53 reporters killed, says Reporters Without Borders

Daily Times

LAHORE: Up to 53 journalists and 15 media assistants, including one in Pakistan, were killed, at least 907 reporters were arrested, 1,146 were attacked or threatened and at least 622 media censored in various countries in 2004, revealed Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a French international organisation of journalists, in its 2004 press freedom review released on Wednesday.

The report said the figures had increased compared to the previous year. In 2003, 40 journalists and two media assistants were killed, 766 journalists were arrested, 1,460 were attacked or threatened and at least 501 media censored. In 2004, the report said, about 107 journalists and 70 cyber-dissidents were in prison around the world.

In 2004, the report said, at least 53 journalists were killed while doing their job or for expressing their opinions, the highest number since 1995. Fifteen media assistants, fixers, drivers, translators, technicians, security staff and others, were also killed.

Iraq was the world’s most dangerous country for journalists for the past two years, the report said and added that nineteen reporters and 12 media assistants had been killed in Iraq. Terrorist strikes and Iraqi insurgencies were the main cause, but the US army was held responsible for the death of four journalists. Islamist groups had kidnapped at least a dozen local and foreign journalists in Iraq in 2004. The war in Iraq had paralysed the press freedom in the Middle East region, the report said.

Six journalists were killed in the Philippines, four in Bangladesh, three in Mexico, and two each in Brazil, Nepal, Nicaragua, Peru, Russia and Sri Lanka. One each was killed in Colombia, Dominican Republic, Gambia, Haiti, India, Pakistan, Suadi Arabia, Palestinian Authority and Serbia-Montenegro.

Exposing corruption and reporting organised crime was another major reason for journalists’ killings. Press had the least freedom in Asia, especially North Korea, Burma, China, Vietnam and Laos. Journalists and cyber-dissidents had been repressed in The Maldives in 2004, the report maintained. The report said that physical violence against media people was very common in the region, with daily attacks on journalists in Nepal and Bangladesh instigated by governments, political groups and gangsters. Such attacks in India and Indonesia had not stopped the growth of independent media, the report added.

The report revealed a mixed record in Europe where the European Union, including its ten new members, respected press freedom, but the former Soviet republics gave minimal press freedom. Violence against reporters increased in the Americas as 12 journalists had been killed in South and Central America in 2004. In Mexico, Brazil and Peru, journalists murders had become a concern.