21.05.2023. Argentina: periodista que denunció abusos policiales es hallada muerta en su casa. Griselda Blanco (photo, 45 años) fue encontrada colgada en su vivienda. La Policía descartó que se trate de un suicidio e investiga si es un feminicidio, pero la familia asegura que es un crimen por las denuncias que ella hacía. Según el diario El Litoral de esa provincia, Blanco era “una periodista crítica y muy comprometida con varias causas”. En su perfil de Facebook, la comunicadora social hacía denuncias de casos policiales de su comunidad, venta de drogas y abusos policiales. Exigimos justicia y un pronto esclarecimiento por el crimen de la periodista Griselda Blanco.

14.05.2023. MEXICO. PEC condena el homicidio de Gerardo Torres Rentería (photo) exreportero y camarógrafo de Telemundo, asesinado la noche de jueves 11 de mayo en la colonia Icacos, en el Puerto de Acapulco, Guerrero. El comunicador fue atacado sorpresivamente por civiles armados que lograron entrar hasta su vivienda y abrieron fuego directamente contra él. Excorresponsal de la agencia británica Reuters y TV Azteca, Gerardo Torres Rentería, tenía 59 años de edad. México es uno de los países más violentos del mundo para el ejercicio del periodismo.Torres Rentería se coloca como el tercer periodista asesinado en Mexico en lo que va del año 2023.

10.05.2023. UKRAINE. SECOND JOURNALIST KILLED IN UKRAINE THIS YEAR. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is sad to learn of the death of one more journalist in Ukraine. French international news agency Agence France-Presse says its Ukraine video coordinator was killed Tuesday during a rocket attack in Chasiv Yar near the city of Bakhmut. Born in Sarajevo, a French citizen, Arman Soldin, 32 (photo), was with a team of AFP journalists traveling with Ukrainian soldiers when the group came under fire with Grad rockets, the agency said. The rest of the AFP team was uninjured. His death is a terrible reminder of the dangers faced by journalists every day covering the conflict in Ukraine. PEC offers its condolences to his family and AFP colleagues. He joined the agency in Rome in 2015 before being hired in London. He arrived in Ukraine to cover the war the day after Russia began its invasion in February 2022. Soldin had travelled regularly to the front lines in recent months. He is the second journalist to be killed in Ukraine since January. Ukrainian producer Bohdan Bitik, who was working for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, was shot dead in a suspected Russian sniper attack near the southern city of Kherson last month.

08.05.2023. CAMEROUN. La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) est choquée par l'assassinat d'un 3e journaliste au Cameroun depuis janvier. Alors que les assassins de Martinez Zogo demeurent inconnus, un autre journaliste vient d’être tué par balles au Cameroun, Anye Nde Nsoh (photo), responsable régional Nord-Ouest du journal The Advocate. Il a été tué dimanche, à Bamenda, 366 kilomètres au nord-ouest de Yaoundé. Des soupçons pèsent sur des combattants séparatistes, selon des médias locaux. Le meurtre de Anye Nde Nsoh survient quatre mois après l’assassinat de Martinez Zogo, directeur de la radio Amplitude FM. Après lui, avait suivi le Révérend Père Jean Ola Bebe. Le prêtre journaliste avait été retrouvé mort à Yaoundé. La PEC condamne fermement ces assassinats qui font du Cameroun, jusqu'ici cette année, le pays le plus dangereux pour les journalistes. L'ONG de défense des journalistes demande aux autorités de faire toute la lumière sur ces crimes afin d'en retrouver et punir les responsables. Il est urgent de mettre fin à l'impunité pour que cessent les violences.

The number of journalists killed in the period January to April 2023 has fallen compared to the same period last year, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said on Tuesday on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. Since January, 16 media workers have been killed.

Le nombre de journalistes tués a baissé de janvier à avril 2023 en comparaison avec la même période de l’an dernier, a indiqué mardi la Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) à l’occasion de la Journée mondiale de la liberté de la presse. Depuis janvier, 16 travailleurs des médias ont été tués.

El número de periodistas asesinados ha disminuido de enero a abril de 2023 en comparación con el mismo período del año pasado, dijo este martes la Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC, por sus siglas en inglés) con motivo del Día Mundial de la libertad de Prensa. Desde enero, 16 trabajadores de los medios han sido asesinados.

Read the PEC statement on PRESS RELEASES (English, French and Spanish)

Bogdan Bitik was working as a fixer for Corrado Zunino (photo), Italian correspondent for La Repubblica, who was wounded. A Ukrainian journalist working with reporters for La Repubblica has been shot dead most likely by Russian snipers in southern Ukraine, while his Italian colleague was injured, the Italian newspaper said on Wednesday. Corrado Zunino and his fixer Bogdan Bitik were victims of an ambush near the bridge in Kherson on the outskirts of Kherson. Bitik unfortunately did not make it and died. Corrado was wounded in the shoulder. Zunino, who had extensively covered the conflict, told La Repubblica he had been wearing a bulletproof vest with “Press” written on it when the reporters were attacked. The Italian foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said his ministry and the Italian embassy in Kyiv were working with the Ukrainian authorities on returning Zunino to Italy. According to sources in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Bitik had no bulletproof vest and was wearing only a vest with a "Press" badge. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) reminds all belligerents that journalists are protected by the Geneva Conventions and that they should not be targeted. Bogdan Bitik is the first journalist to be killed on duty this year in Ukraine. An investigation has been opened.

18.04.2023. HAITI. On Saturday night, armed individuals assassinated the Haitian journalist Dumesky Kersaint (photo) in the Mahotiere 83 neighborhood in the municipality of Carrefour. This young reporter worked at Radio Tele INUREP where he was in charge of covering the demonstrations organized by different social groups. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the climate of tolerated and fueled violence, which led to the death of INUREP journalist Dumesky Kersaint. Kersaint, however, was not the target person. He was a collateral victim of the actions of armed civilians who were committing crimes in the same place where the journalist was. Since the worsening of the security crisis caused by the death of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, Haiti has become a country where gangs control interprovincial traffic and entire neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince. According to PEC and UNESCO data, 9 journalists were killed in Haiti in 2022.

09.04.2023. AFGHANISTAN Taliban continues arresting Afghan journos, PEC demands justice. Press Emblem Campaign and rights body, expressed concern over the arrest of three Afghan journalists by the Taliban forces in the south Asian country and demanded the authorities to stop persecuting the scribes. Local media outlets reported that two reporters from Radio Television Afghanistan (Safiullah Wafa and Noor Agha) and a scribe from TV Tanwir (Ghulam Ali Wahdat) were picked up by the intelligence agencies from Pule-e-Khumri locality in Baghlan province on 5 April.

Read more on PRESS RELEASES

06.04.2023. UNITED NATIONS. Coming soon: Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomnes a one-day Expert Seminar on legal and economic threats to the safety of journalists. Human Rights Council resolution 51/9 on “The safety of journalists” requested the High Commissioner for Human Rights to organize, before the fifty-fourth session of the Council, a one-day expert seminar on legal and economic threats to the safety of journalists, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, and to prepare and present a summary report for the fifty-fifth session of the Council. The Human Rights Council full-day expert seminar will take place in Room XX of the Palais des Nations, in Geneva, on 25 April 2023.

More info and to register: https://www.ohchr.org/en/events/events/2023/expert-seminar-legal-and-economic-threats-safety-journalists

30.03. 2023. RUSSIA. Wall Street Journal reporter arrested by Russian authorities, accused of espionage. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) demands the immediate release of the journalist who was only doing his job. The FSB security services said they had "halted the illegal activities of US citizen Evan Geshkovich," (photo), saying the Wall Street Journal reporter was "suspected of spying in the interests of the American government." The announcement marks a serious escalation in Kremlin's efforts to silence independent media, a crackdown that gained momentum following Russia's military operation in Ukraine last year, denounced the PEC. The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB.

Read more on PRESS RELEASES

On March 19, the Armed Forces of Ukraine introduced new rules for war reporters. Now journalists cannot work in the so-called “red zones” and can only work with a military escort in the less dangerous “yellow zones”. The rest of the territory is considered a “green zone” where journalists work freely. Such zoning makes it impossible for journalists to work along the entire front line, as well as in some liberated civilian cities, according to Andrii Ianitskyi, Press Emblem Campaign's representative in Ukraine.

Read the full statement on PRESS RELEASES

22.03.2023. UNITED NATIONS. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - 52nd session - PEC statement item 4 general debate: Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) urges the Russian and Iranian authorities to allow media to report unimpeded by government interference. PEC condemns the systematic campaign of repression and restriction of civic space that has taken place in Russia. The criminalisation of protest, the silencing of the free press, and the massive propagation of disinformation are all factors which enabled the Kremlin to perpetrate his war of aggression in Ukraine. PEC is also deeply concerned by the worsening of press freedom in Iran.

Read the full PEC statement on Press Releases

13.03.2023. AFGHANISTAN. Two journalists killed, 18 injured in an Islamic State (IS) bomb attack at a press award ceremony in northern Afghanistan on March 11. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns this heinous crime and calls on the Taliban to bring the perpetrators to justice. The explosion occurred at the Tabian Farhang center, also uses as the office of the Afghan Voice news agency in Mazar-e Sharif, as journalists gathered for the award event marking National Journalists Day. The Afghan Voice news agency reported that the explosion occurred due to a bomb that was placed in the event. According to the report, at least three persons were killed and more than 30 others were wounded in the attack. A local source told the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) that at least 18 journalists were wounded in the attack. The two journalists killed are Husain Nadiri, 20, a reporter for the Afghan Voice Agency and Akmal Nazari, 21, a trainee at the news agency (photo afjc: two of the journalists wounded).

10.03.2023. UKRAINE. Russian forces shell Radio Nostalgie office in Nikopol. On 9 March 2023, Russian forces shelled the office of Nostalgie, a radio station in Nikopol, a city in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, which remains under the Ukrainian government's control. According to Valery Tereshchenko, the radio's director, a missile hit a wall on the ground floor of the office building and completely destroyed it (photo facebook). The top floor of the building, where the radio's newsroom is located, was also seriously damaged, he said. Due to the missile strike, the radio station ceased broadcasting. According to the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, the radio was a key source of trustworthy information for inhabitants of Nikopol and the wider region. This included listeners located on the other bank of the Dnipro river, and which remains under Russian occupation. Valery Tereshchenko cannot say whether the Russian military targeted the building of the radio station deliberately. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns this strike and reminds all belligerents that media offices are civilian facilities that should never be attacked.

08.03.2023. UNITED NATIONS. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - 52nd session - PEC statement item 2 general debate: PEC very worried by the further deterioration in Afghanistan and Myanmar - The media are increasingly subject to surveillance, threats, violence, and arrests in both countries - PEC calls on UN Member States to urge Afghanistan and Myanmar to release all journalists arbitrarily detained, included Mortaza Behboudi, detained for 2 months in Kabul (photo pec: PEC UN Representative Ana Leurinda reading the PEC statement at the Human Rights Council) #FreeMortaza

Read the PEC oral statement on PRESS RELEASES

02.03.2023. INDIA. Another journalist attacked. Press Emblem Campaign condemns the recent physical attack on a journalist in Uttar Pradesh and demands stringent punishments to the perpetrators. Devendra Khare (photo), who is associated with the privately owned Hindi media outlet News1India, was shot at by miscreants in the evening hours of 26 February at Chandpur area of Jaunpur city. Injured Khare is now recovering from wounds in the hospital.

Read more on PRESS RELEASES

24.02.2023. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is sad to learn

the killing of Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons (photo, 24), and Pine Hills Elementary

School student T’yonna Major, 9, after shootings in Pine Hills, near Orlando, Florida. The death of

an Orlando TV reporter on Wednesday puts a spotlight on the threats faced by local journalists

merely for doing their jobs, also in USA. News photographer Jesse Walden was wounded. It

remains unclear whether the suspect knew he was firing at news media. Lyons was part of a news

crew reporting from the Pine Hills neighborhood on the fatal shooting of a woman in her 20s that

had happened earlier on Wednesday. The day ended with two others dead and two critically injured. Last year, two journalists

were killed in USA: Jeff German in Las Vegas, September 2 and Sierra Jenkins at Norfolk, March 19.

22.02.2023. GENEVA. PEC Meeting with the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva. On Wednesday 22 February 2023, Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) President Blaise Lempen, Vice-President Jean-Philippe Jutzi and PEC board member Luisa Ballin met the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Jürg Lauber and communication officer Paola Ceresetti to discuss the draft convention on the safety of journalists. «The war in Europe and the many victims among journalists in Ukraine made urgent the adoption of a convention to secure access to war zones and carry out independent investigations into war crimes” stressed PEC President Blaise Lempen (photo left to right: Jean-Philippe Jutzi, Amb. Jürg Lauber, Paola Ceresetti, Luisa Balin and Blaise Lempen)

20.02.2023. UKRAINE. A year after the Russian attack: the safety of journalists under the new media law. The security situation for journalists has improved markedly during the year. However the work of journalists on the frontline has become more difficult due to tighter military restrictions. We have noted several cases in which the military has withdrawn military accreditation from journalists under dubious pretexts.

Read the report of the PEC Representative in Ukraine on PRESS RELEASES (English and French)

17.02.2023. AFGHANISTAN. PEC joined other organizations and media to demand release of Afghan scribe Mortaza Behboudi

Press Emblem Campaign, the global media safety and rights body, demands an immediate release of Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi (photo), who was arrested on 7 January by the Taliban regime in Kabul. “Afghanistan continues to reflect the poor press freedom situation, where journalists are routinely facing threats, insults, detentions and
physical assaults. Over 600 active Afghan media outlets now cease to operate. Over one hundred Afghan journalists were temporarily detained by the authorities last year. The female journalists are facing the most challenging time there", said PEC President Blaise Lempen. Sign the petittion: https://rsf.org/en/FreeMortaza

Read more on PRESS RELEASES

14.02.2023. CAMBODIA. Press Emblem Campaign, the global media safety and rights body, expressed serious concern over the recent closure of a leading independent media outlet, available in Cambodia’s official language Khmer and English by the government and condemns all kinds of media restrictions in the south-east Asian country ahead of the scheduled national elections in July.

Read more on PRESS RELEASES

09.02.2023. INDIA. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the global media safety and rights body, expresses shock over the killing of journalist Shashikant Warishe (photo) in Maharashtra and demands a fair probe to identify the culprit for punishing under the law. Warishe, who used to work for Marathi-language daily Mahanagari Times, was mowed down on Monday at Rajapur area by a four-wheeler following which he was rushed to a nearby hospital. The brave journalist succumbed to injuries on 7 February.

Read more on PRESS RELEASES

08.02.2023. CAMEROON. Second journalist killed in two weeks. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is deeply concerned about the safety of journalists in Cameroon following the killing of a second journalist in the country in two weeks. Jean-Jacques Ola Bebe (photo), a radio presenter, was found dead on 2 February near his home in the Mimboman district of the capital Yaoundé, apparently shot dead by unknown assailants. His killing came 11 days after Arsene Salomon Mbami Zogo, popularly known as Martinez Zogo, a prominent journalist and manager of privately-owned Amplitude FM, was found dead five days after he had been abducted outside a gendarmerie station in Yaoundé. Both Ola Bebe and Martinez Zogo were outspoken voices against corruption, using their platforms on radio to denounce cases of alleged misappropriation of public funds. Ola Bebe was at the forefront in calling for justice and accountability for the murder of Zogo, his close associate. A Cameroonian businessman was arrested on Monday in connection with the murder of Zogo. PEC calls on the authorities to ensure that Ola Bebe’s killing is independently and impartially investigated and that those found to be responsible for these killings, at all levels, are held to account.

On January 26, a three-member ČT24 team was covering the war near the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut when the journalists noticed a drone flying above them. Minutes later, artillery shells exploded nearby and the team fled the scene, according to media reports. No one was injured in the attack. The team, composed of reporter Andreas Papadopulos, ČT24 camera operator Jan Bradáč, and Anastasia Zhuk, a Ukrainian journalist (photo twitter), all wore vests and helmets marked as “Press,” and their car was marked as well. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns this strike, reminds all belligerents that members of the press should not be targeted and calls upon Ukrainian and Russian authorities to investigate the shelling.

23.01.2023. CAMEROUN. La PEC condamne l'assassinat odieux du journaliste camerounais Martinez Zogo (photo), directeur de la chaîne de radio Amplitude FM. La PEC demande que les responsables, exécutants et commanditaires, soient identifiés et traduits en justice le plus rapidement possible, afin que ce crime prémédité ne reste pas impuni. Les membres de la PEC présentent à la famille, aux collègues et médias camerounais leurs condoléances. Martinez Zongo a été retrouvé mort, le dimanche 22 janvier, dans la périphérie de Yaoundé, cinq jours après son enlèvement. Son corps portait des marques de tortures. Directeur de la radio privée Amplitude FM et animateur de l'émission "Embouteillages", Martinez Zogo traitait régulièrement d’affaires de corruption impliquant des personnalités au Cameroun. La PEC exige des autorités de Yaoundé qu'elles protègent les journalistes dans un climat de violences inquiétant.

16.01.2023. BANGLADESH - FIRST JOURNALIST KILLED IN 2023. New year brings sad news as a young Bangladeshi journalist was killed in the first half of 2023. Ashiqul Islam (27, photo), who worked for Dainik Paryabekhoan from Brahmanbaria locality was hacked to death on 9 January by a group of miscreants. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemned the killing and demanded a fair probe to book the culprits under the law. Ashiqul Islam is the first journalist killed in 2023 worldwide.

Read more on PRESS RELEASES

13.01.2023. GENEVA. On the occasion of the Roundtable at the Swiss Press Club: "What press freedom in conflict zones?" Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) calls for the creation of a UN working group for the adoption of a Convention on the safety of journalists - A l'occasion de la Table ronde organisée au Club suisse de la presse: «Quelle liberté de la presse en zone de conflit ?» la PEC lance un appel à créer un groupe de travail au sein de l’ONU pour l’adoption d’une Convention sur la sécurité des journalistes (photo pec: from left to right: Anne-Cécile Robert, president Union de la presse francophone, Caroline Vuillemin, director Fondation Hirondelle, Sébastien Faure, journalist RTS, Blaise Lempen, PEC President)

Read the PEC call on PRESS RELEASES - lire l'appel de la PEC sur Press Releases

12.01.2023. IRAN. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the recent executions of political opponents in Iran and calls for the release of all journalists in detention. So far, the death penalty has been carried out for four young demonstrators while dozens of other people arrested during the demonstrations received the death sentence. The journalist and secretary general of the ‘Democratic Front of Iran’, Heshmatollah Tabarzadi (photo) is accused of “corruption on earth”, a crime for which the death penalty is foreseen in Iran. His lawyer Mohammad Moghimi made it known, citing a hearing yesterday where Tabarzadi, arrested in recent days, is accused of 20 different crimes. The 63-year-old journalist, a former political prisoner who had denounced Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the past, had already been jailed in September during the first days of anti-government protests that erupted in reaction to the death of Mahsa Amini. According to the Tehran Journalists Association, out of 70 reporters who have been arrested during demonstrations since September, 30 are still in prison. Among them, some received harsh sentences such as sports journalist Ehsan Pirbornash, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and photojournalist Yalda Moaiery, known worldwide for a photo taken during a demonstration in 2017, who was sentenced to 6 years.

