DUSHANBE, June 9, 2011, Asia-Plus — Delivering a statement at the Conference on Journalists’ Safety in the OSCE region, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas O. Melia noted on June 7 in Vilnius, Lithuania that the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in its global campaign against impunity, has noted that 546 journalists have been killed around the world with complete impunity since 1992.
According to him, three countries from the OSCE region – Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkey – are on the list of the top 20 countries that CPJ has recorded with unsolved, or in some instances entirely unaddressed, cases of murdered journalists. “These murders are the most tragic cases, but there are hundreds more involving non-fatal violence against journalists that compounds the chilling effect.”
Mr. Melia noted that government officials in the OSCE region too often cast the reporting of what is happening in their countries as the problem to be addressed, rather than to focus on the underlying social issues that are being reported. “Restrictive laws and administrative measures constrain the fundamental freedom of expression and independent media outlets and their employees are subjected to government harassment, as well as threatening actions by private actors tolerated by governments,” said he. “We must be frank about this basic governmental responsibility as an essential step in mustering the necessary political will – to combat violence against journalists from any quarter.”
In his statement, Mr. Melia focused on three areas where the participating States must take action: 1) responsibility to uphold the solemn OSCE commitments the OSCE member states have made in the area of media freedom; 2) responsibility to investigate and prosecute violence against journalists, whether the suspected perpetrators are to be found inside or outside of government; and 3) responsibility to ensure a public, political climate that is conducive to the functioning of independent, pluralistic media.
“When cases of violence against journalists languish, when justice is denied for the killing or beating of a journalist just because authorities do not like what he or she says, the rule of law that is necessary for modern societies to function successfully is undermined,” said U.S. diplomat, “Impunity must end.”
He reminded that on February 7, unknown assailants attacked and seriously injured Hikmatullo Sayfullozoda, press secretary of the opposition Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan and editor of its newspaper. The United States and the European Union called on the government to conduct a thorough investigation of the attack and prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law, Mr. Melia said.
“Condemning and prosecuting violence against journalists is one key way to create such a climate. Fostering open, frank public dialogue and debate on the whole range of domestic and foreign issues is also crucial. Government officials can lead by example, set the tone, and make it clear that they respect the role of free media in society, even when they disagree with a journalist”s reporting or views. Government officials can ensure that their ministries and departments establish professional press offices, make documents available to the press, and hold press conferences where journalists can ask – and even sometimes receive answers to – important questions about the functioning of government.”
