Tag: Journalists

2024: A deadly year for journalists


Journalists are dying in large numbers around the world. Gaza the deadliest

July 2024

Journalist have a bad press and sometimes rate along with estate agents (realtors) in public’s low esteem. It is a shame that the antics of those working at the tabloid end of the market producing biased and and highly distorted stories and who were collectively engaged in phone hacking, should taint the whole sector. We depend on journalists to find out what is going on and tell us. With ever more secretive governments, the steady rise of authoritarianism and governments in hock to commercial interests, we do rather depend on such people to shine a light on it all depressing though it may be. Journalism is under threat from social media and it is not unusual for find young people who do not engage with either newspapers or with mainstream TV at all.

Russia

The latest edition of Amnesty Now describes some of the worst instances. 124 journalists were killed last year while doing their job. The Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko was arrested following her report of an attack by the Russians on a theatre which had been sheltering civilians. The Russians denied anyone was killed in the attack and said she was disseminating false information and sentenced her to 6 years imprisonment.

In prison she has experienced ill-treatment including spells of solitary confinement in a punishment cell designed to break prisoner’s spirits. She was then sent to a penal colony 900 kilometres from her home town making family visits impossible. Russia is one of the worst offenders with 30 journalists at least behind bars.

Afghanistan

Amnesty reports that since the Taliban took control in 2021, press freedom has all but evaporated. All information is controlled by the government. Mahdi Ansari was working for the Afghan News Agency when he was arrested without cause. He was kept in solitary confinement and when he finally arrived in court he was denied a lawyer and sentenced to a year and a half in prison for ‘spreading propaganda’. The Afghanistan Journalists Center have estimated 50 journalist detentions in 2024. The human rights situation in the country is appalling and are almost non-existent for women.

Israel and Gaza

Gaza is the deadliest place for journalists where around 70% of all deaths occur. Wearing a press jackets is no longer a protection but makes you a target according to the Sunday Times.

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Journalists under threat in Yemen


Four journalists in Yemen face the death penalty, simply for telling the world the truth about suffering in Yemen

The news is so dominated by Covid-19 that events around the world do not get reported.  The treatment of journalists in Yemen is worthy of our concern however and we hope you will spend a few moments clicking on the link below to the Amnesty site and take the necessary action.

Akram, Abdelkhaleq, Hareth and Tawfiq were just doing their job when they were detained and charged with “spying” and “creating several websites on the internet and social media.” They have now been detained, alongside six other journalists, for five years.  Abdelkhaleq’s family say that other detainees have heard him screaming as he was being tortured. Every day, journalists around the world face intimidation, imprisonment and violence, for reporting on human right violations.  No-one should be sentenced to death just for doing their job.

The Huthi de facto authorities recently pardoned Hamid Haydara, a prisoner of conscience also sentenced to death.

If we pressure the authorities, the same can happen for Akram, Abdelkhaleq, Hareth and Tawfiq.

Call on the Huthi de facto authorities to immediately quash their death sentences, and release all ten journalists.

This is an Amnesty post.  You can go to the Amnesty site and get to the petition here. 

 

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