UN urged to strengthen fight against attacks on journalists

Dennis TMay 26, 2022

27 2 minutes read

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has been urged to strengthen the fight against impunity and to pressure states to investigate fully, promptly and independently all attacks on journalists.

This call was made by the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Opinion during an informal Arria meeting on the protection of reporters. The meeting also heard from a senior official from news network Al Jazeera who said his colleague Shireen Abu Akleh was killed earlier this month in the West Bank town of Jenin “by an Israeli bullet and in cold blood while she was doing her job”.

The Council heard how media independence, freedom and pluralism was backsliding in many countries with press freedom being chilled even when journalists are not being killed; the Council urged to protect journalism as a public good and a pillar of democracy.

“The UN Security Council must unequivocally reaffirm its call to all states and indeed all parties to a conflict to uphold their international human rights and humanitarian law obligations towards genocide. Secondly, the Security Council must strengthen the fight against impunity. It must call on states to investigate fully, promptly and independently all attacks against journalists in line with international standards. Thirdly, both states and the international community must invest in free, independent, pluralistic and diverse media. UN missions must prioritize support to strengthen media freedom and safety of journalists as part of the sustainable development agenda,” says Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression and Opinion Irene Khan.

While the recent killing of Al Jazeera Correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh also receiving a fair share of the spotlight at the meeting, the network’s America’s Bureau Chief Abderrahim Foukara pointed the finger at Israel for her death.

“Al Jazeera’s position is crystal clear- Shireen Abu Akleh as life matters, and so does a transparent and independent investigation of her killing and of the serious violation of her funeral by the Israeli security forces. There are other crystal clear issues for Al Jazeera network.

One, Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli bullet and in cold blood while she was doing her job. Two, the network has the evidence and the witnesses to support that position. Three, Al Jazeera is considering all possible legal options to make sure justice is done so that Syrians killing does not end up swept under the carpet of impunity. Four, the responsibility of Shireen’s killing must be investigated going as high as may be required up the chain of command in the Israeli army or any other security apparatus which may have been involved.

Calling on the Council to shoulder its responsibility to protect journalists and to use its leverage to end the impunity of bad actors.

Source: Reuters

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