UNESCO considers Russia and Arab countries the most dangerous for journalists

Baku / 04.11.19 / Turan: In five years (2014 -2018), 1109 journalists were killed in the world. This is 18% more than in the previous five-year period. In 90% of cases, the perpetrators were not punished. This is the report of UNESCO, dedicated to the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, celebrated on November 2.

According to the report, the most dangerous region for journalists is the Arab states: a third of media workers who paid their lives for their work died there. In second place - the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean state - 26%, followed by the Asia-Pacific region.

More than half of the murdered journalists investigated the abuse of power and corruption. 93% of the dead are local reporters.

UNESCO emphasizes that punishing perpetrators of murders of journalists is a rarity. Investigations, as a rule, almost never yield results, and impunity leads to new crimes, said UNESCO Director General Audrey Azule.

“UNESCO calls for bringing to justice all those who are in danger of journalists: those who kill them and those who do nothing to put an end to this lawlessness. The death of a journalist should never mean that the search for truth is stopped,” the head of the Organization said.

According to UNESCO, since 1996, 34 journalists have been killed in Russia.  Fourteen cases, including the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, are considered solved. Since 1995, 16 reporters have been killed in Ukraine; their killers have not been found. In Azerbaijan, three journalists were killed during this period, and one case has been opened. -02D-