Internationale Medienhilfe (IMH): 20 January 1999
MEDIA: 36 JOURNALISTS MURDERED IN 1998
Statistics compiled by Internationale Medienhilfe (International Media Help) cites 36 journalists as having been killed in 1998 for their beliefs or in the line of duty. Columbia and Russia retained their notoriety at top of the murders list. In the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines and Thailand were cited.
TORONTO: According to statistics compiled by the INTERNATIONALE MEDIENHILFE (INTERNATIONAL MEDIA HELP) organization, 36 journalists were killed
in 1998 for their beliefs or in the line of duty.
With four murders each, Columbia
and Russia once again retain their notoriety as the principal areas where
journalists are murdered.
For the most part, the identities of the murderers are
unknown.
As the locally responsible police authorities often carry out their
investigations of the murders on a superficial basis only, it is reasonable to
assume that the situation will not change in the near future.
In addition to
those places where reporters are killed outright, there are many other countries
where the routine practice of journalism is not possible as critical reporting
is often countered with personal assaults or jail sentences.
According to
various local IMH offices in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, the primary states
in this category include China, Burma, Belarus, Ethopia, Nigeria, Syria and
Turkey.
Journalists are able to work with complete freedom, independence and
without fear in about 40 countries around the world only.
Current statistics
notwithstanding, there is one positive piece of news: the number of murders
decreased versus the prior year.
During 1997 more than 40 mediaworkers were
killed. The following table establishes the countries in which reporters working
in both printed as well as broadcast media were murdered during 1998:
Afghanistan 1
Contact:
Internationale Medienhilfe (IMH)
Angola 1
Bangladesh 1
Brazil 3
Burkina Faso 1
Canada 1
Columbia 4
Congo-Brazzaville 1
Ethiopia 1
Georgia 1
Guatemala 1
Iran 3
Mexico 3
Nigeria 2
Peru 2
Philippines 1
Russia 4
Rwanda 1
Sierra Leone 1
Tadjikistan 1
Thailand 1
Yugoslavia (Kosovo) 1
_______________________________
Total 36
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