83 journalists murdered for the year

Nov 05, 2018 News

…In Guyana, Int’l Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists passes quietly

Perhaps the world will never know the whole truth behind the disappearance and murder of Washington-based Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.
However, what is clear is that a worrying number of journalists and media staff are harassed, terrorized, jailed and even murdered, even though they should be granted the freedom of the press, granted by international human rights law.

Edgar Daniel Esqueda Castro

Over the past 28 years (dating back to 1990), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) recorded the murders of at least 2,297 journalists and media associates, with the motive likely being linked to their job.
Between the years 2007 to 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recorded the killing of 316 journalists. However, the figure escalated by over 200 persons between 2012 to 2016 when UNESCO recorded the killing of 530 journalists.
In 2012 and 2016, the number of journalists killed equated to an average of two deaths per week with the year 2012 proving to be the deadliest year on record, with 124 journalists killed.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), nearly 50 percent of those whose deaths were confirmed to be related to their work were murdered, while 36 percent were caught in the crossfire and 14 percent killed while on dangerous assignments.

Haroon Khan

Osama Nasr al-Zoabi

Father Bernard Darke

CPJ claimed that political groups were the most likely source of violence (36 percent) in these killings, followed by military officials (22 percent) and unknown sources (20 percent).
Most disturbingly is that to date with the year still incomplete, UNESCO has recorded 83 deaths, while the total number of deaths recorded for last year (2017) was 78, five dead journalists less.
Over the years, murderers have shown no mercy in creatively taking over 2000 lives by methods of car bombs, execution style killings, stabbing, kidnapping and torturing and even more brutally by allegedly dismembering body parts while the person is still alive and later mincing into pieces.
What is most disturbing is that these deaths are often swept under the curtains with the exception of the recent death of Jamal Khashoggi.
But aside from him, there were many disturbing murders for example; Haroon Khan, a broadcast journalist, who was shot eight times with an AK-47 on October 12, 2017.
Edgar Daniel Esqueda Castro, Freelance journalist of Mexico, who was taken away at gunpoint on October 5, 2017 by supposed policemen. Castro’s death was by gunshot wound but his body “showed signs of torture.”
Osama Nasr al-Zoabi a reporter, cameraman and correspondent for the Syrian Media Organization of Syria was killed on 21 August, 2017 by driving over an improvised explosive device.
Aside from them, there were many other disturbing deaths of Journalists around the world and the number continues to grow.
FATHER BERNARDE DARKE,
KAIETEUR NEWS PRESSMEN
In Guyana, the list of media workers is thankfully short.
In July 1979, British Jesuit and Catholic Standard photographer, Father Bernard Darke SJ, was stabbed to death as he took photos of a demonstration in Georgetown, Guyana
On August 8, 2006, Kaieteur News pressmen Chetram Persaud ; Eion Wegman; Richard Stewart; Shazeem Mohamed and Mark Maikoo were ruthlessly executed by a group of gunmen at the newspaper’s Eccles, East Bank Demerara printery.
Last Friday, (November 2) the United Nations commemorated International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
The day draws attention to the low global conviction rate for violent crimes against journalists and media workers, estimated at only one in every ten cases.
On 2 November, organizations and individuals worldwide are encouraged to talk about the unresolved cases in their countries, and write to government and intra-governmental officials to demand action and justice. UNESCO organizes an awareness-raising campaign on the findings of the UNESCO Director-General’s biennial Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity,[3] which catalogues the responses of states to UNESCO’s formal request for updates on progress in cases of killings of journalists and media workers.