06.01.2023. Genève. Invitation à un débat organisé par le Club suisse de la presse sur la protection des journalistes : «Quelle liberté de la presse en zone de conflit ?» Jeudi 12 janvier 2023 à 15h00 - Au Domaine de Penthes Chemin de l'impératrice 18 - 1292 Pregny-Chambésy. Avec la participation de:
Anne-Cécile Robert Présidente internationale l’Union de la Presse francophone, directrice des éditions et relations internationales du Monde diplomatique - Caroline Vuillemin Directrice générale de la Fondation Hirondelle - Sébastien Faure Envoyé spécial en Ukraine, producteur de “mise au point”, RTS - "Blaise Lempen Président de Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), ancien correspondant auprès de l’ONU. Modérateur : Pierre Ruetschi Directeur exécutif du Club suisse de la presse.

Il n’y a pas de véritable liberté de la presse en zone de conflit. La guerre par essence n’aime pas les journalistes et le journalisme. Les parties au conflit cherchent à contrôler les médias au nom de l’intérêt national quand ils ne sont pas traités en ennemis. Les accès sont limités, des menaces sont exercées et parfois le journaliste est pris pour cible. Comment s’assurer que la presse puisse continuer d’informer ? La guerre en Ukraine a encore assombri le bilan 2022 de la liberté de la presse. Comment, dans ces conditions, faire son métier de journaliste ? Comment assurer un minimum de transparence de l’information face à des gouvernements et des groupes armés qui souvent ne tolèrent qu’une seule “vérité” la leur ? Quel rôle peut/doit jouer l’ONU ? Ce sont quelques-unes des questions auxquelles vont tenter de répondre nos quatre intervenants qui ont une vaste expérience et connaissance de la pratique du journalisme en zone de conflit.

Pour plus d’informations et pour s'inscrire : https://pressclub.ch/quelle-liberte-de-la-presse-en-zone-de-conflit/

01.01.2023. UKRAINE. ONE MORE FOREIGN JOURNALIST INJURED. A Japanese journalist is among people injured in a missile attack on Kyiv apparently by Russia on Saturday 31 December. according to news reports. The online version of the Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun said that the injured journalist is Wataru Sekita (photo, helped by Ukrainian soldiers), 36, a member of its visual reporting section. He received treatment at a hospital for his injury in the leg, according to the newspaper. He is believed to be the first Japanese journalist injured in Ukraine due to the ongoing Russian aggression. Explosions were heard near a Kyiv hotel housing NHK correspondents. According to local media, the airstrikes damaged several buildings, including a hotel and a school. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns all attacks and airstrikes on civilian housing and infrastructure.

01.01.2023. ONE MORE JOURNALIST KILLED IN 2022. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) mourns the death of journalist Rejean Hebert (photo), killed in Saint-Simon, New Brunswick (Canada) on Wednesday 28 December. A man was arrested by the police for the crime, according to local media. He is the 116th journalist killed in 2022, according to PEC figures. Hebert was the news director for CKRO, a radio station in Gloucester County, N.B., and produced daily news bulletins for 10 other French-language community radio stations in the province.

22.12.2022. UKRAINE. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns a targeted attack on Italian journalists Claudio Locatelli and Niccolò Celesti (photo) in Antonivka, a village in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson on Monday 19 December. Locatelli was slightly injured. The shooting originated from the other side of the Dnipro River, where the Russian army is stationed. The car was clearly marked “Press” on the outside. This led the journalists to believe they were shot at intentionally. PEC calls for an independent investigation and asks all belligerents to ensure that members of the press are not targeted while doing their job in Ukraine. Locatelli and Celesti have been reporting for various media outlets since the beginning of the war. «The deliberate targeting of our Italian colleagues in Ukraine reminds us of the risks taken every day by many colleagues to inform us, at the eve of a new year of war in Ukraine which could mark a new escalation in the fighting», warns PEC President Blaise Lempen. Ukraine was the deadliest country for journalists in 2022, according to PEC figures.

21.12.2022. BENIN. PEC Presse Emblème Campagne demande la libération immédiate sans condition du journaliste Virgile Ahouansé (photo) convoqué à la Brigade Criminelle le 20 décembre et placé en garde à vue. Le Directeur de l’information de la radio en ligne Cristal-News est accusé d’avoir publié de fausses informations reprises par les réseaux sociaux sur des exécutions sommaires.

Lire le communiqué de la PEC sur PRESS RELEASES

UPDATE 23.12.2022. Virgile Ahouansé a été libéré jeudi soir et son procès fixé au mois de février. La PEC suivra ces développements.

18.12.2022. PEC mourns China’s first journo-deaths due to Covid-19 complications - Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) mourns the death of two senior journalists, who died of Covid-19 complications in China recently. According to a media report by Reuters with the dateline of Beijing/Shanghai on 16 December 2022, Yang Lianghua (74, a former People’s Daily reporter) died on Thursday, while Zhou Zhichun (77, a former China Youth Daily editor) died a week earlier. They are the first deaths reported in China among journalists since the beginning of the pandemic three years ago.

Read more on PRESS RELEASES

Ukraine and Mexico were the most dangerous countries for media work this year, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said in its annual report published in Geneva on Wednesday. Since January, 115 media workers have been killed in 29 countries around the world. The number of journalists killed increased by 45% compared to last year (79 victims). It is the highest number of casualties since 2018 with a brutal deterioration in Europe due to the war in Ukraine, stressed PEC President Blaise Lempen.

Read the PEC statement on PRESS RELEASES, list of victims, graphs on CASUALTIES

30.11.2022. COLOMBIA. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condena el asesinato del periodista Wilder Alfredo Córdoba (photo) y exigimos a las autoridades investigar y judicializar a los responsables. Lamentablemente durante 2022, 4 periodistas han sido asesinados en Colombia. Córdoba era periodista, diseñador gráfico, director del canal privado Unión TV y líder social. Uno de los temas recurrentes sobre los que reportaba era la creciente inseguridad en el municipio de La Unión.

27.11.2022. MYANMAR. Press Emblem Campaign, the global media safety and rights body, denounces the Myanmar (Burma) junta for continued jailing scribes as Yangon-based freelance journalist Ah Hla Lay Thuzar (photo) was recently sentenced to two years in prison with hard labour by a military court. PEC maintains its demand to release all detained and imprisoned journalists by the Min Aung Hlaing-led military regime in the southeast Asian nation.

Read more on PEC NEWS

22.11.2022. MEXICO. Another Mexican Reporter Gunned Down in Deadly Year for Local Media. Pedro Pablo Kamul (photo) was shot dead in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, adding to the death toll for the bloodiest year to date for local media workers. He worked as a radio reporter at AX Noticias and Es Amor. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns this unabated violence and demands an official investigation for this cowardly act. Since January this year, 17 journalists were killed in Mexico, a record number.

Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) and the Geneva Press Club welcomed journalists, diplomats and the public at a press conference at the Geneva Press Club on Monday 14 November 2022, with Ekaterina Glikman and Blaise Lempen (photo).

Ekaterina Glikman received the annual PEC award for the protection of journalists for her ongoing and exemplary commitment to press freedom in Russia. The journalist is currently working from Switzerland in the direction of Novaya Gazeta Europe, founded in April 2022 by the former Novaya Gazeta journalists who had to flee Russia.

Ekaterina Glikman has been working for Novaya Gazeta for more than 20 years and has collaborated with journalist Anna Politkovskaya until her killing in 2006 and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov, among others. She continues her fight for free information from Switzerland. She spoke on the situation of Russian journalists, press freedom in Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine and the future of the region.

Watch the video of the press conference:

https://pressclub.ch/pec-award-2022-for-the-protection-of-journalists/

PEC press release in English, French and Russian on our page PEC AWARD

29.10.2022. UKRAINE/RUSSIA. ONE MORE PRO-RUSSIAN JOURNALIST KILLED. The Russian female journalist Svetlana Babayeva (photo) headed up the Russian state-owned Rossiya Segodnya media group’s bureau in Simferopol, the second-largest city on the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. RIA Novosti, a Russian news agency and subsidiary of Rossiya Segodnya, reported on Friday that Babayeva was killed by a stray bullet during shooting practice at a military training ground. Ukraine has sanctioned the Rossiya Segodnya media group, calling its CEO Dmitry Kiselyov “the central figure of government propaganda supporting the deployment of Russian troops in Ukraine”. Babayeva was previously bureau chief for RIA Novosti in the United Kingdom and United States, and editor of the Gazeta.Ru website. Gazeta.Ru paid tribute to their former editor-in-chief who they said was a “professional of the highest standard”. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) regrets this tragic accident which illustrates the risks linked to the conflict for all media workers.

25.10.2022. PAKISTAN/KENYA. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is sad to learn the death of Arshad Sharif (photo) and demanded an independent probe. He was killed Sunday night when the car he was in sped up and drove through a checkpoint outside the Kenyan capital Nairobi and police opened fire. Nairobi police expressed regret over the incident, saying it was a case of «mistaken identity». The 50-year-old journalist fled Pakistan in August amid threats to his life. Sharif was critical of Pakistan’s powerful military. He left his country after sedition charges were filed over an interview with an opposition politician during which comments deemed offensive to the military were made. The ARY news channel for which he worked as an anchor for eight years cut ties with Sharif after it was briefly taken off air in August following the controversial interview. The killing has stunned journalists in Pakistan, who have demanded a detailed probe into the incident.

Read more on PEC NEWS

21.10.2022. UKRAINE. ONE PRO-RUSSIAN JOURNALIST KILLED NEAR KHERSON. Press Emblem Campaign deplores the death of Oleg Klokov, director of Tavria TV, killed on Antonovsky Bridge, near Kherson with other journalists injured - despite the fact that they were propagandists who were responsible for the creation of a Russian propaganda TV channel in the occupied territories. They did this at the technical base of the Ukrainian public broadcaster in Kherson, that is, on stolen equipment. Oleg Klokov worked for Russia Today and other Russian propaganda channels. But more interestingly, he was a graduate of a military university and fought in the special forces in Chechnya in the Russian army. The Ukrainian State Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security believes that this man was a member of the Russian special services (from our special correspondent in Lviv Andrii Ianetsky).

12.10.2022. MYANMAR. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the continued arrest and imprisonment of journalists in Myanmar. It urges the military authority to release all media persons detained, arrested or imprisoned in fake cases across the southeast Asian nation. PEC also demanded the Burmese military rulers to withdraw the notorious electronic transactions law, under which a large number of scribes and human rights activists have been punished since the military coup in February 2021. Media reports from Yangon reveal that the military junta controlled judicial machinery imprisoned outspoken political columnist U Sithu Aung Myint (photo) for three years with hard labour on 5 October 2022. Ma Htet Htet Khine, another Burmese journalist arrested along with Sithu Aung Myint, was already sentenced to six years in prison on 15 September. Meanwhile, a Japanese video journalist Toru Kubota, who was arrested on 30 July from Yangon, faces a 10 years sentence term from the court on 6 October.

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS

09.10.2022. IRAN. Declaration of NGOs in solidarity with Iranian protesters. Following the brutal murder of a 22-year-old woman from Kurdistan province, Mahsa Amini massive protests sparked all over Iran and have continued to date spreading to all provinces of Iran.

Repressive forces have responded violently attacking protesters with tear gas, firing shotguns, and brutally beating them. The death toll has raised to over 300 and over 15,000 have been arrested. The internet is shut down. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) joins other non-governmental organizations and UN human rights experts, in supporting Iranian protesters, calling on international institutions and member states of the United Nations to strongly condemn these crimes, hold the authorities responsible for the killings accountable, predicate diplomatic relationships on the release of all arrested protesters, and finally refer Iran’s crimes against humanity to the United Nations Security Council.

Read more on https://iran-hrm.com/

07.10.2022. UNITED NATIONS, HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the nomination by the HRC of a Special Rapporteur on Russia. The resolution presented by the European Union has been adopted today in Geneva by 17 votes in favour, 6 against (Russia, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Venezuela) and 24 abstentions. "This international support, despire the large nimber of abstentions among African and Latin American countries, shows that Russia cannot escape the scrutiny of the international community. An independent monitoring of the situation in Russia is imperative due to the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in the country. It will be important for the civil society in Russia to have a focal point at the United Nations", said PEC President Blaide Lempen.

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS (English and French)

06.10.2022. UKRAINE. 8th PEC report on the state of media during the war. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the fact the safety of the work of journalists has increased over the past weeks despite that the war continues. According to the Institute of Mass Information (IMI), a total of 40 deaths among journalists is recorded since 24 February 2022, with only 7 deaths in the past 3 months. PEC stresses that the work of journalists is of great importance for documenting war crimes and for the subsequent punishment of the perpetrators.

Read the report of the PEC Representative in Ukraine on PEC NEWS

01.10.2022. UNITED NATIONS. UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes a new resolution on the safety of journalists discussed at the Human Right Council (HRC) in Geneva. "This resolution is the 13th of the UNited Nations on the safety of journalists and the 6th at the HRC since 2012. It is an important testimony of the awareness of the problem at the diplomatic level the last ten years", said PEC President Blaise Lempen. "The new one is very comprehensive and contains a detailed catalogue of measures which, if implemented, would improve the situation of media workers. We can only urge States to implement them", he added. The resolution was adopted without a vote on 6 October 2022. A record number of journalists have been killed this year. The PEC hopes that the 10th anniversary of the UN Plan of action in November 2022 will be an opportunity to strengthen the fight against impunity and ever-growing threats to freedom of expression, at at time where many of ou colleagues are taking risks to cover the war between Russia and Ukraine.

PEC also supports the campaign for a new binding international instrument dedicated to the safety of journalists launched at a side event at the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 30 September by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Read more on : https://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/category/press-releases/article/un-ifj-leads-call-for-action-to-fight-impunity.html

Read the text of the new resolution on our page Documents

Link to the high-level conference, 3-4 November 2022: https://urlz.fr/jlTX

27.09.2022. UN Human Rights Council 51rst session. RUSSIA. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) joined other civil international organizations to call upon UN Member States to support a resolution on the establishment of a Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Russia. The resolution is sponsored by the European Union. Over the last several years, the Russian authorities have engaged in a systematic campaign of repression of human rights and restriction of civic space including by shutting down independent media, intimidating and harassing human rights defenders and activists, banning peaceful protest, and imposing impermissible restrictions on the operations of independent civil society organizations in the country. A rigorous monitoring of the human rights situation in Russia is imperative. A dedicated Special Rapporteur mandate would independently collect information and analyse the human rights situation in Russia, allowing Human Rights Council Members to be informed by in-depth and authoritative reports and to make recommendations on how to improve the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in the country.

Read the letter on PEC NEWS

Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is deeply concerned by an annual survey jointly conducted by the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) and the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (HKPORI) published Friday 23 September. Hong Kong journalists' faith in the city being a free press hub has sunk to a record low, with 97% saying the reporting environment has become much worse,

The press freedom rating for 2021 among journalists plunged six points to 26.2, a record low. When the survey was first launched in 2013, the rating was 42. Ninety-seven percent of the surveyed journalists said press freedom had gotten "much worse" in the past year, and 93% cited "the government" as the source of suppression. In a statement, the HKJA said it believed that the environment for news reporting in Hong Kong had “drastically deteriorated over the past year.” The group cited the closure of Apple Daily last June as well as Stand News, which closed last December, and Citizen News this January. Executives and editors at Apple Daily and Stand News are currently facing prosecution under the national security legislation or the colonial-era sedition law after their newsrooms were raided. PEC deplores that an area of essential freedom in Asia is being reduced to a trickle.

19.09.2022. MALI. La PEC préoccupée par la détérioration de la liberté de la presse. L'ONG demande que le sort de quatre journalistes disparus soit éclairci et que le Conseil des droits l'homme exhorte les autorités maliennes à garantir la liberté de la presse et la sécurité des journalistes lors de son débat sur les disparitions forcées. Olivier Dubois (photo) est détenu au Mali depuis le 8 avril 2021, Amadou Dicko depuis le 18 avril 2021, Hamadoun Nialibouly depuis le 27 septembre 2020. Birama Touré a disparu à Bamako le 29 janvier 2016.

Lire sur PEC NEWS

18.09.2022. MYANMAR. PEC demands fair trial to Burmese journalists
Media reports from Yangon reveal that a freelance news presenter for BBC Burmese was
imprisoned on 15 September for three years with hard labour by a military court in Insein prison. Htet Htet Khine (photo) was arrested on 15 August last year and
she remains behind bars for over a year in the notorious jail of Yangon. Since the coup on 1 February 2021, the military dictators have forced many media outlets to shut down their offices inside Myanmar. Nearly 145 journalists have been arrested till now and one third of them are
still under detention. PEC demands an unconditional release of all journalists by the military authority.

Read more on PEC NEWS

14.09.2022. USA. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the arrest of a public official in the case of the stabbing death of Las Vegas investigative journalist Jeff German (photo). PEC congratulates the local authorities who acted quickly to solve this chilling and heinous criminal act. Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles was charged with murder with a deadly weapon in the stabbing death of the reporter, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday 12 September.

German (60) was found dead with multiple stab wounds outside his home on September 2. DNA

found underneath German's fingernails and surveillance footage helped police link Telles (45) to the killing, authorities have

said. Telles lost a re-election bid in June 2022 after German reported on alleged mismanagement of his office. The Review-

Journal reported that German had been working on a follow-up story to that reporting in the weeks before he was killed. This is

the worst case of murder of a journalist in the United States since the killing of four journalists in a mass shooting in 2018 in the

newsroom of the Capital Gazette newspaper in Maryland. In March 2022, Virginian-Pilot newspaper reporter and former CNN

news assistant Sierra Jenkins was among the individuals killed in a shooting, Norfolk, Virginia.

