Damascus, Europe Brief News – Over 860 journalists were killed in the MENA region in last decade mainly in Syria and Iraq, rights sources revealed.
Euro-Med Monitor said in a report issued Thursday that the last decade has seen a noticeable decline in press freedoms in the MENA region, with journalism being one of the most dangerous professions, particularly in areas of armed conflict.
In conjunction with the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, Euro-Med Monitor said that journalists have been among the most targeted groups in many countries in recent years, as they have been victims of a variety of crimes and violations, including killing, arbitrary detention, torture, and unfair trials, with perpetrators frequently going unpunished.
Chairman of Euro-Med Monitor Ramy Abdu, said, “Parties to the conflict in the region differ in almost everything, but they agree on silencing the press and preventing journalists from practising their work freely.”
“The most concerning aspect of the increased targeting of journalists and media outlets is that perpetrators have an open record of impunity, which encourages them to repeatedly target journalists without regard for the consequences,” Abdu added.
The report, titled “Profession of Death”, provides an overview of press freedoms in the 18 countries covered by Euro-Med Monitor as part of its work areas: Syria, Iraq, Palestinian Territory, Lebanon, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
700 journalists killed in Syria
In this report, Euro-Med Monitor documents the killing of more than 860 journalists in the MENA region. Syria had the highest number of journalists killed in the region, with over 700 journalists and media workers killed, including 9 foreign journalists; an average of more than 63 journalists killed per year.
Next was Iraq, which saw the killing of 61 journalists, an average of 6 journalists per year, Yemen, which saw the killing of 42 journalists since 2014, an average of more than 5 journalists per year, and the Palestinian territory, which recorded an average of two journalists killed per year.
The report pointed out that journalists and media outlets in the non-conflict countries of the region also face severe restrictions and control over their work, as the authorities in several countries, such as the Gulf states, the Maghreb, Egypt and Jordan, have laws ensuring their control over the press sector, as well as having laws that legitimise the criminalisation of journalistic work and confiscation of freedom Journalists for their legitimate work.
Despite the low number of journalists killed or detained in a number of them, this does not reflect the state of press freedom in those countries. As a result of threats and restrictive laws, journalists practice self-censorship in order to avoid prosecution, harassment, and attacks.
Recommendations
Euro-Med Monitor called on Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, along with other relevant bodies, to step up efforts to hold perpetrators of violations against journalists accountable and develop more effective mechanisms to protect journalists and media workers from the often intentional and organized targeting.
It further called on governments and conflict parties in the MENA region to respect journalistic freedom, stop targeting journalists and media, release all journalists detained for their work, bring justice to journalists who died on the job, and allow all individuals and institutions, regardless of orientation, to engage in media activity without restrictions.
