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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the persistent killing of journalists worldwide, warning that six out of every seven such murders go unpunished.
Guterres made the call on Monday to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, observed annually on November 2.
He urged governments to investigate attacks on journalists, prosecute offenders and tackle online harassment, stressing that media freedom was essential to democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
“Across the world, journalists continue to pay an outrageous price for telling the truth. We demand justice. When journalists are targeted and their reporting is extinguished, it makes victims of us all. This scandal must end,” he said.
The UN chief disclosed that at least 34 journalists had been killed in the past year, while impunity for such crimes remained particularly high in conflict zones, where the rate was nearly 100 per cent.
He noted, however, that the situation had improved in countries not experiencing armed conflict, with the impunity rate dropping from 94 per cent to 77 per cent since the launch of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists in 2012.
Guterres said journalists continued to face intimidation, surveillance, lawsuits, imprisonment, torture and physical attacks simply for doing their jobs.
He described the failure to punish perpetrators as an affront to victims, their families and society, noting that journalists played a critical role in informing the public and holding those in power accountable.
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