12.09.2022. HAITI. Consternación en Haití: dos periodistas fueron asesinados y quemados. Tayson Latigue y Frantzsen Charles (photo) fueron asesinados este domingo en la comuna Cité Soleil. Las autoridades de Haití investigan el crimen de dos periodistas que realizaban un reportaje en el barrio de Cité Soleil, que ha sido escenario de fuertes enfrentamientos entre bandas que se disputan el control territorial. Se indicó que los comunicadores hacían parte de un grupo de siete periodistas que se encontraban adelantando labores periodistas, cuando desconocidos, tras asesinarlos, les prendieron fuego a sus cuerpos. Se trata de Frantzsen Charles, que trabaja para FS News, y Tayson Lartigue, de Ti Jenn Jounalis, quienes no lograron salir pese a que los otros cinco periodistas si alcanzaron a abandonar el lugar, al parecer, al notar la presencia de personas armadas. El PEC condena esta tragedia. En un año siete periodistas han sido asesinados en Haití : Marie Antoinette Duclaire, Diego Charles, Amady John Wesley, Wilgens Louissaint, Maxihen Lazarre, Frantzen Charles, Tayson Lartigue. Sin seguimiento ni justicia.

05.09.2022. USA. US investigative reporter stabbed to death in Las Vegas. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the killing of Review-Journal reporter Jeff German (69, photo), found stabbed to death outside his home Saturday 3 September. German died of multiple sharp force injuries. German joined the Review-Journal in 2010 after more than two decades at the Las Vegas Sun where he was a reporter who covered courts, politics and organized crime. PEC welcomes the arrest of one suspect a local public official who has been the subject of German's investigative reporting.

25.08.2022. AFGHANISTAN. One year of Taliban Rule. AFJC Records 245 Cases of Media Violation. - According zo the report of the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC), a partner of Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the first year of Taliban rule has noticed a significant increase in cases of violation of media freedom and the closure of almost half of media outlets in the country. The report finds a deterioration in press freedom over the past year, marked by censorship, detentions, assaults, and restrictions on media outlets, journalists, and in particular women journalists.

Read more on PEC NEWS

21.08.2022. RUSSIA. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the killing yesterday near Moscow of

Daria Douguina (photo, 30), a Russian journalist and philosopher. A bomb exploded under her car and

destroyed her vehicle. She apparently was not personnally targeted, but her father, a very close friend of

president Vladimir Poutine. Even if Daria Douguina was very active in local and international media to

defend the position of the Kremlin in the Ukrainian war, there is no excuse to such a criminal act.

12.08.2022. PAKISTAN. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), while expressing relief over the release of senior television personality Ammad Yousaf (photo) on 11 August 2022 by a Karachi-based civil court, urges the Pakistani military authority to maintain respect to media persons. The director (news) of popular ARY News was arrested on Wednesday over an anti-Pak army comment. The
energetic television anchor was picked up by a group of armed personnel in plainclothes from his residence in the southern port city
of Pakistan during night hours.

Read more on PEC NEWS

06.08.2022. MYANMAR. PEC demands justice to Myanmar photographer Aye Kyaw. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) demands justice to Myanmar photographer Aye Kyaw (photo), who died in military custody recently. The pro-democracy activist used to document the anti-military protest-demonstrations. Aye Kyaw (48), who is second Burmese journalist to succomb to the junta atrocities this year after Pu Tui Dim, used to own a photography studio in Sagaing city. He was detained by the military junta in late night hours of 30 July 2022 and later the military authority informed the family that he died on Saturday noon.

Read more on PEC NEWS

04.08.2022. MEXICO. EL PEC CONSTERNADO : OTRO PERIODISTA ASESINADO. Suman

13 periodistas asesinados en lo que va del 2022. Este martes, Ernesto Méndez (photo), director del

medio «voz» fue asesinado en el municipio de San Luis de la Paz en Guanajuato. El homicidio se

registró cuando civiles con armas, ingresaron a un bar, propiedad de la familia del periodista para

luego comenzar a disparar. Tenía antecedentes de amenazas contra su vida. Ernesto Méndez era

director del medio Tu Voz y había trabajado en Zona Franca y el periódico El Correo. Con Ernesto, suman 13 asesinatos de

periodistas en 2022. El PEC exige al Estado Mexicano actuar de manera urgente para frenar este inquietante fenómeno. Con

este crimen han muerto 79 periodistas este año, lo mismo que en todo el año pasado.

29.07.2022. ISRAEL/PALESTINE. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) supports the demand to the US of Shireen Abu Akleh' family to investigate the killing of the Palestinian American journalist. All evidence indicates that she was killed by an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin on May 11. The US concluded on July 4 that Abu Akleh was likely killed by Israeli fire, although not intentionally, a statement unacceptable. The family of Al Jazeera reporter wants a thorough, credible, independent and transparent US investigation. They met Tuesday with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (photo twitter) to ask for justice and accountability. Regrettably he stopped short of committing to opening an investigation. "There must be accountability in this cold-blooded murder of a journalist with a protective helmet and a bulletproof vest clearly marked as PRESS", said PEC President Blaise Lempen. "As for the Khashoggi murder in October 2018, the truth must be fully establihed after an impartial investigation", he added.

26.07.2022. FRANCOPHONIE. Le vice-président de la PEC nommé vice-président pour l’Europe

de l’Union de la presse francophone (UPF). Le comité de la PEC félicite Jean-Philippe Jutzi pour sa

nomination dans les instances dirigeantes de l’UPF lors des assises de Marrakech (Maroc) aux côtés de la

nouvelle présidente internationale Anne Cécile Robert (photo), journaliste et professeure, directrice des

éditions et des relations internationales du Monde diplomatique. L’UPF est membre fondatrice de la PEC

et a soutenu notre association depuis sa création en 2004. Jean-Philippe Jutzi, également président de la

section suisse de l’UPF, va ainsi poursuivre dans la voie des synergies développées par notre regretté confrère Daniel Favre, des

synergies essentielles au renforcement du combat pour la protection des journalistes dans le monde. L’UPF regroupe près de

3000 journalistes dans plus de 40 pays.

10.07.2022. BANGLADESH. Journalist found dead in Bangladesh, PEC demands authentic probe
Journalists continue to be the victim of violence in Bangladesh as the police recovered a partially decomposed body of Hashibur Rahaman Rubel (photo) on 7 July 2022. The young scribe went missing five days back and his body was found under a bridge on Garai river in Kumarkhali locality. Rubel was associated with Dainik Khustiar Khabar and Amader Notun Samay, both are Bengali newspapers, and used to edit online portal Crimevisionbd.

Read more on PEC NEWS

04.07.2022. PAKISTAN. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has demanded adequate punishment to
perpetrators who were involved in the murder of Pakistani journalist Iftikhar Ahmed (photo) on Saturday last. Associated with Pakistan’s influential Express Media Group for many years, the talented journalist was shot dead in his own Shabqadar locality of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on 2 July 2022. Pakistan has already lost three media workers namely Hasnain Shah, Murtaza Shar and Athar Mateen to assailants.

Read more on PEC NEWS

30.06.2022- PEC six months report. The number of journalists killed has doubled. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is appalled by the large number of journalists killed in the first six months of 2022. The year-on-year increase is 100% with 73 victims in 18 countries since January compared to 36 deaths in the same period last year.

"The war in Ukraine and the rampant criminality in Mexico are the main reasons of this alarming deterioration", said PEC President Blaise Lempen. There must be no impunity. All these crimes must be fully investigated without exception.

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS (English, French and Spanish)

The UN has said its investigations have found that the shot that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh on 11 May was fired by Israeli forces. The Palestinian-American journalist, who was wearing a vest and helmet marked “press”, was killed while covering an Israeli army operation in Jenin, in the northern West Bank.“We find that the shots that killed Abu Aqleh came from Israeli security forces,” the UN human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said in Geneva. “It is deeply disturbing that Israeli authorities have not conducted a criminal investigation.” Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) calls upon the Israeli authorities to carry out a proper and full investigation in order to render justice to Shireen Abu Akleh.

Read more on our page END IMPUNITY

17.06.2022. UNITED KINGDOM. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is disappointed by the decision of UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to approve the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange (photo) to the United States. His legal team now has two weeks to appeal the decision. "This absurd human tragedy keep on going, while Julian Assange has already paid with several years of deprivation of liberty for his commitment to denounce war crimes. It is a shame for democracies", said PEC President Blaise Lempen. "It's really time to put an end to this appalling relentlessness with no justification and to allow Assange to live peacefully with his family in his country", he added. We appeal to the United Nations to stop this injustice. PEC called for the release of the Wikileaks founder since many years.

16.06.2022. BANGLADESH. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) expresses concern over the police inaction to nab the killers of Dhaka-based television journalist Abdul Bari (photo), who was found dead on the bank of Hatirjheel lake in Gulshan area of the capital city on 8 June. Journalist Bari (28), who was associated with private channel DBC as a news producer, was severely stabbed by miscreants on his stomach and neck.

Read more on PEC NEWS

13.06.2022. BRAZIL. Bodies have been found in the search for the British journalist Dom Phillips and the Brazilian indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, eight days after they went missing in a remote part of the Amazon, according to multiple sources.

Media reports in Brazil claimed bodies had been found, citing Mr Phillips’ wife. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) pays tribute to the work of the courageous British journalist and his companion. Mr Phillips has reported from Brazil for more than a decade. The journalist’s sister, Sian Phillips, said in a video statement last week: “We knew it was a dangerous place but Dom really believed it’s possible to safeguard the nature and the livelihood of the Indigenous people". He paid with his life for his commitment. PEC sends its condolences to the family and friends of the two victims.

09.06.2022. BRAZIL. Dom Phillips (photo, center, 57), a British freelance reporter and regular contributor to The Guardian, went missing Sunday in the Brazilian Amazon while on a reporting trip in the Indigenous territory of the Javari Valley. Indigenous issues expert Bruno Pereira was accompanying Phillips, and is also missing. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is very worried about these disappearances and called on Brazilian authorities to launch a full investigation. Indigenous leaders on the ground, family members and peers of Mr Pereira and Mr Phillips have expressed concern that authorities’ search efforts were slow to start, and remain insufficient. The Javari Valley region has experienced repeated shootouts between hunters, fishermen and official security agents in the area, which has the world’s largest concentration of uncontacted indigenous people. It is also a major route for cocaine produced on the Peruvian side of the border, then smuggled into Brazil to supply local cities or to be shipped to Europe.

30.05.2022. UKRAINE. One more foreign journalist was killed. A French journalist, Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff (photo, 32) was killed after a car was hit near Severodonetsk. Leclerc-Imhoff worked for BFMTV. The sad news was released by the Lugansk regional governor, Serhiy Gaidaias: "Today our armored evacuation vehicle – said Gaidai – was going to collect 10 people from the area and ended up under enemy fire. Shrapnel from the grenades pierced the armor of the car, a fatal wound in the neck was received by an accredited French journalist who was making a report on the evacuation, a policeman on patrol was saved by a helmet “. France’s foreign minister, Catherine Colonna, said Leclerc-Imhoff was killed by a Russian attack “while he was carrying out his duty to inform.” Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns this crime and calls on Russian and Ukrainian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances of his death. He is at least the 22th media worker killed in Ukraine in 3 months of war.

21.05.2022. INDIA. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has strongly condemned the murder of journalist Subhash Kumar Mahato (photo), who hailed from Begusarai locality of Bihar in central India on 20 May 2022. The global media safety and rights body also demanded punishments under the law to all four identified gunmen who targeted Subhash (27) outside his residence in Sankhu village. Subhash becomes the 59th media-worker to be killed in 2022 and the fourth victim (after Rohit Kumar Biswal from Odisha, Sudhir Saini from Uttar Pradesh and Juned Khan Pathan from Gujarat) in India.

Read more on PEC NEWS

11.05.2022. ISRAËL/PALESTINE. Press Emblem Campaign strongly condemns the killing by Israeli forces in Jenin

(West Bank) of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh (51, photo). The Al-Jazeera’s veteran TV journalist was

covering an Israeli army raid on the Jenin refugee camp when she was shot in the face by a single bullett despite

wearing a press vest. Another Palestinian journalist Ali al-Samoudi was wounded in the back. PEC calls for an

independent investigation to hold those responsible to account for this heinous crime.

10.05.2022. MEXICO. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is shocked by the assassination of three more journalists in five days in

Mexico. Luis Enrique Ramirez (El Debate) was murdered in Sinaloa May 5, Yesenia Mollinedo and Sheila Johana Garcia

(El Veraz) were shot to death in Veracruz May 9. Since January, a record number of 12 media workers were killed in Mexico.

This would make the tally of 52 journalists slain under Lopez Obrador since he became president on December 1st, 2018 (41

months this May), much more than his predecessors.

10. 05.2022. UKRAINE. Read the 6^th report of our Correspondent in Ukraine on the situation of media during the war on PEC

NEWS. Pulitzer special citation for Ukrainian journalists amid rising death toll

05.05.2022. Interview with Spanish photographer Guillermo Cervera: “I have covered the stupidity of the human race”.

Guillermo Cervera is a Spanish photographer named "the outsider of photojournalism" by Vice Magazine. He has covered, among other subjects, numerous wars and conflicts for more than 20 years, and has published his photos in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, El Mundo, El País, La Vanguardia, among others. He not only worked as a photographer and journalist in difficult areas, but he was also attacked several times because of his media position: in Chad where he was detained and tortured, in the Egyptian revolution where he was attacked by the police, in Libya, he was next to photographers Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros, when they were killed by a mortar. For Guillermo Cervera, a war is necessarily linked to risk and it is important for journalists who go to war to be aware of this.

Read our interview on PEC NEWS (Spanish, French and English)

02.05.2022. World Press Freedom Day 2022 - Brutal deterioration

Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is alarmed at the sharp deterioration of press freedom caused

by the war in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the year, 52 media workers have paid with their

lives for doing their job. In Russia, the Kremlin's controls have created a regression in media

space unprecedented since the communist era. On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day

on 3 May, the PEC is making an urgent appeal for a halt to hostilities in Ukraine and for the

independence of the media in Russia to be respected.

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS (English, French, Spanish)

29.04.2022. UKRAINE. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is saddened to learn that one more journalist has been killed in Ukraine. Vira Hyrych (photo), a journalist at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has died as a result of Russia's missile attack on Kyiv on April 28.

That's according to the Institute of Mass Information. Inna Kuznetsova, the editor-in-chief at the Ukrainian service of RFE/RL, confirmed this information to the IMI. During the shelling, a missile hit the journalist's apartment, Kuznetsova added. The shelling of Kyiv on April 28 took place during a visit by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "We condemn these indiscriminate bombings that strike civilians", said PEC President Blaise Lempen. Vira Kyrych is the 21st media person to be killed in Ukraine in 2 months of war.

24.04.2022. UKRAINE 5th report on the State of Media in Ukraine during the War (April 12-23) - Journalists often have to blindly rely on the words of their sources, since it is impossible to verify information under conditions of war or occupation. This makes journalists and their audiences vulnerable to propaganda. Investigative journalists are the best at this challenge, thanks to their skills in analyzing social networks, satellite images, documents, databases, and previously verified sources. The death toll of media persons in the war is on the rise: already 21 journalists and media persons were killed (local and international both), dozens wounded.

Read the report of Andrii Ianitsky on PEC NEWS

20.04.2022. UNITED KINGDOM. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) deeply regrets the decision of a British judge on Wednesday formally approving the extradition of Julian Assange (photo) to the United States to face spying charges. PEC asks Britain’s interior minister Priti Patel not to grant the extradition and to release the Wikileaks founder. «Assange has already paid a very high price for his investigative work related to WikiLeaks’ publication of US classified documents on Iraq and Afghanistan. He must be released without further delay after more than 10 years of deprivation of liberty to reunite with his family and return to his country in Australia. The treatment imposed on him is inhuman», said PEC President Blaise Lempen. Assange has been held at Britain’s high-security Belmarsh Prison in London since 2019, before that, he spent seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. His lawyers have four weeks to make submissions to Patel, and can also seek to appeal to the High Court.

16.04.2022. BANGLADESH. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of Bangladeshi journalist Mohiuddin Sarker Nayeem (photo, 28) and demands exemplary punishments to the perpetrators. Mentionable is that Cumilla-based journalist Mohiuddin was shot dead by suspected drug smugglers on 14 April 2022. His family members claimed that Mohiuddin used to report about the drug trafficking in his locality.

Read more on PEC NEWS

13.04.2022. MORE JOURNALISTS KILLED IN UKRAINE. After Russia’s withdrawal, Ukrainian journalists were found murdered in Bucha and Yahidna. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is profoundly saddened by the deaths of journalists Roman Nezhyborets (photo) and Zoreslav Zamoysky and call on Ukrainian authorities to determine whether they were killed in retaliation for their work. Nezhyborets’ body was recently found buried in the northern Ukrainian village of Yahidne, and Zamoysky’s body was found in Bucha, a city near the capital of Kyiv.

Read the 4th report on the State of Media in Ukraine (April 5-11) of the PEC Representative in Ukraine on PEC NEWS

09.04.2022. MYANMAR. More Burmese scribes imprisoned, PEC denounces military action. As the dictators of Myanmar and military courts continue to detain and imprison journalists, Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) urges the international community to support the Burmese media fraternity at this time of crisis. Local media outlets report that three journalists (photos) were imprisoned by the court under sedition charges in the first week of April 2022. Ma Lwe Am Phaung, a female television scribe at Shwe Phee Myay news agency of Shan State was imprisoned on 7 April. Another Shan State-based journalist Khaing Myint Tun (alias Shwe Lin Thit) was sentenced to jail same day by the court. Earlier on 5 April, a Mandalay-based scribe Win Naing Oo was imprisoned by the court.

Read more on PEC NEWS

05.04.2022. UKRAINE. 3^rd PEC report on the State of Media in Ukraine during the War (March 28 - April 4) – Collection of evidence on the massacre in Bucha. After the Russian military left the Kyiv region, Ukrainian troops discovered mass graves there (photo). Massacre in Bucha city attracted a lot of attention from journalists. On April 3 and 4, hundreds of foreign journalists arrived in Kyiv to record these crimes for the world community. On April 4, President Volodymyr Zelenski met with journalists. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) stresses that journalists are key players, they are witnesses. They can contribute to the collection of evidence, which may be used in court at a later stage. Documentation of the crimes on the ground can help the justice efforts under way to identify the perpetrators. To do their job independently they need protection.

