IFJ Newsletter-Op-ed October 2015

In its Editorial of 15th September 2015, the New York Times quoted the IFJ on the statistics of journalists killed in 2014 , with Pakistan listed as the most dangerous country in the world for journalists. Some 14 colleagues lost their lives last year whilst conducting their mission to inform. Just like the other 104 in 2014, they were killed because they were journalists.   At the time of writing these lines, 80 journalists have already been killed since 1 January, nine of them in Yemen. This month, the IFJ is launching an international campaign, so that the media safety crisis in the country of the Arabian Peninsula does not get overlooked by the media and general public.   Once again, this year the IFJ is leading the fight against impunity that “protects” those who threaten, harass, attack and kill journalists. In Yemen, of course, but also the Philippines, Mexico and Ukraine, countries which have been the particular focus of monitoring in our global campaign against impunity throughout the year. The IFJ's core message is a powerful indictment of the failure to implement existing international instruments and United Nations resolutions which have been voted for the protection of media!   In memory of all these victims – over 2,000 in 25 years – it is essential that we all commemorate the UN Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2nd November, as well as the IFEX (International Freedom of Expresion Exchange) international day to end impunity, on 23rd November. But, should we do more?   The time has come for serious investigations, convictions and sentences for the perpetrators of crimes against journalists. #EndImpunity.   Beth COSTA, IFJ General Secretary Anthony BELLANGER, Deputy Secretary General