Ramallah - (03/11/2019). The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2 November of each year as the 'International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’. Through this resolution, which was decided on 02/11/2013, the United Nations called on its members to provide a safe environment for journalists to work and to take certain actions to fight the culture of impunity for perpetrators, while providing justice for the victims. Especially when 9 out of 10 murders which target journalists are not prosecuted and punished.
In Palestine, the attacks and violations against journalists and media workers continue and escalate every year and become more dangerous and violent. For instance, the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) has monitored a total of 552 violations against press freedoms and freedom of expression since the beginning of this year, of which 226 were committed by the Israeli occupation, 191 violations by Palestinian authorities, and 135 violations by Facebook company against the Palestinian content.
The attacks which are carried out by the Israeli occupations are considered to be the most serious and violent. Two of the most serious and dangerous cases were when the Israeli army killed two Palestinian journalists Yasser Murtaji and Ahmed Abu Hussein while covering the events of the peaceful return march in Gaza in two separate cases. In addition, dozens of Palestinian journalists were shot. A total of 43 journalists have been killed by Israeli occupying forces since 2000. There have been no cases in which the perpetrators of these killings have been brought to trial or the victims were compensated.
MADA considers that impunity is a real danger to journalists and media workers, as it does not constitute a deterrent against the perpetrators of these crimes, giving them space to commit more of these violations without fear of punishment. Hence, MADA believes that the crimes and violations committed against journalists and media workers would not have continued if the perpetrators had been prosecuted and punished. Therefore, MADA Center reaffirms that it will continue to work with various partners locally, regionally and internationally to put an end to the impunity of the perpetrators of crimes against journalists in Palestine and the world in order to reflect the objectives of the UN resolution.