Read the report on PEC NEWS

04.04.2022. Sharp rise in journalists killed in three months. Press Emblem Campaign

(PEC) is alarmed by the large number of journalists killed in the first three months of

2022. The year-on-year increase is 153% with 38 victims in 15 countries since January (3

per week) compared to 15 deaths in the same period last year. "This dramatic rise is very

worrying. The war in Ukraine and the rampant criminality in Mexico are the main

reasons of this appalling deterioration", said PEC President Blaise Lempen (photo: photojournalist Maks Levin (40) has disappeared 13 March north of Kyiv - he was found dead near Kyiv on April 1rst)

Read the PEC press release (English, French and Spanish on PEC NEWS)

01.04.2022. YEMEN, THE FORGOTTEN WAR. PEC condemns the continuing violence targeting the media in Yemen. In Yemen, journalists face the dangers of war and air strikes, they are also targeted by the ruling parties and suffer attacks from the Houthis, Al Qaeda, and the government. Since 2014, between 38 and 45 journalists have been killed, according to PEC research. At least 16 journalists are currently in detention/kidnapped. The camera and the pen have become more dangerous than weapons for all sides, according to PEC testimonies (photo afp: funeral of a reporter, Taiz, January 2021)

Read more on PEC NEWS (English, French and Arabic)

28.03.2022. The State of Media in Ukraine during the War – second report 32 days after the Russian invasion in Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities have tightened control over the media - 7 journalists killed (local and international both), dozens wounded - Russians put in place a ban on the work of Ukrainian media in Russian-occupied territories, replacing them with Russian state broadcasters.

Read the full report of the PEC representative in Ukraine on PEC NEWS - Read also on our page END IMPUNITY an article on the inquiry on the killing of Pierre Zakrzewski

25.03.2022. MYANMAR. Press Emblem Campaign denounces the continued crackdown on the media by the military junta of Myanmar and demands the unconditional release of all scribes. Three journalists were imprisoned in the third week of March 2022 for covering the anti-junta demonstrations across the south-east Asian nation. The number of arrested (or detained) media workers in Myanmar has lately increased up to 125, while around 50 are still behind the bars. All the three Burmese journalists namely Than Htike Aung (Mizzima), Han Thar Nyein (Kamayut) and Ye Yint Tun (Myanmar Herald, photos) were imprisoned to two years each for allegedly preparing false news.

Read more on PEC NEWS

24.03.2022. UKRAINE. ONE MORE JOURNALIST KILLED. PEC is saddened to learn that Oksana Baulina (photo), a Russian journalist with The Insider, was killed as a result of shelling in Podilsky district of Kyiv on Wednesday, the editorial office of the publication said. "She filmed the destruction after the shelling of Podilsky district of the capital by Russian troops and came under new missile fire. Another civilian was killed with her, two people accompanying her were wounded and hospitalized," the publication said. It said that in the past Baulina worked for the Anti-Corruption Foundation in Russia. After the organization was included in the list of extremist, it went abroad. Later, as a correspondent for "The Insider" (the editorial office is located in Latvia), the journalist came to Ukraine, where she worked on creating reports from Lviv and Kyiv (with Ukraine news agency). One journalist is still missing: on March 13, Maks Levin, a freelance photojournalist and documentary filmmaker who has covered Russia’s invasions of Ukraine since 2014, went missing near the village of Huta-Mezhyhirska, in the Kyiv region.

24.03.2022. UKRAINE 2022 - HUNGARY 1956. Christian Campiche is currently the honorary president of the PEC after having been a member of its committee for several years representing the Swiss union of journalists, Impressum, whose president he was from 2015 to 2019. Today he is sharing with us his testimony regarding information on the war in Ukraine on the occasion of the publication of his historical novel situated in Hungary under communist control.

Read the PEC interview on PEC NEWS

23.03.2022. GENEVA. PEC welcomes a new member to its steering committee. After the death of our president Hedayat Abdel Nabi on March 7 in Cairo, PEC is pleased to welcome a new member to its steering committee who will be able to take over responsibility for contacts in the Arab world. Franco-Lebanese, Suzanne Halal (photo) has always had a passion for journalism. She obtained a Master's degree in Political Communication from the University from Navarre in Spain, followed by a career of more than ten years in all types of Communication in the Emirates and for the Middle East region, from the Gulf to North Africa via the Levant countries.She has helped more than 30 private and public organizations in their digital communication transformation. Welcome Suzanne !

18.03.2022. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) expresses serious concern and condemns the killing of scribes in Ukraine, who have been reporting from ground after the Russian invasion, and urges every concerned to respect freedom of the press. PEC also criticizes the Taliban, who continues to victimise the Afghan journalists after seizing power in Kabul during August last year. Till date, globally 32 journalists have lost their lives to assailants since 1 January. It is an increase of 100 per cent compared to the same period of last year.

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS

16.03.2022. MEXICO. Nuevo homicidio contra la prensa mexicana. PEC esta horrorizado por este nuevo homicidio y pide detener este baño de sangre. El periodista Armando Linares López (photo), director del medio de comunicación Monitor Michoacán, fue asesinado a balazos este martes en su domicilio en la ciudad michoacana de Zitácuaro. El homicidio se produce seis semanas después de que su compañero del mismo medio, Roberto Toledo, fuese también ejecutado. Es el noveno asesinato de un periodista mexicano en lo que va de año. Como director de Monitor Michoacán, Linares se dedicaba a investigar la corrupción en el oeste de México. Antes, había pedido protección a las autoridades porque temía por su vida. NO A LA IMPUNIDAD.

15.03.2022. UKRAINE. Two journalists killed outside Kyiv, one more injured. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the killing of a Fox News cameraman and a Ukrainian journalist traveling with him when their vehicle came under fire outside Kyiv, according to the network and Ukrainian authorities. The cameraman, Pierre Zakrzewski, 55, and the Ukrainian journalist and producer, Oleksandra Kuvshynova (photo), were traveling in the same vehicle as the Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall, who was also injured in the attack in the town of Horenka. Mr. Hall remained hospitalized in Ukraine. The deaths of Oleksandra Kurshynova and Pierre Zakrzewski bring the death toll among journalists in the war to five. Dozens of journalists had also been wounded. Mr. Zakrzewski was a veteran reporter who covered nearly every international story for Fox News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria. Ms. Kuvshynova was a local journalist working with the Fox News reporting team. PEC is appalled by this already very high toll in 3 weeks of war in Ukraine. Journalists should never be the target of military action. This brings the total worldwide to a record 30 fatalities since January.

13.03.2022. AMERICAN JOURNALIST KILLED IN UKRAINE. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is deeply saddened to hear that Brent Renaud (photo), an award-winning American filmmaker and journalist, was killed in Ukraine on Sunday while reporting in a suburb of the capital, Kyiv, according to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry. Mr. Renaud, 50, had worked for a number of American news and media organizations in the past, including HBO, NBC and The New York Times. The Ukrainian authorities said he was killed in Irpin, a suburb that has been the site of intense shelling by Russian forces in recent days, but the details of his death were not immediately clear. Ukrainian officials said another journalist was wounded as well. Mr. Renaud had contributed to The Times in previous years, most recently in 2015, but he was not on assignment for the company in Ukraine (source: New York Times). It is the first reported death of a foreign journalist covering the war in Ukraine. However, half a dozen foreign journalists at least were injured and two Ukrainian journalists were killed so far. Journalists are not fighters and should not be targeted. It is a war crime.

08.03.2022. GENEVA/CAIRO. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) mourns the death of its president Hedayat Abdel Nabi who died in Cairo on Monday. The entire PEC board is shocked by the sudden disappearance of its president Hedayat Abdel Nabi (photo) at the age of 73. We extend our most sincere condolences to her family, her many friends and colleagues who appreciated her availability, her dynamism, her convictions. Born on November 10, 1948 in Cairo, Hedayat co-founded our NGO in 2004 with other correspondents at the UN in Geneva. Indefatigable, she supported the cause of a better protection of journalists thoughout conflicts and crises.

La PEC pleure la mort de sa présidente Hedayat Abdel Nabi décédée au Caire lundi. Tout le comité de la PEC est choqué par la disparition subite de sa présidente Hedayat Abdel Nabi à 73 ans. Nous adressons nos plus sincères condoléances à sa famille, ses nombreux amis et confrères qui appréciaient sa disponibilité, son dynamisme, ses convictions. Née le 10 novembre 1948 au Caire, Hedayat a co-fondé notre ONG en 2004 avec d’autres correspondants à l’ONU à Genève. Infatigable, elle a soutenu la cause d’une meilleure protection des journalistes au fil des conflits et des crises.

Lire notre hommage sur PEC NEWS / Read our tribute on PEC NEWS

07.03.2022. UKRAINE MORE AND MORE DANGEROUS FOR JOURNALISTS. Swiss photoreporter Guillaume Briquet (photo) wounded after being shot by Russian soldiers. Guillaume Briquet, 58, was deployed as a photojournalist in southern Ukraine when his vehicle was hit while driving near a small village towards the besieged city of Mykolaiv on Sunday. Pictures of the bullet-riddled four-by-four show it was marked ‘Press’ in large writing on all sides (photos below). The head of the regional military administration, Maria Chorna, claimed the shots were fired by Russian soldiers at close range. Guillaume Briquet suffered wounds to his face and forearm. He was admitted to a hospital in Kirovograd.

Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is alarmed by this attack against an international journalist despite the clear signs PRESS on his vehicle. PEC recalls that journalists are not combatants and benefit from the protection of the Geneva Conventions. The 58-year-old, based in Geneva, has photographed conflicts and disaster zones around the world including occupied Iraq, earthquake-stricken Haiti and North Korea. The presence on the ground of independent journalists is essential to have an objective view of the fighting.

04.03.2022. NO IMPUNITY IN UKRAINE. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) applauds the adoption by the Human Rights Council in Geneva of a resolution condemning «in the strongest possible terms the human rights violations and abuses resulting from the continuing military invasion by the Russian Federation of Ukraine», calling for the «swift and verifiable withdrawal of Russian troops» and deciding «to urgently establish an independent international commission of inquiry (…) to investigate all alleged violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law» in Ukraine. Out of the 47 current members of the Council, 32 voted in favour, with two against (Russia and Eritrea) and 13 abstentions (photo). PEC also welcomes the fact that the HRC resolution reaffirms «that the right to freedom of opinion and expression, both online and offline, is a human right guaranteed to all, reiterating in this regard the important role of free media and non-governmental organizations, and condemning any attack against journalists, newspapers and media workers» and expresses concern «at the spread of disinformation and misinformation». The resolution «stresses the importance of maintaining free, open, interoperable, reliable and secure access to the Internet, and condemns unequivocally any measures that prevent or disrupt an individual’s ability to receive or impart information online».

In this regard, PEC strongly condemns a new censorship law adopted today in Moscow by the Duma, Russia’s parliament, enabling anyone accused of publishing «false information» regarding Russia’s military to be prosecuted and potentially imprisoned.

PEC is also appalled by the attack targeting on Monday, near Kyiv, a Sky News' team. Chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay was wounded and camera operator Richie Mockler took two rounds to his body armour. Read more: https://news.sky.com/story/sky-news-teams-harrowing-account-of-their-violent-ambush-in-ukraine-this-week-12557585

Read more on PEC NEWS

01.03.2022. UKRAINE. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the missile attack launched today by Russian forces on the TV tower in the city of Kyiv, attempting to disrupt broadcasting (photo). Videos shared on Twitter show plumes of smoke engulfing the Kyiv TV Tower, which stands at 385m high. The tower was built in 1973 for radio and television broadcasting. PEC recalls the Security Council resolution 2222 adopted unanimously on protection of journalists 27 May 2015 condemning «all violations and abuses committed against journalists, media professionals and associated personnel in situations of armed conflict», and calling «upon all parties to armed conflict to bring an end to such practices». Article 10 «recalls also that media equipment and installations constitute civilian objects, and in this respect shall not be the object of attack or of reprisals». The Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs says that “channels will not work for a while.” “The backup broadcasting of some channels will be enabled in the near future,” it says. The Russian Defense Ministry earlier said the strikes would be "to suppress information attacks against Russia," according to a statement reported by Russian state media TASS, adding that Kyiv residents near the sites should leave their homes.

PEC supports the adoption of a resolution by the Human Rights Council on Ukraine seeking an international investigation into human rights violations by Russia. Such a probe would be important to ensure documentation and accountability for all war crimes committed in Ukraine.

PEC is also very sad to learn that TV cameraman Yevhenii Sakun was killed as a result of Russian missile strike on Kyiv's Babyn Yar, along with 4 other people. It is becoming more and more dangerous for journalists to cover this war. Although wearing bulletproof vests, two Danish reporters Stefan Weichert and Emil Filtenborg Mikkelsen sustained serious gunshot injuries when they came under fire in the northeastern city of Ohtyrka on Saturday. They have been evacuated from Ukraine.

26.02.2022. UKRAINE. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) joins dozens of organisations expressing their solidarity with the Ukrainian journalists at the frontlines of a large-scale European war. Here is the statement:

We, the undersigned organisations, stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, but particularly Ukrainian journalists who now find themselves at the frontlines of a large-scale European war.

We unilaterally condemn the violence and aggression that puts thousands of our colleagues all over Ukraine in grave danger.

We call on the international community to provide any possible assistance to those who are taking on the brave role of reporting from the war zone that is now Ukraine.

We condemn the physical violence, the cyberattacks, disinformation and all other weapons employed by the aggressor against the free and democratic Ukrainian press.

We also stand in solidarity with independent Russian media who continue to report the truth in unprecedented conditions.

List of signatories on: https://ifex.org/ifex-joins-dozens-of-organisations-in-joint-statement-of-support-for-ukraine/

24.02.2022. UKRAINE. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns in the strongest terms the Russian military aggression in Ukraine contrary to international law. PEC calls on all belligerents to ensure safety of journalists, reminding that all OSCE participating States, including Russia and Ukraine, have committed themselves to adopt, where appropriate, all feasible measures to protect journalists engaged in dangerous professional missions and to condemn all attacks and violence against journalists. Journalists must be safe to do their work, under all circumstances, and to inform independently. PEC also urges all parties to refrain from spreading propaganda for war or incitement to hostility or violence. PEC calls on all journalists on the ground to take precautionary measures. We remind the belligerents of documents adopted by consensus at the UN Security Council on the safety of journalists in conflict zones, resolution 2022 adopted on 27 May 2015 and resolution 1738 adopted on 23 December 2006, as well as resolutions on the safety of journalists adopted by the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council (see on our page DOCUMENTS). PEC will follow the situation in Ukraine very closely.

23.02.2022. MEXICO. La conductora de televisión y modelo, Michelle Pérez Tadeo (photo), conocida como “Michell Simón”, originaria de Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, fue hallada sin vida y con signos de violencia en un paraje del cerro del Ajusco, alcaldía Tlalpan, al sur de la capital del país. La joven de 29 años y madre de una menor fue reportada como desaparecida desde el pasado domingo. En lo que va del 2022, en México han sido asesinados, además de la periodista Michelle Pérez, seis trabajadores de los medios de comunicación, o uno por semana. PEC esta horrorizado por esta escalade de violencia y exige que la investigación por este nuevo asesinato no descarte ninguna hipótesis.

21.02.2022. TURKEY. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of Güngör Arslan (photo), the owner and managing editor of the local Ses Kocaeli newspaper in Turkey. On Saturday 19 February, Arslan was attacked in front of his office and shot in the chest and leg in the city of Izmit. He was taken to hospital, where he died of his injuries. In a written statement, the Governor’s office announced that a 21-year-old suspect had been taken into custody. PEC calls for a swift and thorough investigation and prosecution of the gunman and those who may have assisted or ordered the murder. All those responsible must be held to account. In a broadcast made before the attack, Arslan had stated that he had previously suffered attacks for “trying to do his job as a journalist”. PEC reiterates its concern about the impunity for murders of journalists in Turkey: there has been no or incomplete justice for Uğur Mumcu, assassinated outside his home in Ankara in 1993; Metin Göktepe, tortured and murdered in police custody in Istanbul in 1996; Hrant Dink, assassinated in Istanbul in 2007; Naji Jerf, gunned down in Gaziantep in 2015; Rohat Aktaş, found dead in Cizre in 2016; Jamal Khashoggi, murdered in a Saudi consulate in 2018; or Hazim Özsu, killed in Bursa in 2021.

19.02.2022. PAKISTAN. Television journalist shot dead in Pakistan, PEC demands punishment to perpetrators. Expressing grief over the demise of Karachi-based Pakistani television journalist Athar Mateen, Press Emblem Campaign insists on a genuine probe into the incident that led to his killing during the morning hours on 18 February 2022. PEC also demands compensation to the bereaved family. Till date, 20 journalists have been killed worldwide in 2022, where Mexico tops the list with six casualties, followed by Pakistan (3).

Read more on PEC NEWS

16.02.2022. TCHAD. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) est consternée par l'assassinat du

journaliste Evariste Djaï-Loramadji (photo), correspondant de la radio chrétienne

"Lotiko", dans un affrontement intercommunautaire qui a fait plus d'une dizaine de

morts dans le village de Sandana (Moyen-Chari), le 9 février 2022. La PEC condamne

cet assassinat barbare, et exhorte les autorités à diligenter une enquête complète et rapide et à punir le ou les coupables. La PEC

salue le courage d'un journaliste de terrain qui a fait son métier jusqu'au bout pour témoigner des affrontements. Evariste Djaï-

Loramadji est le premier journaliste tué en Afrique cette année, dans un contexte global alarmant avec déjà 19 journalistes tués

dans le monde en six semaines.

CHAD. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is dismayed by the assassination of journalist Evariste Djaï-Loramadji, correspondent for the Christian
radio station "Lotiko", in a massacre following an inter-community clash which left more than a dozen dead in the village of Sandana, 
Wednesday February 9, 2022. The PEC condemns this barbaric assassination and urges the authorities to carry out a full and rapid 
investigation and to punish the culprits. Evariste Djaï-Loramadji only did his job as a journalist by reporting on the situation until the last
 moment. PEC salutes the courage of these field journalists. Evariste Djaï-Loramadji is the first journalist killed in Africa this year, in an 
alarming global context with already 19 journalists killed worldwide in six weeks.

