist Ayesha Khalid, who has experience in broadcast journalism, says that the violence, kidnapping and killing of Pakistani journalists has a direct impact on the entire journalistic community. Eleven journalists have been killed in the last two years. Pakistan's media freedom ranking is 150th out of 180 countries, which itself tells us where we stand.
Sahrish Khokhar, reporter of ARY TV, says that "All of us journalists have been sitting on protest against the killing of journalist Jan Muhammad Maher in Sindh for 70, 75 days." The purpose of this protest is to arrest the murderers of the journalist. It is sad to say that no work is being done to protect journalists. Laws have been made but they are not implemented.
He further said: 'We journalists are the fourth pillar of the state, giving news is our job. Be it the institutions or the political elite or the powerful class, writing against them becomes a crime for journalists. In the end, when a person dies, we, the journalist community, protest, but what happens?'
Khokar emphasized that it is the work of institutions to get insurance for journalists, which should be mandatory.
Establishment of Journalist Protection Act and Commission
In Pakistan, where there are so many difficult situations, some good initiatives have also emerged, thanks to collective action. The Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act,2021 was passed at the national level for the protection of journalists, but so far no commission has been formed anywhere else except in Sindh. A five-member commission headed by Rashid A. Rizvi in Sindh has been operational since February 2023.
Hasan Naqvi, representative of the Sindh Protection Commission, says that the commission has been working since February. So far 12 applications have been processed while six are still being processed. “Journalists contact us, and we have our own way of checking. We start working on the report after meeting with our board members. We are in touch with the police, FIA and other security agencies so that the journalist's complaint is redressed,” he said.
At the same time, he also said that on any news or information, action can be taken if the head of the commission or a member of the committee is required.
Sheema Siddiqui is an award-winning Multimedia Journalist. Photographer and PhD. Scholar, and has more than 20 years' experience in radio, print, and TV. Sheema is currently associated with Geo TV, and her research-based reports, blogs, and investigative features on climate, human rights, world politics, and education are published on local and international digital platforms.
This article was originally published on the Independent Urdu. Read the original story here.