Ramallah 23/11/2012: on this day, 23rd November, human rights organizations in general and freedom of expression organizations in particular organize activities in honour of the International Day to End Impunity. Such activities include campaigns and various events in order to hold those who abuse journalists to account, especially in light of the international community’s failure to secure their protection. Crimes against journalists in the occupied Palestinian territories have been acutely witnessed during the latest phase of aggression against Gaza. Israeli occupation forces killed three journalists, namely Mahmoud Al- Komi, Hossam Salamah and Mohammed Abu Eisha, and bombed the headquarters of a number of media outlets; furthermore, occupation forces killed four journalists during its aggression on the Gaza Strip at the beginning of 2009. A total number of 23 journalists have been murdered since the commencement of the new millennium.
According to the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a total of 559 journalists have been killed worldwide since the turn of 2008, with 129 journalists losing their lives since the beginning of this year alone. Many of the casualties have included journalists operating in the Arab regions, particularly in Iraq, and throughout 2012 a great number have fallen victim in Syria where media freedoms have deteriorated in an unprecedented way over the last year and a half. The fate of Palestinian journalists Bashar Qaddoumi and Muheeb Nawati remains unknown, following their disappearance in Syria and the refusal of the authorities to supply information regarding their whereabouts or welfare.
Members of the Global Network for Free Expression (IFEX), which represents 95 international, regional and national institutions including the MADA Center (which is an IFEX Council member), elected 23rd November as the International Day to End Impunity during their General Meeting in the Lebanese capital of Beirut in June 2011. This date marks the anniversary of the Ampatuan massacre where 32 journalists were killed in the Philippines in 2009, the deadliest attack on journalists in recent history.
IFEX also launched its annual '23 actions in 23 days’ campaign at the beginning of this month in which the network profiled 23 individual stories around the world who have suffered gross violations and who have not yet experienced due justice. Palestinian photojournalist Jafar Ishtayeh is one such journalist and IFEX highlighted his story on the eighth day of the campaign. On the same day, MADA organized a sit-in in the city of Ramallah protesting the continued violations of journalists perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces.
On this marked occasion, the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) demands accountability for all aggressors against journalists in Palestine and around the world. It demands the release of imprisoned journalists and appeals to international society and relevant United Nations organizations to employ and implement clear and specific mechanisms to ensure adequate protection for journalists, particularly during times of war and in conflict zones.