Communiqué de la PEC sur PEC NEWS

15.02.2022. SRI LANKA. Condemning the attack on the residence of Sri Lanka’s senior television journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrema (photo) by a group of masked armed men in the early hours of 14 February 2022, Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) on Tuesday demands a fair probe into the incident and to punish the perpetrators. Local media outlets reported that at least four unidentified persons stormed into the residential complex of Samarawickrema at Piliyandala area of Colombo. “It’s unacceptable that a journalist, who remains critical about the government functioning, has to face this kind of attack on him. The Lankan government, must identify the culprits to maintain its credibility,” said Blaise Lempen, PEC secretary-general.

Meanwhile, the PEC expresses grief over the untimely demise of a senior photojournalist T Kumar, who killed himself on 13 February in the south Indian city of Chennai, and who used to work for prominent news agency United News of India (UNI). PEC also demanded stringent punishments to perpetrators of the murder of a young scribe Sudhir Saini in central India’s State of Uttar Pradesh some days back.

Read more on PEC NEWS

11.02.2022. MEXICO. Yet another journalist has been cowardly assassinated in the state of Oaxaca Mexico on Feb 10, 2022. The slain journalist is Heber Lopez Osorio (photo), who was gunned down by two men who have been arrested, in the municipality of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca. He worked for the digital news portal Noticias Web de Salina Cruz. On Noticias Web, Heber López was a vehement critic of local politicians. He is the 6th journalist killed in just 6 weeks in Mexico. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns this wave of violence targeting the media and calls upon Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to fight impunity to put an end to this dramatic murderous escalation.

10.02.2022. Guinée Bissau : PEC condamne la violente attaque armée d’un groupe de militaires contre la radio privée Capital FM

Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condamne la violente attaque ciblée, contre le personnel et les installations de la radio privée Capital FM, en Guinée Bissau, perpétrée le 7 février 2022, par des des hommes en uniforme militaire, lourdement armés. L'ONG appelle à des enquêtes pour identifier et sanctionner les auteurs de cette agression. Selon le témoignage recueilli par PEC auprès de Mme Indira Correia Balde, présidente du Syndicat des Journalistes et Techniciens de la Communication sociale de Guinée Bissau (SINJOTECS) : « Un groupe d’hommes armés a attaqué la radio, en tirant avec des armes AK à l’intérieur de l’édifice et détruisant tous les équipements. Il y a eu cinq blessés parmi les journalistes, techniciens et personnels administratifs qui essayaient d’échapper aux tirs. Une journaliste qui a dû sauter du premier étage est hospitalisée, dans un état grave, et doit être évacuée au Portugal, le vendredi 11 février, pour des soins appropriés ». En effet, blessée à la colonne vertébrale et aux côtes la journaliste Maimuna Bari (photo) est dans le coma et a été évacuée au Portugal le 11 février.

Guinea Bissau: Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the violent targeted attack against the staff and facilities of the private radio station 
Capital FM, in Guinea Bissau, perpetrated on February 7, 2022, by heavily armed men in military uniform. The NGO calls for investigations
 to identify and punish the perpetrators of this attack. There were five wounded among the journalists, technicians and administrative staff 
trying to escape the gunfire. A journalist Maimuna Bari who had to jump from the first floor is hospitalized in a coma and must be evacuated 
to Portugal on Friday February 11 for appropriate treatment.

Lire le communiqué complet de la PEC sur PEC NEWS

07.02.2022. YEMEN. Take action for Yemeni journalists on death row. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) joins an appeal launched today by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) to save the lives of four journalists Abdul Khaleq Amran, Tawfiq Al-Mansouri, Harith Hamid, and Akram Al-Walidi (photo) arrested on 9 June 2015 at the Hotel Dream Castle in Sana’a. Their arrest was motivated by their reporting on human rights violations committed by Houthi forces, who charged them with “espionage for foreign states and spreading fake news”. Since their arrest, they have been subjected to a series of crimes, including forced disappearance, physical and psychological torture, denial of the right to be visited and the right to have access to medical care. These actions break all international conventions and norms on the treatment of prisoners. Now they are on death row and the IFJ and the YJS are seeking to increase pressure on the Ansar Allah to release them and push key actors across the international community to put the lives of our colleagues high on their agenda. Sign the open letter to the United Nation’s envoy to Yemen to treat this case as an urgent matter, put pressure on relevant government and intergovernmental bodies to demand that this issue has a priority in his agenda, secure the participation of YJS at the upcoming meeting of the Human Rights Council to raise this issue in particular and the critical situation of Yemeni media workers in general.

Sign the open letter:

https://the.organise.network/campaigns/teamup-world-journalists-community-urges-you-to-stand-up-for-journalists-in-yemen

In a separate development, Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) regrets the killing of journalist Mervan Yusuf in the fighting in Harad, announced today by Deputy Information Minister of Yemen Abdukbasit al-Qaidi on his Twitter account. He died Sunday while on duty covering clashes between Yemeni government forces and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in northwestern Yemen.

06.02.2022. INDIA. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) mourns the demise of a promising Indian scribe in a
landmine blast, planted by left-wing rebels in Kalahandi locality of Odisha province. Rohit Kumar Biswal (photo, 40) stepped on the mine on 5 February 2022 and died on the spot. Rohit used to work for an Oriya daily (Dharitri) and he went to report about the posters of ultra-left extremists (belonging to outlawed
Communist Party of India-Maoist), asking the people to boycott the forthcoming local (Panchayat) elections scheduled for different phases in 16-24 February next.

Read more on PEC NEWS

04.02.2022. La PEC a désigné son nouveau Représentant Régional pour l’Afrique Subsaharienne,

Touré Hamidou Elhadji (photo). Journaliste, expert Médias et Sécurité, directeur de publication du

journal en ligne malimedias.com, M. Touré est aussi notamment Coordinateur des journalistes du G5

Sahel. «Nous félicitons Hamidou Touré et nous nous réjouissons de pouvoir coopérer avec le directeur de

malimedias.com afin de mieux couvrir l’actualité africaine, comme nous le faisons pour l’Amérique

latine, l’Asie et le Moyen-Orient», a déclaré le secrétaire général de la PEC Blaise Lempen. «L’an

dernier, 12 journalistes ont été tués en Afrique, un chiffre en hausse, et il faut stopper cette tendance

alarmante», a-t-il ajouté.

Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has appointed its new Regional Representative for Sub-Saharan Africa, Touré Hamidou Elhadji (photo). Journalist, Media and Security expert, director of online newspaper malimedias.com, Mr. Touré is also notably Coordinator of journalists of the G5 Sahel. “We congratulate Hamidou Touré and look forward to cooperating with the director of malimedias.com to better cover African news, as we do for Latin America, Asia and the Middle East,” said PEC Secretary General Blaise Lempen. “Last year, 12 journalists were killed in Africa, a figure on the rise, and this alarming trend must be stopped,” he added.

Lire le communiqué sur PEC NEWS (français et anglais)

01.02.2022. 12 journalists killed in one month, PEC demands justice to bereaved families. Expressing shock over the murder of a record number of 12 journalists killed in the first month of 2022, the global media safety and rights body Press Emblem Campaign demands justice and adequate compensation to the bereaved families. PEC laments that another journalist has been cowardly assassinated in Mexico. The slain journalist is Roberto Toledo (photo), of 55 years of age, gunned down on Monday, January 31st, 2022, in the municipality of Zitacuaro, Michoacan. He worked for the Monitor Michoacan news outlet. Toledo is the 4th journalist killed in less than a month in Mexico. If the current continues, we could be having one journalist per week being killed in the county. PEC also condemns the murder of another journalist in Pakistan within a week, Ghulam Murtaza Shar (32), who was associated with private Urdu news channel Ummat.

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS (English and French)

25.01.2022. PAKISTAN. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), condemns the murder of Lahore-based Pakistani journalist Hasnain Shah (photo) on 24 January and demands justice to the Pak media fraternity. It urges Prime Minister Imran Khan to identify the perpetrators to punish them under the law and offer adequate compensation to the bereaved family. New year begins with sad news as 10 media workers have lost their lives to assailants within four weeks.

Read more on PEC NEWS

24.01.2022. MEXICO. Yet another journalist has been killed in Mexico Lourdes Maldonado Lopez (photo). She worked for different news services, the most important one being Primer Sistema de Noticias (PSN). She was killed in Tijuana Mexico last night, January 23rd, 2022, after arriving home in her car. She was shot at point-blank range in the head in her driveway. She had just won a 9-year lawsuit against her former boss media mogul turned-politician, Baja California State Governor (2018-2021), Jamie Bonilla. It is well-known that Bonilla had threatened Maldonado. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condems this shameful new murder, the third journalist to be killed in Mexico in 2022, and demands a full investigation and the arrest of all those responsible. Maldonado's killing follows that of freelance photojournalist Alfonso Margarito Martínez Esquivel on January 17 in Tijuana, and that of Jose Luis Gamboa - a journalist who founded and edited the Inforegio news website and co-founded and edited the news website La Noticia - on January 10 in Veracruz state.

21.01.2022. MYANMAR. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) demands the unconditional release of all 45 journalists still behind the bars since 1 February 2021 coup that deposed the democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi-led government in Naypietaw. Local media outlets in Yangon reported that the Min Aung Hlaing-led military junta has lately arrested two reporters namely Ko Zaw and Ma Moe Myint from Dawei (photo). Along with them, a media employee Ko Thar Gyi, who also works for DaweiWatch Burmese news portal was also detained. Even offices of the media outlet, which primarily covers socio-political events taking place in the southern localities of Myanmar, were also raised by the military personnel and they seized documents as well.

Read more on PEC NEWS

21.01.2022. HOMMAGE A DANIEL FAVRE // TRIBUTE TO DANIEL FAVRE. Le secrétaire général de la PEC Blaise Lempen (à gauche) et son vice-président Jean-Philippe Jutzi, également président de la section suisse de l'Union de la presse francophone (UPF), ont remis vendredi à Lausanne à la fille de Daniel Favre, Florence Rachez (au centre) une plaque en l'honneur de son père, décédé en novembre 2021. Daniel Favre a été membre fondateur de la PEC en 2004 et son vice-président en charge de la Francophonie jusqu'à son décès (photo pec).

18.01.2022. MEXICO. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of 2 journalists in Mexico. A news photographer was killed in the Mexican border city of Tijuana on Monday. Photographer Margarito Martínez (photo) was well-known for covering the crime scene in violence-plagued Tijuana. He worked for the local news outlet Cadena Noticias, as well as for other national and international media outlets. Another Mexican journalist who criticized local authorities in Veracruz state died, several days after he was found badly wounded. José Luis Gamboa was the director of the online news site Inforegio. He died at a hospital in the state capital on Jan. 10, but his relatives were not informed until Jan. 14.

10.01. 2022. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the killing of 4 journalists in the 10 first days of January 2022. PEC demands a fair probe into the incidents that led to the death of Chin journalist Pu Tui Dim (photo, 35) by the Burmese military forces. Tui Dim died in the police firing at Matupi locality of Chin State in north-western Myanmar on 9 January 2022. Tui Dim became the fourth journalist to be killed this year after Amady John Wesley and Wilguens Louissaint killed by gang criminals in Port-au-Prince in Haiti and Muratkhan Bazarbayev in Kazakhstan. Employed by Almaty TV, Bazarbayev was part of a team covering protests when the vehicle he was driving came under attack as protesters and security forces clashed. PEC demands justice as well as adequate compensations to the victim families.

Read more on PEC NEWS

Last year, in 2021, at least 1400 media workers 
succumbed to the virus, that is to say 116 par month or 
some 4 per day on average, announced Friday in Geneva
 the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC). No continent is 
spared by the pandemic. Of the 1940 journalists 
dead registered by the PEC since March 1, 2020, 
Latin America leads with half of the victims, or 955 
deaths. Asia follows with 556 dead, ahead of Europe 263,
then Africa 98 and North America  68. After a spike in 
deadly infections in the first half of 2021, the death toll slowed in the second half thanks to advances in vaccination.

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS (English, French, Spanish and Arabic), list of dead journalists on our page COVID-19

05.01.2022. INDIA. Expressing shock over the repeated incident of targeting women, including many Indian scribes in social media, Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) demands proper actions against the individuals behind the ‘Bulli Bai’ online application. We urge the Indian federal government in New Delhi to take necessary actions against the perpetrators. Virtual attacks against the journalists are seemingly aimed to discourage them in performing their duties, which can not be accepted (photo: Mumbai police have detained a number of suspects including a young Indian student involved in the case).

Read more on PEC NEWS

03.01.2022. "En matière de technologies, nous dérivons vers le modèle chinois". Entretien publié sur heidi.news avec Blaise Lempen, secrétaire général de la PEC, sur son livre "La Dictature numérique en marche, société de l'hypersurveillance: un appel à la vigilance". "Nous critiquons à juste titre la Chine pour la surveillance de ses citoyens, son système de crédit social, une forme de goulag électronique. Mais en Occident, nous dérivons lentement vers le modèle chinois", prévient l'auteur.

Lire l'interview sur PEC NEWS

01.01.2022. 2021 marks a decrease of 14% in journo-killings globally // L'année 2021 enregistre une baisse de 14% des meurtres de journalistes dans le monde.

The bygone year witnessed the killing of 79 media employees by assailants in 29 countries marking an improvement in journo-murder index by 14% compared to last year where 92 media workers were killed. PEC has lately confirmed the death of Burmese journalist A Kay Sai (also known as Sai Win Aung, photo) because of serious head injuries by the shell operated by the Myanmar military junta at Maekheewar village of Karen State on 25 December. Sai (38) was trapped in crossfire between the junta forces and KNLA rebels and finally hit by artillery from Tatmadaw.

Read more on PEC NEWS (English and French), CASUALTIES

26.12.2021. AFGHANISTAN. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) expresses serious concern over the negative development to Afghan media. Afghanistan emerges most dangerous country for scribes with 12 journo-casualties in 2021. Since the Taliban take over the country in August, it also witnessed the collapse of over 150 print media outlets following new restrictions, thousands of professional journalists lost their jobs. Lately a young reporter Javid Yousufi (photo) was stabbed in Kabul. Other localities like Balk, Takhar and Kunduz also witnessed physical attacks on journalists in the last few days.

16.12.2021. MYANMAR. Burmese photojournalist dies in military custody, PEC deplores - Freelance photojournalist Ko Soe Naing (photo) died lately on 14 December under the Myanmar military custody and thus the young scribe becomes the first media-victims in the country after the 1 February 2021 military coup. He started taking photographs of various anti-military demonstrations. In some occasions, his photographs were also used by a number of outside agencies.

Also in Myanmar, three ethnic Shan journalists along with a civilian were imprisoned for three years by a military court for spreading misinformation about the regime in Naypyidaw. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) deplores the sentences and urges the military junta to respect the freedom of press. Editor Nann Nann Tai (also known as Nann Nway Nway Hlaing), publisher Ko Tin Aung Kyaw and female reporter Nan Win Yi of Kanbawza Tai News (photos) along with Ko Sai Sithu, who were detained by the security forces from Hopong locality of Shan State on 24 March, continued to be in Nyaungshwe prison and incidentally the verdict came on Human Rights Day.

Read more on PEC NEWS

10.12.2021. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited from the UK to the US, the High Court has ruled. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is appalled by the decision of the british justice. Julian Assange (photo, leaving court in 2020) is sentenced to more months of imprisonment and uncertainty, it is an unbearable physical and psychological torture, lamented the PEC.

The US won today its appeal against a January UK court ruling that he could not be extradited due to concerns over his mental health. Judges were reassured by US promises to reduce the risk of suicide and ordered the case must return to Westminster Magistrates' Court for a district judge to formally send it to Home Secretary Priti Patel. Mr Assange is wanted in the US over the publication of thousands of classified documents in 2010 and 2011. For the past two years and a half, Julian Assange (50) has remained in Belmarsh prison, and he has been detained since 7 December 2010 for 11 years after going into hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. The right of journalists to publish material that governments and corporations find embarrassing is threatened by this legal relentlessness. PEC still hopes that the Australian can return to his country as soon as possible.

07.12.2021. MYANMAR. PEC demands unconditional release of all Myanmar journalists. Lately the PEC expresses serious concern over a recent intentional attack on anti-junta protesters that left many seriously wounded including a female journalist Ma Hmu Yandanar Khet Moh Moh Tun (photo) who was on duty at that moment in the Yangon city and still remains in critical condition. It’s already a grave situation in Myanmar and following the imprisonment of pro-democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi by the military court in NayPieTaw the situation may deteriorate more.

Read more on PEC NEWS

The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) rewards Indian journalist

Nava Thakuria for his relentless initiatives to safeguard the rights

of media persons in the south Asian country and defending the

press freedom in the region with an exemplary commitment.

Last year, a record number of 15 journalists were killed in India

and six more this year. The PEC award also wants to pay tribute

to some 300 journalists who died throughout India with Covid-19

complications (on the picture Nava Thakuria, far right, during a

demonstration with other media workers).

Read the PEC press release, speeches, bio on our page PEC AWARD

21.11.2021. SOMALIA. Journalists again among the prime targets of terrorist groups. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns in the strongest terms possible the targeted killing of the state-owned Radio Mogadishu journalist and director, Abdiaziz Mohamud Guled (popularly known as Abdiaziz Africa, photo) and the injuries of two other colleagues in Mogadishu, on Saturday night 20 November. The prominent Somali journalist who was a critic of the al-Shabab armed group was killed by a suicide bomber as he was leaving a restaurant in the capital, Mogadishu, relatives and officials said. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the blast. He became the second journalist murdered in Somalia this year. On 1 March, gunmen shot dead independent journalist, Jamal Farah Adan in Galkayo. Those responsible must be held accountable.

20.11.2021. La PEC est heureuse d’accueillir un nouveau membre dans son comité directeur. Jean-Philippe Jutzi (photo) remplace notre vice-président décédé le 7 novembre dernier Daniel Favre, membre fondateur de la PEC en 2004. Actuel président de la section suisse de l’Union internationale de la presse francophone (UPF), Jean-Philippe (66 ans) a été journaliste dans plusieurs journaux suisses de 1982 à 2003 (La Liberté, Le Matin, 24 Heures), avant de devenir le porte-parole de l’Aide humanitaire suisse de 2003 à 2005, puis le chef adjoint de la communication de la DDC (Coopération au développement) (2006-2008), et le porte-parole du chef du Département fédéral des Affaires étrangères (DFAE) en 2008 et 2009. De 2010 à 2013, il a été chargé des Affaires culturelles au DFAE et membre de Présence Suisse avant de devenir conseiller culturel à l’ambassade de Suisse en France (2013 à 2016) et chef de la section médias et culture à l’ambassade de Suisse à Pékin à partir de 2016 avant de prendre sa retraite en 2020. «Sa vaste expérience comme journaliste et diplomate à la fois en Suisse et à l’étranger sera certainement très utile au sein du comité directeur de la PEC pour renforcer notre travail de protection des journalistes à travers le monde», a déclaré le secrétaire général de la PEC Blaise Lempen. // 20.11.2021. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is pleased to welcome a new member to its steering committee. Jean-Philippe Jutzi (photo) replaces our vice-president who died on November 7, Daniel Favre, founding member of the PEC in 2004. Current president of the Swiss section of the International Union of the Francophone Press (UPF), Jean-Philippe (66) was a journalist in several Swiss newspapers from 1982 to 2003 (La Liberté, Le Matin, 24 Heures), before becoming the spokesperson for the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit from 2003 to 2005, then the deputy head of communication of the SDC (Swiss Development Cooperation Agency) (2006-2008), and the spokesperson for the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in 2008 and 2009. From 2010 to 2013, he was in charge of Cultural Affairs at the FDFA and member of Présence Suisse before becoming cultural advisor at the Swiss Embassy in France (2013 to 2016) and head of the section media and culture at the Swiss Embassy in Beijing before retiring in 2020. “His vast experience as both a journalist and diplomat in Switzerland and abroad will certainly be very useful within the Steering Committee of the PEC in strengthening our work to protect journalists around the world, ” said General Secretary of the PEC Blaise Lempen.

14.11.2021. AFGHANISTAN. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is sad to learn that another journalist has been killed in Afghanistan. Hamid Saighani (photo) was killed in yesterday's explosion in Kabul. His wife Fawzia Wahdat, also a journalist, confirmed the heart-breaking news. Saighani used to work with Khurahid and Aryana News. It is the 12th journalist to be killed since the beginning of 2021 in the war-torn country, according to PEC casualties.

11.11.2021. PAKISTAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is shocked by the killing of two media activists in one week in Pakistan. Pakistan loses one more socially responsible media activist Muhammad Zada (photo) killed by two gunmen on 8 November at his residence in Sakhakot area of Malakand locality in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Nazim Samwal Jokhio, a videographer in western Sindh province, was killed on 4 November. Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa authorities must take the brutal murder of Nazim Samwal Jokhio and Muhammad Zada seriously and assure that the culprits will not enjoy impunity.

Read more on PEC NEWS

10.11.2021. YEMEN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the killing of a Yemeni journalist and her child in an explosion that targeted her family’s vehicle Tuesday in Yemen’s southern city of Aden. The explosion took place in Aden’s neighborhood of Khormaksar when Rasha Abdalla (photo, with her husband and her first child) and her family were heading to a doctor, officials said. Abdalla, who works for the United Arab Emirates-based Asharq satellite television channel, was pregnant. Her husband Mahmoud al-Attomy, also a journalist, was seriously wounded and hospitalized in critical condition. It is the third journalist to be killed in Yemen in one month and the fourth this year. On October 10, two yemeni journalists were killed in an explosion targeting the governor of Aden. Perpetrators must be brought to justice. The war since 2015 in Yemen spawned the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

05.11.2021. NUMERIQUE ET LIBERTES. Une évolution très rapide et incontrôlée des technologies de l'information et de la communication a eu lieu ces dernières années. Les milliards de capteurs déployés dans notre environnement, nos confidences sur les réseaux sociaux et les smartphones, les logiciels de pistage sur les ordinateurs, les capacités de traitement des données de l’intelligence artificielle se conjuguent pour créer une société de l’hypersurveillance. Dans son nouveau livre, "La Dictature numérique en marche - société de l'hypersurveillance: un appel à la vigilance", Blaise Lempen, journaliste, secrétaire général de la PEC, sonne l’alarme. Un débat est indispensable sur le développement de techniques invasives de manipulation des comportements et des pensées. L’avenir de la démocratie est en jeu. Le totalitarisme high-tech n’a rien d’inéluctable, à condition de percevoir la menace. L’auteur lance un appel à la vigilance, essentielle pour préserver nos libertés. Il évoque des pistes pour maîtriser la civilisation numérique en gestation : droit à la déconnexion, sobriété numérique, réglementation de la reconnaissance faciale, démantèlement des géants de la Tech.

Lien avec l'ouvrage: https://www.editions-harmattan.fr/livre-la_dictature_numerique_en_marche_societe_de_l_hypersurveillance_un_appel_a_la_vigilance_blaise_lempen-9782343246253-71497.html

Link with good resources in English:

https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/internet-freedom-around-the-world-in-50-stats/

To mark the United Nations International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November 2021, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) demands governments to bring those who threaten journalists to justice. According to PEC figures, at least 66 journalists have been killed so far this year (2 more than last year in 10 months). Mexico and Afghanistan remain the most dangerous countries for journalism. "There is no progress for the safety of media workers and killers of journalists still get away with murder. No crime must go unpunished", stressed PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen. No one has been held to account in 81% of journalist murders during the last 10 years, CPJ’s 2021 Global Impunity Index has found. Two journalists were killed in Mexico in the last three days. On Thursday, Mexican journalist Fredy López Arévalo (photo) was shot dead outside his home in San Cristobal de las Casas in the state of Chiapas. Lopez, who was a correspondent for El Universal in Guatemala in the 1990s, worked for the Central American magazine Panorama and was in charge of the Notimex office in Chiapas. He also was head of information in the newspaper Novedades and published articles in the magazine Proceso. On October 31, in Acapulco, photojournalist Alfredo Cardoso died from his wounds. PEC strongly condemns those new cowardly murders which brings the total figure for Mexico to 10 journalists killed since January.

More on our pages PEC NEWS, CASUALTIES and NO IMPUNITY

PEC endorses demand of Cambodian civil society organizations (CSO) on the occasion of ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’ for ensuring safety to working journalists in the south-east Asian country and urged the Cambodian government in Phnom Penh to allow the media
persons to perform their duties without any fear and trepidations. According to a group of CSOs, the incidents of persecution against journalists are increasing while over 80 media persons were targeted in 2021 till date. Among them over 30 were arrested, 20 subjected to violence, 8 faced judicial harassment (photo: demonstration in Cambodia for the Day to End Impunity)

Read more on PEC NEWS

08.10.2021. NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. The Press Emblem Campaign warmly congratulates journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov (photo) who have won the Nobel Peace Prize for their fights to defend freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia. « PEC welcomes the choice of the Nobel committee on the very day of the 15th anniversary of Anna Politkovskaya’ murder. It is a posthumous tribute and an encouragement for all journalists and organizations fighting for press freedom and against impunity », said PEC General Secretary Blaise Lempen.

Ms Ressa, who co-founded the news site Rappler in 2012 , openly critical of President Rodrigo Duterte, was commended for using freedom of expression to "expose abuse of power, use of violence and growing authoritarianism in the Philippines". The Nobel committee said Mr Muratov, the co-founder and editor of independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, had for decades defended freedom of speech in Russia under increasingly challenging conditions. Six of its reporters, including Anna Politkovskaya, have been murdered because of their journalistic work. October 7, 2021 marks 15 years since journalist and human rights defender Anna Politkovskaya was killed in Moscow for her brave work bringing to light human rights abuses in the conflict in Chechnya. The PEC again urges that all of those involved in her murder be identified and held accountable for their crimes.

05.10.2021. INDIA. PEC demands authentic probe into killing of Indian scribe Raman Kashyap.
The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condoles the demise of young television scribe Raman Kashyap (photo) at Lakhimpur Kheri locality of Uttar Pradesh in central India and demands an authentic probe into the incident that led to killing of the rural reporter on 3 October 2021. Raman Kashyap is the 59th journalist killed so far in 2021 across the globe and the 4th in India.

Read more on PEC NEWS

04.10.2021. AFGHANISTAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) laments the shrinking space for press freedom and collapse of media fraternity in Afghanistan

Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the Geneva based global media rights body, laments over missing of newspapers from the stands across Afghanistan as most of the media managements shifted to online space after the arrival of Taliban forces in the capital city of Kabul. Expressing serious concern on the growing security threats for
professional journalists in the southeast Asian country, the PEC calls upon the United Nations and the international community to urge the new government in Kabul to respect press freedom and the safety of journalists. On October 2, Afghan journalist Sayyed Marof Saadat was killed in a shooting incident in Nangarhar province. It brings to 11 the number of media workers killed this year in Afghanistan (photo: a recent demonstration of women in Kabul brutally interrupted by the Taliban - for female journalists, the work is more and more difficult)

Read more on PEC NEWS

Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condena este nuevo asesinato y pide a las autoridades que realicen una investigación completa y que lleven ante la justicia a los responsables de la ejecución del periodista Manuel González Reyes (photo) en Cuernavaca, en el estado mexicano de Morelos. La encuesta debe considerar la labor periodística como uno de los motivos del asesinato. México es el pais más violento del mundo para el gremio periodístico y cada año se registran numerosos asesinatos y asaltos contra la prensa por parte del crimen organizado y de autoridades. Manuel González Reyes es el séptimo periodista asesinado en México en 2021.

Expressing concern over the recent arrest of three more journalists by the military rulers of Myanmar, the Switzerland based global media rights body Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) calls upon the UN Human Rights Council meeting now in progress at Geneva to condemn the military junta and initiate for release of over 50 scribes along with a large number of political prisoners (photo: Mizzima News former editor-in-chief Myo Thant was arrested on 15 Septermber).

Read more on PEC NEWS

07.09.2021. AFGHANISTAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is sad to hear of the death of Fahim Dashti (photo), the spokesperson of Resistance Front in Afghanistan’s northeastern province of Panjshir, who was killed in fighting in the province on Sunday. Dashti was the editor of Kabul Weekly and a member of the Federation of Afghan Journalists. When Taliban invaded Afghanistan, he joined the resistance. The death of Fashim Dashti brings to 10 the number of media workers killed this year in Afghanistan since January, making it the most dangerous country in the world for journalists. The PEC calls on the country's new authorities to ensure the safety of journalists and to respect press freedom.

The Taliban must immediately cease detaining journalists, end the use of violence and beating against them, preventing them from filming, and allow the media to operate freely, added the PEC. In the last few days, the Taliban briefly detained at least 14 journalists covering protests in Kabul, according to reports.

Read more on PEC NEWS

03.09.2021. THE LIST OF JOURNALISTS DEAD FROM COVID-19 IS GROWING. More than 1,788 media workers have succumbed to the virus in 80 countries in the 18 months since the start of the pandemic, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) announced Thursday in Geneva. During the months of July and August, at least 117 more journalists died from the coronavirus, or nearly 2 a day. Given the new variants, the PEC warns that the number of journalists who have died from Covid-19 is likely to reach the 2,000 mark by the end of the year. The average age of victims is now younger.

Read the PEC press release in English, French, Spanish and Arabic on PEC NEWS - list of victims on our page COVID-19

Alireza Ahmadi (left), a reporter for the Raha News Agency, and Najma Sadeqi (right), a presenter at Jahan-e-Sehat TV channel, according to the AFJC (Afghanistan Journalists' Center), were killed in the suicide attack on August 26 that also claimed the lives of more than 180 people including 13 US military personnel amid a chaotic evacuation effort. The Afghan affiliate of the ISIL (ISIS), known as the Islamic State Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K), claimed responsibility for the attack. The Press Emblem Campaign strongly condemns the attack and is saddened at the deaths of yet two more journalists in Afghanistan. The Kabul’s airport deaths bring to 9 the number of media workers killed this year in Afghanistan since January, making it the most dangerous country in the world for journalists. The PEC renews its concern to the safety of journalists at this critical juncture and urges the international community to evacuate all journalists and NGOs members at risks who want to leave the country, before it's too late.

15.08.2021. AFGHANISTAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is very concerned by the rapidly changing situation in Afghanistan. Over the past 20 years, independent media has proliferated in Afghanistan. As the Taliban are gaining power across the country, journalists are coming under increasing attack. Those who defy the Taliban face threats, pressure, kidnapping and murder. Female journalists are at greater risk due to their public role.

The PEC is gravely concerned about the wellbeing of local journalists as well as journalists reporting for international media. Seven journalists and media workers including four women have already lost their lives in 2021. Suspected Taliban fighters killed Toofan Omari (photo) a manager of the privately-owned media center Paktia Ghag in Deh Sabz district in Kabul on Sunday 8 August and kidnapped Nematullah Hemmat, a journalist in southern Helmand province.

The PEC calls on all governments to ensure the protection of courageous journalists who continue to do their work in Afghanistan. The Taliban must respect press freedom and journalists’ safety if they want to give a positive image to the world.

13.08.2021. INDIA. SECOND JOURNALIST KILLED IN ONE WEEK. Expressing shock at the mysterious death of a television scribe in Bihar, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) demands an authentic probe into the incidents that led to Manish Kumar Singh’s untimely demise so that the probable culprits can be punished under the law. He is the second journalist killed this week in the populous country, the fourth this year.

Read more on PEC NEWS

08.08.2021. AFGHANISTAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the targeted killing of the director of Afghanistan's media and information centre Dawa Khan Menapal (photo), assassinated by Taliban militants in Kabul on Friday. The Taliban said he had been "punished for his deeds". The PEC is very worried by the deterioration of press freedom in Afghanistan as journalists have come under increasing threat, in a bid by the Taliban to silence voices of dissent in the war-torn country. The PEC welcomes recent announcements by Britain and the United States to offer refuge to Afghan journalists who worked with British and US-based media outlets and are under threat from the Taliban.

30.07.2021. MALTA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the conclusions of a 437-page inquiry into the October 2017 assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia (photo). The report said the state of Malta should shoulder responsibility for her death. It concluded that a culture of impunity was created from the highest echelons of power and singled out former prime minister Joseph Muscat (who resigned in January 2020 amid allegations that his right-hand man Keith Schembri was involved in the murder) for enabling this culture of impunity. It found his entire cabinet collectiverly responsible for their inaction in the lead up to the assassination. The board said all the evidence heard throughout the inquiry led to a conviction that Caruana Galizia's assassination was either intrinsically or directly linked to her investigative work.

"This long-awaited report is an important milestone in the fight against the culture of impunity. We call on all governments around the world to draw the lessons of this inquiry in order to better protect the work of journalists. We fully support the recommendations of the inquiry board. Anyone involved must be held accountable. We once again congratulate Daphne's family for its courage and perseverance in shedding light on this shameful crime", said PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen.

Read more on our page END IMPUNITY

16.07.2021. AFGHANISTAN. Very sad news: Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui (photo) was killed in Afghanistan clashes. On July 13, the Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist was travelling with the Afghan Special Forces when the Taliban attacked near Kandahar. Reuters India chief photographer Danish Siddiqui was killed on Friday in crossfire while reporting about clashes, according to the news agency.

The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the brutal killing of Danish Siddiqui, the sixth journalist killed in Afghanistan since the start of this year. Our thoughts are with his family and his colleagues. The PEC demands Afghan authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the killing and calls on all parties to the conflict to guarantee the protection of journalists in the current transition period.

15.07.2021. NETHERLANDS. Dutch reporter Peter R. de Vries dies after being shot last week in Amsterdam (photo: where the journalist has been attacked July 6). The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is deeply dismayed. De Vries had been fighting for his life in an Amsterdam hospital since the attack. Authorities in the Netherlands must ensure that those responsible for this heinous killing and those who ordered the crime are held to account. De Vries, 64, was a reporter who covered crime, and was on an “underworld hit list” due to his work as an adviser in a drug prosecution. Police have detained two suspects in the killing, according to news reports. "This despicable murder illustrates the dangers faced by journalists investigating criminal organizations in Europe after the killings of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta in October 2017, Jan Kuciak in Slovakia in February 2018 and Giorgios Karaivaz in April 2021 in Greece. Impunity must not prevail", stressed the PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen.

07.07.2021. NETHERLANDS. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is shocked by the attack on journalist Peter de Vries (photo) yesterday in the Netherlands. Those responsible must be brought to justice. Enough is enough after the killings in Europe in Malta, Slovakia and Greece. Dutch crime reporter Peter de Vries, known for his work in exposing the criminal underworld, has been shot and seriously wounded on a street in Amsterdam. Three suspects were detained, including the possible gunmen, police said, without providing details.

06.07.2021. 35 journalists killed in first six months of 2021 - At least 1580 journalists dead from Covid-19

In the first six months of the year, 35 journalists were killed in 21 countries around the world, the Emblem Campaign Press (PEC) reported on Tuesday. Afghanistan was the most dangerous country with five journalists killed. The casualty figure is stable compared to the previous year (photo: the most recent victim Diego Charles, killed on 30 June in Port-au-Prince)

The Covid-19 pandemic also continues to claim many victims among media workers. Since March 2020, the PEC has identified more than 1580 journalists dead from Covid-19 in 78 countries. The number of victims slowed during the month of June, especially in India, with around 60 dead, compared to more than 200 in the world in May. Latin America witnessed the highest casualties, with more than half of the victims.

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS (English, French, Spanish and Arabic) - consult our page CASUALTIES for the journalists killed and our page COVID-19 for journalists dead from Covid-19

24.06.2021. MEXICO. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of two journalists in one week in Mexico. Gustavo Sánchez Cabrera (photo), director of the digital newspaper Noticias Minuto a Minuto, was shot dead on 17 June in Mexico’s state of Oaxaca. Sánchez Cabrera had received violent threats in the past and had survived an armed attack in July 2020. Saul Tijerina Rentería, La Voz de Coahuila, was shot dead in Ciudad Acuna, June 23. The PEC urges a thorough investigation into those killings.

10.06.2021. Why so many journalists are dying from Covid-19 in Brazil?

Amidst layoffs, income cuts, loss of private healthcare, precarious employment, lack of social protection, unsatisfactory or dangerous working and sanitation conditions, Brazil has reached the sad mark of more than 200 media workers killed by Covid-19 infection. In comparison to the general population, the casualties’ rate has been the triple among journalists in the South American nation (photo: a press conference in Rio)

Read on PEC NEWS the article of the PEC Representative in Brazil

07.06.2021. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) announced in Geneva on
Monday that the pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 1,500 
journalists in 77 countries around the world. We deplore a record number 
of deaths in May, more than 200 in one month. According to the PEC tally, 
media in India have paid the heaviest price for the novel corona virus, with at 
least 246 deaths since March 2020. Brazil follows India closely with 239 
journalists who died from the corona virus, ahead of Peru 163 and Mexico 112.

Read on PEC NEWS the PEC press release in English, French, Spanish and Arabic - list of victims on COVID-19

05.06.2021. Myanmar Military Intensifies Crackdown on Journalists: The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) demands unconditional release of all scribes in Myanmar. At least 85 journalists were arrested in the last four months where over 50 scribes are still behind the bars as they are facing a newly revised law on spreading wrong information. Lately two reporters namely Ko Aung Kyaw (associated with Democratic Voice of Burma) and Ko Zaw Zaw (photo, working for Mizzima media group) were imprisoned by a military court for two years because of their coverages on public unrests.

Read the article of the PEC Representative for South Asia on PEC NEWS

04.06.2021. THE GENEVA CALL TO FREE JULIAN ASSANGE // APPEL DE GENEVE A LIBERER JULIAN ASSANGE. On the occasion of a press conference and the inauguration of the statues of David Dormino in Geneva, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) signed the Geneva call to free Julian Assange and launched an urgent appeal to the new United States administration and to President Joe Biden to rescind their request for extradition to the United States and to authorize the British judicial system to free Julian Assange immediately, for humanitarian reasons. It is time to close this case, which has already gone on far too long, and to allow Julian Assange to join his family and return to his country.

Photo pec: the statues of Snowden, Assange and Manning in Geneva

Read on PEC NEWS the appeal launched by the PEC (English and French) and the Geneva call to free Julian Assange open for signature (English and French)

Speakers at the press conference in Geneva for the launch of the Geneva call:

Nils Melzer, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture

Stella Morris, Julian Assange's fiancée

Frédérique Perler, Mayor of Geneva

Yves Daccord, Director General of the ICRC (2010 - 2020)

Carlo Sommaruga, State Councillor, Swiss Parliament

Antoine Vey, Julian Assange's attorney

Christophe Deloire, director general, Reporters Without Borders

Jean Rossiaud, former geneva parliamentarian, initiator of the Swiss visa idea for Assange,

Blaise Lempen, secretary general, Press Emblem Campaign (PEC)

John Rees, British author, activist

Davide Dormino, sculptor (AnythingToSay?), member of DiEM25

Sarah Ducret, Association des Usagers des Bains des Pâquis.

01.06.2021. INDIA. The Press Emblem Campaign, the Switzerland based international media rights and safety body, appreciates the initiative of Indian federal government along with many province authorities for sanctioning financial assistances to the families of Covid-19 victims among journalists, as India continues to be a worst affected country with the highest number of scribes dying of novel corona virus infection aggravated aliments.

Read the article of Nava Thakuria on PEC NEWS

23.05.2021. BELARUS. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the hijacking of a Ryanair plane to arrest Raman Pratasevich (photo of the video after his arrest in Minsk), a prominent journalist and opponent of Belarus’s president Alexander Lukashenko. "This operation of banditry and state terrorism is another escalation in the repression of independent media in Belarus", said PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen. "We demand the immediate release of the journalist and his girl friend arrested by illegal means", he added.

A spokesman in Minsk said President Lukashenko personally ordered that a MiG-29 fighter jet accompany the plane – which was travelling from Athens to Vilnius in Lithuania – to an airport in Minsk. Mr Pratasevich is a co-founder of the Telegram messaging app’s Nexta channel, which Belarus last year declared as extremist after it was used to help organise major protests against Mr Lukashenko. Mr Pratasevich, who had fled the country for Poland, faces charges that could carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years. Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on the International Civil Aviation Organisation to begin an investigation. “It is absolutely obvious that this is an operation by the special services to hijack an aircraft in order to detain activist and blogger Raman Pratasevich,” she said. Belarus continued to take action against the opposition and independent news media. Last week, 11 staff members of the TUT.by news website were detained by police. The PEC asks the democratic countries to sanction the illegal methods of the authoritarian regime.

23.05.2021. MALI. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) joins other media and associations to demand the release of French journalist Olivier Dubois (photo), after French Foreign Affairs minister Jean-Yves Le Drian confirmed on Sunday that he was probably taken hostage by Islamist militants in West Africa's Sahel region. He disappeared on 8 April in Mali's northern city of Gao and then appeared on 5 May in a video appealing to authorities to do everything they can to free him from the JNIM (al Qaeda North Africa) holding him. The Sahel is one of the world’s most dangerous regions for journalists. Two Spanish journalists, David Beriain and Roberto Fraile, were killed on 26 April in neighbouring Burkina Faso #FreeOlivierDubois already detained since 45 days

18.05.2021. PEC press release: India has overtaken Brazil in the number of journalists dead from Covid-19, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) announced in Geneva on Tuesday. At least 1,356 journalists have died in 76 countries from the coronavirus since March 2020. India has just passed the milestone of 200 journalists dead from Covid-19, just ahead of Brazil (194). In India, 68 journalists have died from Covid since the beginning of May, an average of four a day, a majority of them in their 40s or 50s.

Read the PEC press release in English, French and Spanish on PEC NEWS, list of victims on Covid-19

para português (Brasil) leia:

https://mediatalks.uol.com.br/2021/05/18/mais-da-metade-dos-jornalistas-vitimas-da-covid-19-e-da-america-latina/

15.05.2021. ISRAEL/GAZA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) urges the United Nations to call for an international investigation on the destruction by the Israeli defence forces of a building housing the offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera Network in Gaza (photo). Even if media staff working in the building have been evacuated following a warning by the Israeli forces, media offices are protected under international law. The targeting of news organisations is completely forbidden and represents a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions. The PEC condemns this war crime, the second attack in one week on media offices.

13.05.2021. ISRAEL/GAZA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the targeting of media offices in Gaza city by the Israeli forces. The offices of 13 media organisations in Al-Jawhara tower were destroyed in the bombing of the Israeli warplanes on the night of 11 May. There were no injuries as journalists evacuated their offices after the Israeli army warned some of the media that the building would be bombed. However media organisations lost their equipment. On 13 May, an Israeli airstrike destroyed Gaza City’s Al-Shorouk Tower, a 14-storey building that housed seven media outlets. The Israel Defence Forces said they were “striking Hamas weapons stores hidden inside civilian buildings in Gaza.” The PEC suspects an Israeli attempt to silence Palestinian media.

According to UN Security Council Resolution 2222 adopted in May 2015 on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, media offices must be protected. The UN resolution «recalls that media equipment and installations constitute civilian objects, and in this respect shall not be the object of attack or of reprisals, unless they are military objectives», and «calls upon Member States to create and maintain, in law and in practice, a safe and enabling environment for journalists, media professionals and associated personnel to perform their work independently and without undue interference in situations of armed conflict». The PEC urges all the belligerents to respect their international obligations.

12.05.2021. Globally over 1300 journalists died of Covid-19, India loses 40 in last 10 days

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to kill working journalists around the world, where the global tally reaches at least 1302 victims in 76 countries till 11 May 2021. Brazil with 191 journo-casualties because of novel corona virus infection aggravated ailments still tops the list of victims among journalists narrowly followed by India (173 dead). In the south Asian country, at least 40 journalists died of Covid-19 complications in the last 10 days.

Read more on PEC NEWS, COVID-19

29.04.2021. The Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating impact 
on the media. The human cost of the pandemic is very high:
more than 1,200 journalists have died from the novel coronavirus 
since March 2020 in 75 countries.
The situation is particularly  alarming in India: in the past two weeks,
at least 50 journalists have succumbed to the virus, 3,5 per day.

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS

(English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic)

27.04.2021. BURKINA FASO. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the murder of two Spanish journalists and one Irish citizen on Monday in Burkina Faso. David Beriain and Roberto Fraile (photo) were in the Pama area of the country, making a documentary on poaching in the region. The area is a dangerous one, where terrorist groups, poachers, bandits and jihadists operate. The journalists were embedded in a patrol of some 40 Burkinabe anti-poaching troops, which was attacked by armed individuals. The PEC sends its condolences to the families of the victims. Authorities in Burkina Faso must ensure that those responsible are found and brought to justice.

26.04.2021. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The Press Emblem Campaign is shocked by the murder of a young journalist in Kansas City. Aviva Okeson-Haberman (photo), a KCUR reporter, has died after suffering a gunshot wound in her Kansas City apartment. She was 24.

Aviva joined the radio KCUR in June 2019 as the Missouri politics and government reporter. In her nearly two years at KCUR, Aviva covered a host of issues, ranging from corruption in Clay County and medical marijuana to the conflicting pandemic restrictions in differing Kansas City area cities and inequities in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. The PEC calls for a full investigation of this tragic incident. Homicides in Kansas City have increased in the last few years, mostly due to gun violence.

22.04.2021. MYANMAR/BURMA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) calls for the unconditional release of all journalists in Myanmar. "The arrested journalists face sedition laws under section 505 (a) of Myanmar penal code that may put them behind the bars for around three years. The military authority run Myanmar Radio and Television continues to broadcast the name of wanted journalists under the specified rules, which is appalling,” said PEC general secretary Blaise Lempen. Over 65 journalists performing their job were arrested/detained since the military coup on 1 February.

Read more on PEC NEWS

12.04.2021. Impact on the safety and work of journalists of the measures that Governments have taken to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. PEC submission to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - Impact sur la sécurité et le travail des journalistes des mesures prises par les Gouvernements pour répondre à la pandémie du Covid-19. Contribution de la PEC pour le Bureau du Haut-Commissariat de l’ONU aux droits de l’Homme

Read the PEC submission on PEC NEWS (English and French)

09.04.2021. GREECE. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is appalled by the murder of journalist Giorgios Karaivaz (photo), shot dead on April 9 near his home in Athens. The PEC urged the authorities to fully investigate this cold-blooded murder. Giorgios Karaivaz was the founder and owner of bloko.gr and one of Greece's most well-known crime reporters. It is the second murder of a journalist in Greece since 2010. It sadly reminds us of the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta and Jan Kuciak in Slovakia. All light must be shed on this despicable murder.

29.03.2020. MYANMAR. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the release of Associated Press journalist Thein Zaw (photo). He has been released from detention in Myanmar three weeks after he was arrested on February 27 for covering a protest against the country’s military coup. Thein Zaw told the Associated Press by phone following a court hearing on Wednesday that all charges had been dropped because he was doing his job at the time of his arrest. The PEC is relieved that Thein Zaw has been freed from prison, but additional journalists there remain detained. We urge Myanmar to release all journalists and allow them to report freely and safely on what is happening inside the country. We strongly condemn the increasing violence, restrictions on Internet access, on publication and broadcasting by media outlets in the country.

Read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS

10.03.2021. PEC joins call for the UN Security Council to act against the killing of journalists in Afghanistan.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) with the suport of the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) and 39 other civil society organizations from around the globe, in a letter to the UNSC and UNAMA, highlights the wave of journalists’ killings in Afghanistan and urges them to stand in solidarity with the Afghan journalists to help ensure their safety and media freedom given the role they play in a peaceful and democratic transition during and after the ongoing peace negotiations.

Read the letter to the UN Security Coucil and UNAMA on PEC NEWS

04.03.2021. COVID-19. In one year, at least 840 journalists died from Covid-19 in 68 countries, more than 2 per day on average, the heaviest toll in the media community since World War II.

Read the PEC press release in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic on PEC NEWS - list of fatalities on our page COVID-19

UPDATE 10.03.2021. Read the article on the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN):

https://gijn.org/2021/03/11/journalists-and-covid-19-global-deaths-reach-860-led-by-latin-america/

02.03.2021. AFGHANISTAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the killing of three female workers of the Enikas TV network in the eastern Jalalabad city, capital of the Nangarhar province on Tuesday. "They were going home from the office on foot when they were shot in two separate attacks in Qasaba and Arabzai areas of the city," Zalmai Latifi, the director at Enikas TV said. According to the network director, Mursal Waheedi, Saadia Sadat, and Shahnaz Raoufi (photo) all three employees worked in the dubbing department for the broadcaster.

The PEC is outraged at these brutal killings and expects these heinous crimes to be investigated and perpetrators brought to justice. According to PEC data, 11 journalists and media workers have been killed in Afghanistan since the peace deal was signed between the United States and the Taliban in February 2020. Most of these journalists were deliberately targeted for their work, which underscores the lack of effective protection in the country, specially for female journalists (18 female journalists killed in Afghanistan since 2001, according to AFJC data). The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the killing of the three women.

26.02.2021. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes a long-awaited US intelligence report released Friday according to which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved an operation to capture or kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018. The report "the Saudi Government's Role in the Killing of Jamal Khashoggi" says: «We assess that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. We base this assessment on the Crown Prince's control of decisionmaking in the Kingdom, the direct involvement of a key adviser and members of Muhammad bin Salman's protective detail in the operation, and the Crown Prince's support for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad, including Khashoggi. Since 2017, the Crown Prince has had absolute control of the Kingdom's security and intelligence organizations, making it highly unlikely that Saudi officials would have carried out an operation of this nature without the Crown Prince's authorization» (end quote). The PEC is relieved that all light has been shed, even only more than two years after the journalist's atrocious death in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, but further steps are needed to fight impunity. #EndImpunity

Read the statement of UN Rapporteur Agnès Callamard on our page END IMPUNITY

26.02.2021. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. 46th session. PEC video statement. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is very concerned by the devastating impact of the pandemic on press freedom. The PEC calls upon all UN Member States 1) to guarantee a safe and free environment for the work of journalists who are informing on the pandemic, 2) to ensure an early vaccination for all journalists on the frontline and 3) to extend financial aid to the bereaved families of media staff killed by the virus.

Read the full PEC statement on PEC NEWS

25.02.2021. BANGLADESH. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is concerned by the deterioration of freedom of expression in Bangladesh. PEC is worried by the death of writer and commentator Mushtaq Ahmed (photo). He should not have been detained in the first place. Mushtaq Ahmed, detained in a case filed under the Digital Security Act, died in Kashimpur High-Security Jail in Gazipur on February 25.The 54-years-old writer was declared dead by the duty doctor of Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College. He was arrested on May 6, 2020, and later shifted to a high-security jail on August 24, 2020, from the Dhaka Central Jail. Writer Mushtaq and cartoonist Ahmed Kabir Kishore were sent to jail in the case in May 2020, a day after they had reportedly been picked up from their residences. In his case lodged on May 5, 2020, RAB-3 warrant officer Abu Bakar Siddique named 11 people, including Mushtaq and Kishore, and five to six unidentified people on charge of tarnishing the image of the country’s founding President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, hurting the spirit of the liberation war and spreading rumors about COVID-19 and the army and other security forces on social media. In another incident, Borhan Uddin Mujakkir, the Companiganj correspondent of daily Bangladesh Samachar, died in Dhaka Medical College Hospital on February 20 after he had been shot while covering a clash between two factions of the ruling Awami League at Chaprashirhat of Companiganj on February 19.

18.02.2021. BELARUS. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the intensification of the crackdown on the media in Belarus. On Thursday, a Belarusian court sentenced two Belarusian journalists from Poland-based TV news channel Belsat to two years in prison. Katsiaryna Andreyeva, 27, and Darya Chultsova, 23, were detained in an apartment in November from where they had been filming protests taking place over the death of a protester who was killed several days earlier. Both women are not guilty, they have just done their job documenting the demonstrations. They must be release unconditionally (Photo epa: Katerina Andreyeva gave a victory sign in court, next to Daria Chultsova).

On Tuesday, police in Belarus raided the Minsk headquarters of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), and the apartments of two of BAJ’s employees and independent journalits. Police officers confiscated mobile phones, laptops, and money. The PEC reminds the authorities in Minsk that journalists have the right to to their work in a safe environment without interference. Belarusian authorities must put an end to their relentless harassment of journalists and press freedom organizations. Dozens of journalists have been arrested during opposition protests since the August 2020 election.

12.02.2021. MYANMAR. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL.

PEC welcomes the adoption by consensus of a resolution on the situation in Myanmar after the

military coup last week at a special session of the Human Rights Council Friday in Geneva. The

UN deputy human rights chief and the independent expert on Myanmar Tom Andrews (photo)

have called for targeted sanctions against the leaders of the coup. The human rights body has demanded “the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained” since the military coup on 1 February and for the state of emergency imposed by the military to be lifted. The resolution also called for the restoration of the elected government and for UN monitors to be granted access to the country. It urged Myanmar's military to "ensure that members of civil society organisations and the media are able to operate freely and without fear of violence, harassment or intimidation." And it calls for the "immediate lifting of restrictions on the Internet, telecommunication and social media," as well as "safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all people in need."

07.02.2021. International Day of Solidarity with Belarus. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) joins other organisations to demand the release of all journalists detained in Belarus. At least 11 journalists and media workers are in detention. For more than two months now, Katsiaryna Andreyeva and Darya Chultsova (photo), reporters for Poland-based TV channel Belsat, have been held behind bars. Both are charged with violating the public order for their reporting on rallies in the capital Minsk and will face trial at the Frunzensky District Court of Minsk on February 9. Overall, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) has documented 477 detentions of journalists in 2020. PEC condemns Belarus’s crackdown on press freedom which continues six months after the presidential election. Last week, Swiss TV Russia correspondent, Luzia Tschirky, has been detained in Minsk for three hours without any justification. #StandWithBelarus

04.02.2021. LEBANON. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the murder of a prominent Lebanese writer and opponent of Hezbollah who was found dead in his car in southern Lebanon on Thursday morning, hours after going missing as he drove to Beirut. Police said Lokman Slim (photo), 59, a well-known political commentator, had been shot in the head. The PEC calls for a thorough investigation into this shocking murder. Slim was the founder of Shia Watch.

03.02.2021. PEC press release. The Covid-19 is claiming more and more victims in the media community. At least 735 journalists have died from Covid-19 in 63 countries in 11 months, or 66 per month on average, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) announced on Wednesday in Geneva // Le Covid-19 fait de plus en plus de victimes dans le monde des médias. Au moins 735 journalistes sont morts du Covid-19 dans 63 pays en 11 mois, soit en moyenne 66 par mois, a annoncé mercredi à Genève la Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) // El Covid-19 está cobrando cada vez más víctimas en el mundo de los medios. Al menos 735 periodistas han muerto por la pandemia en 63 países en 11 meses, haciendo un promedio de 66 muertes por mes, anunció en Ginebra este miércoles la Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC, por sus siglas en inglés) // A Covid-19 está fazendo mais e mais vítimas entre a comunidade midiática. Ao menos 735 jornalistas morreram de Covid-19 em 63 países durante 11 meses – 66 por mês em média – conforme divulgado pela “Press Emblem Campaign” (PEC) nesta Quarta-feira, em Genebra.

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic

27.01.2021. ECUADOR. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is appalled by the killing of television journalist Efrain Raules (photo, 36) in Guyaquil. The PEC called on the authorities to ensure that those responsible for the murder are held to account. Ruales, a popular presenter for the Ecuadorian television network Ecuavisa, was shot four times by an unidentified assailant. The journalist had reported receiving threats in relation to his denunciation of alleged corruption.

21.01.2021. ETHIOPIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the killing of journalist Dawit Kebede Araya (photo) in Mekelle, the capital of the northern state of Tigray. Ethiopian authorities must conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the killing of the journalist and hold those responsible to account. In the evening of January 19, unidentified attackers shot and killed Dawit, a reporter with the state-owned broadcaster Tigray TV, and his friend, Bereket Berhe, while they were driving near Dawit’s home in Mekelle, according to news reports. The Ethiopia Human Rights Council, an independent watchdog group, alleged that unspecified government security forces had killed Dawit and Bereket.

05.01.2021. PEC press release. More than 600 journalists died of Covid-19 in 59 countries in ten months in 2020, that is to say 60 per month, or two per day on average, announced Tuesday in Geneva the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) // Plus de 600 journalistes sont morts du Covid-19 dans 59 pays en dix mois en 2020, soit 60 par mois, ou deux par jour en moyenne, a annoncé mardi à Genève la Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) // Más de 600 periodistas murieron por la Covid-19 en 59 países en diez meses en 2020 (o sea 60 por mes, o dos por día), en promedio, anunció la Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC) este martes // Comunicado de imprensa PEC: Mais de 600 jornalistas morreram de Covid-19 em dez meses em 2020.

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic

10.12.2020 - updated 31.12.2020. PEC ANNUAL REPORT. India and Mexico most dangerous countries in 2020. India and Mexico have been the most dangerous countries for media work this year, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said in its annual report in Geneva. The number of journalists killed increased by more than 22% compared to last year.In total, since January, 92 media workers have been killed in 31 countries around the world (up from 75 last year).

01.12.2020. Nearly 500 journalists have died from Covid-19 in 56 countries in nine months, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said in its monthly report on Tuesday. During the month of November, 47 more media workers succumbed to the coronavirus, compared to 22 known deaths in October // Casi 500 periodistas han muerto a causa de la Covid-19 en 56 países durante nueve meses, dijo el martes la Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC, por sus siglas en inglés) en su informe mensual sobre la cuestión. Durante el mes de noviembre, 47 trabajadores de los medios más sucumbieron al coronavirus, en comparación con las 22 muertes conocidas en octubre // Près de 500 journalistes sont morts du Covid-19 dans 56 pays en neuf mois, a affirmé mardi la Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) dans son rapport mensuel. Au cours du mois de novembre, 47 travailleurs des medias de plus ont succombé au coronavirus, contre 22 décès connus en octobre.

Read the PEC press release in English, Spanish, French and Arabic on PEC NEWS

El Premio 2020 para la Protección de Periodistas otorgado a la periodista mexicana Carmen Aristegui

La situación de los periodistas en México es particularmente dramática. La Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC) ha decidido honrar la memoria de todos los periodistas asesinados, amenazados y censurados en este país, otorgando su Premio anual de Protección a los Periodistas a la periodista mexicana Carmen Aristegui (photo), que ha demostrado un coraje excepcional en la defensa de la libertad de prensa y la lucha contra la impunidad.

The PEC Award for the Protection of Journalists goes to Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui

The situation of journalists in Mexico is particularly dire. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has decided to honor the memory of all murdered, threatened and censored journalists in this country by awarding its annual Prize for the Protection of Journalists to the Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui who has demonstrated exceptional courage in the defense of press freedom and the fight against impunity.

Read the PEC press release on our page PEC AWARD (Spanish, English and French)

Covid-19 continues to claim many victims among journalists. At least 442 media workers from 52 countries have died from the 
novel coronavirus  since early March, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said Monday, on the occasion of the International Day
 to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. In addition, 63 journalists have been murdered since January in various 
circumstances, which brings the total number so far this year at more than 500 fatalities.

La Covid-19 continue de faire de nombreuses victimes parmi les journalistes. Au moins  442 travailleurs dans les médias de 
52 pays sont morts des suites du nouveau coronavirus depuis début mars, a indiqué lundi la Presse Emblème Campagne  (PEC),
 à l’occasion de la Journée internationale pour mettre fin à l’impunité des crimes commis contre les journalistes. En outre, 
63 journalistes ont été tués depuis janvier dans des circonstances variées, ce qui porte le total des victimes jusqu’ici cette année 
à plus de 500 morts.

El Covid-19 sigue cobrándose muchas víctimas entre los periodistas. Al menos 442 trabajadores de los medios de comunicación, de 52 países, han muerto por el nuevo coronavirus desde principios de marzo, dijo el lunes la Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC, por sus siglas en inglés.) con motivo del Día Internacional para Poner Fin a la Impunidad de los Crímenes contra Periodistas. Además, 63 periodistas han sido asesinados desde enero de 2020, en diversas circunstancias, lo que eleva la cifra total en lo que va del año, a más de 500 muertos.

READ the full PEC Press release on PEC NEWS (English, French, Spanish and Arabic)

06.10.2020. UNITED NATIONS. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. 
The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the adoption by consensus 
by the Human Rights Council of a new resolution on the safety of 
journalists, in particular reporting on the pandemic. The PEC welcomes 
the decision to request the High Commissioner to present to the Human 
Rights Council in one year a report on the impact  and repercussions 
of measures taken by governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
 (photo: Ambassador Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations Office at Geneva, president 
of the Council for 2020)

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS

Read the new resolution on safety of journalists on DOCUMENTS

15.09.2020. PEC Press Release: Sharp increase in the number of victims of Covid 19 among journalists, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) appeals to the Human Rights Council // Communiqué de la PEC: Forte augmentation du nombre de victimes du Covid-19 parmi les journalistes – appel au Conseil des droits de l‘homme // Comunicado de prensa de la PEC: Fuerte aumento del número de víctimas del Covid-19 entre los periodistas - llamamiento al Consejo de Derechos Humanos

Read the PEC press release in English, French, Spanish and Arabic on PEC NEWS

01.05.2020. Coronavirus used as a pretext for many press freedom violations - at least 55 journalists have died from Covid-19 in two months // Le coronavirus prétexte à de nombreuses violations de la liberté de la presse – au moins 55 journalistes sont morts du Covid-19 en deux mois // El COVID 19 se ha utilizado como un pretexto para que se hagan muchas violaciones a la libertad de prensa. Al menos 55 periodistas han muerto desde el 1 de marzo // Coronavírus usado como pretexto para diversas violações à liberdade de imprensa – ao menos 55 jornalistas morreram em decorrência de Covid-19 em dois meses

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic

18.03.2020. CORONAVIRUS. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns measures taken by some governments to restrict or censor news under the pretext of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is imperative that the health crisis is not used as an excuse to adopt regulations that could affect independent media coverage, limit media freedom and silence critical voices. In this regard, the PEC condemns measures taken by Iran to limit the access to information on the coronavirus crisis in the country. It also condemns the decisions by the United States and China to cut foreign media staffs. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on March 18 that all US journalist working in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post will have their press passes revoked, after recent restrictions on Chinese journalists in the US. “International exchange of information and free flow of independent news are needed more than ever to fight the virus, and not fake news, ideological bias and political pressures. Targeting journalists in these very difficult times is a blow to informing the public about the evolution of the epidemic”, stressed PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen. Regarding safety, the PEC also urges governments to ensure that journalists reporting the health crisis on the ground have access to proper medical protection and are not prevented from doing their job.

10.03.2020. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. 43^rd session. Item 4. Oral statement delivered by the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC): "Democracies are sending the wrong message and setting an unfortunate precedent by inflicting on Julian Assange severe mental suffering and psychological torture (…). As a journalist, Julian Assange has only done his job (…) Julian Assange like other journalists arbitrary detained around the world must be released as soon as possible".

Read the full PEC statement on PEC NEWS

28.02.2020. FREEASSANGE. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes and supports the decision by the Geneva parliament to ask Switzerland to issue a humanitarian permit for Julian Assange. At his trial for extradition to the US in London, the cofounder of WikiLeaks appears this week in a very bad shape. It is a question of offering a concrete and immediate solution to a person prosecuted for political reasons and seriously affected in his physical and mental health.

This visa must allow Julian Assange to be treated at the University Hospitals of Geneva, where security measures can be put in place. "Julian Assange must be released for medical reasons", added PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen.

Now more than 1400 journalists have signed. Join us on: www.speak-up-for-assange.org

20.02.2020. #FREEASSANGE. More than 1200 journalists from 99 countries have released a joint statement today in defence of Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange, in the lead up to proceedings in a UK court to extradite him to the United States to face the espionage charges. The court case begins on 24 February. "All journalists use information from confidential sources so the legal actions are an extremely dangerous precedent that threatens the world’s journalists and news media", the statement notes. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) signed the statement (photo pec: demonstration in front of the United Nations in Geneva on 19.12.2019).

Read the statement on PEC NEWS and on www.speak-up-for-assange.org

View the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHOoMhu8FPg&feature=youtu.be

26.02.2020. PAKISTAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) in Geneva mourns the death of two journalists in Pakistan. Javedullah Khan, 36, was shot dead Tuesday in Matta, in the Swat Valley (northwest of the country) when two gunmen opened fire on his vehicle. He worked as a bureau chief for the Urdu language newspaper Ausaf. A local police official confirmed that it was a targeted attack. Many of his relatives were killed due to their involvement in anti-Taliban peace committees. It is the second journalist killed this year in Pakistan after Aziz Memon (photo) , who worked for the privately-owned Sindhi TV channel KTN News and Sindhi-language Daily Kawish. He was found strangled to death in an irrigation ditch near the town of Mehrabpur (Sindh) on 16 February. The PEC condemns these murders and calls for independent investigations. Pakistan ranks among the world’s most dangerous countries for media workers.

Trabajaba como locutora de radio en La Poderosa, en Ciudad Juárez, una de las ciudades fronterizas entre México y Estados Unidos con alta presencia del crimen organizado. Recientemente se habia manifestado, desde sus redes sociales, en contra del asesinato de Fatima, femicidio que por sus resonancias aun conmueve a gran parte del pais. El PEC exige a las autoridades que garanticen el pronto esclarecimiento de lo ocurrido y la condena a los responsables. Es la primera periodista asesinada este año en México. El año pasado, 14 periodistas fueron asesinados en México.

16.02.2020. SOMALIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is sad to learn the heinous murder of journalist Abdiweli Ali Hassan (photo) in Agfoye, south of Mogadishu. The reporter was working with Universal TV. He was attacked by two unidentified gunmen who shot him in the head. The killing of the journalist is the first in Somalia in 2020. Last year, three media workers were killed in Somalia, one of the most dangerous countries for media. The PEC calls on local authorities to investigate this crime, bring its perpetrators to justice and to better ensure the safety of journalists who informs the public at great risk.

06.02.2020. SYRIA. Media activist killed in Idlib. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the killing of Amjad Aktalati (photo), on February 4 in Ariha in Idlib countryside by Russian airstrikes. The brave media activist worked for several media outlets, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights. Amjad's last post on Facebook was "The situation is so catastrophic." This killing reminds us that the war in Syria is still raging. According to the United Nations, Russian-Assad offensive against opposition-held areas in Syria has displaced more than half a million people in two months, since 1 December, 80% women and children. In another incident, two journalists and two cameramen were injured on 3 February while covering the clashes near Aleppo city between the Syrian army and arned groups: reporter Diaa Qadour and Ibrahim Kahil, cameraman for al-Alam TV, Kinanah Aloush, a correspondent for Sama TV and Souhaib al-Masri cameraman of Al Kawthar TV. In a separate incident, Wafa Shabruni, a reporter working for Russia Today, was severely injured by ammunitions left by militants at Maarret-en-Nuuman in the province of Idlib. The PEC demands that the safety of journalists be guaranteed by all the belligerents.

25.01.2020. #FREEASSANGE IN 2020. UPDATE: Edward Snowden joined more than 1150 journalists from 96 countries who have signed the appeal to free Assange. Julian Assange, publisher of Wikileaks, has been charged under the US espionage act for publishing the Afghanistan and Iraq war diaries and US embassy cables, important documents that many of us around the world used and helped to publicise.This sets an extremely dangerous precedent for journalists, media organizations and freedom of the press. We do not want to be silent at this time. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) invites all journalists and people in journalism-related roles to be part of this global statement in defence of Julian Assange.

Please read the statement and join us on: www.speak-up-for-assange.org

23.01.2020. BRASIL. Brazilian prosecutor should drop charges against Intercept Brasil co-founder and editor Glenn Greenwald (photo). On January 21, Federal Public Prosecutor Wellington Divino Marques de Oliveira filed a petition before the 10th Federal Court in Brasília, charging Greenwald with multiple crimes, including criminal association and invasion of an electronic device. Charging Glenn Greenwald with criminal association for his communication with sources poses a threat to any investigative journalist, stresses the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC). In a statement published January 21, The Intercept said it viewed the charges as an attempt to criminalize its journalism and that it was “appalled” by the “blatantly politically motivated charge against Greenwald, in an apparent retaliation for The Intercept’s critical reporting on abuses committed by Justice Minister Moro and several federal prosecutors.”

08.01.2020. NO TO IMPUNITY. Two milestones in January in Malta and in Slovakia. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) will closely follow these major developments in the fight against impunity:

- Slovakia: Trial begins in the Kuciak murder case. The trial of those suspected of involvement in the murders of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnirová in February 2018 has begun before a special court in the Slovakian town of Pezinok on December 19. The court accepted the indictement and set January 13 as the date on which the main trial will begin. Commentators' expectations are high. Businessman Marian Kočner (photo) is accused of contracting the assassination, Miroslav Marcek and Tomas Szabo are accused of carrying out the killing, and Alena Zsuzsova is accused of acting as an intermediary

- Malta: Malta' Prime Minister Joseph Muscat resigned mid-January. Daphne Caruana Galizia who was killed by a car bomb in October 2017 had been investigating alleged corruption within the government. Her family and protesters have accused Muscat of trying to shield members of his inner circle from the investigation into her death. The arrest of a prominent businessman Yorgen Fenech doesn't mean the case is close.
The public inquiry into the assassination of the journalist held its first sitting in court in December and continues in January.

23.12.2019. Saudi Arabia sentences five to death for murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) regrets that the Saudi court had failed to bring the real perpetrators to justice. Masterminds walk free one more time.

Five men have been sentenced to death and another three face a total of 24 years in prison for their roles in the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last year. However, the investigation concluded “the killing was not premeditated …. The decision was taken at the spur of the moment,” the deputy public prosecutor and spokesperson Shalaan bin Rajih Shalaan said, reading the verdict in the Saudi capital on Monday. Three senior figures, including the de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s former top adviser, Saud al-Qahtani, were cleared of wrongdoing during the trial. The verdict contradicts the conclusion of the CIA and other western intelligence agencies that Prince Mohammed directly ordered Khashoggi’s assassination. Khashoggi, a US-based columnist for the Washington Post who was critical of the Saudi government, was killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October last year. The 59-year-old’s body has not been found and is thought by Turkish investigators to have been dissolved in acid. UN special rapporteur Agnès Callamard said in a tweet on Monday that the trial’s conclusion was a “mockery” and the “antithesis” of justice.

19.12.2019. DEMO IN GENEVA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) demands the immediate release of Julian Assange

"Assange and WikiLeaks have documented serious violations of humanitarian law in Afghanistan and Iraq. To enforce the law, it is necessary to make known the abuses. Assange did only his job of journalist, he must be freed on humanitarian grounds", PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen said at the demo in Geneva in front of the UN building.

Read the Press Release in French, English and German on PEC NEWS

06.12.2019. Speak Up for Assange. Julian Assange (photo), founder and publisher of WikiLeaks, is currently detained in Belmarsh high-security prison in the United Kingdom and faces extradition to the United States and criminal prosecution under the Espionage Act. He risks up to 175 years emprisonment for his part in making public the leak of US military documents from Afghanistan and Iraq, and a trove of US State Department cables. The legal action underway against Mr Assange sets an extremely dangerous precedent for journalists, media organizations and the freedom of the press. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) joins today an appeal launched by more than 120 journalists and journalistic organizations around the globe, expressing our grave concern for Mr Assange's wellbeing, for his continued detention and for the draconian espionage charges. In a democracy, journalists must reveal war crimes in conflict zones without having to go to jail. It is the very role of the press to act in the public interest. The PEC requests that Assange be released on medical and humanitarian grounds.

Read the statement on PEC NEWS - To sign go to: speak-up-for-assange.org

02.12.2019. MALTA. A TRIPLE VICTORY. Finally after two years of stalled investigations the hope of justice gets closer. Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced on Sunday that he will step down in January, following mounting criticism of his response to the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia (photo). It comes as Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech was on Saturday charged with complicity in the murder case. "What we now expect is for the Prime Minister to leave office and Parliament, and to be properly investigated along with Keith Schembri (his chief of staff) for their possible involvement in Daphne's assassination", the journalist's sister Corinne Vella told the Malta Independent. She added on Twitter: "Until he resigns, we will use all legal remedies to ensure Muscat has no further involvement in the investigation and criminal proceedings, other than a possible suspect".
The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes this progress. "It is a triple victory: for the family who fought for justice with determination and courage in an exemplary manner during more than two years; a victory for numerous NGOs, journalists, the people of Malta and the European institutions who mobilized so that a credible investigation takes place; and a victory in the fight against impunity. It demonstrates that with perseverance and mobilization no crime can go unpunished", stressed the PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen. The family of Daphne Caruana Galizia received in June 2018 the PEC Award for the protection of journalists.

26.11.2019. UNITED NATIONS. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes a new resolution adopted last week by the General Assembly on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity. The resolution adopted by consensus was sponsored by 106 States, a record number. It is the 11th resolution on the safety of journalists adopted since 2006 by the United Nations. The PEC calls upon all Member States to fully implement the new resolution.

Read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS, the text of the new UN resolution on DOCUMENTS

16.11.2019. MALTA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the revised terms of the public inquiry into Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination, in particular the fact that her family can be involved in proceedings. The PEC, alongside the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia, the Council of Europe and the European Parliament, have long called for an independent and effective public inquiry into her assassination, which took place in Malta on 16 October 2017. The PEC will continue to closely monitor the progress of the Board of Inquiry, an important test to combat the impunity of crimes against journalists in Europe.

Read more on our page NO IMPUNITY

1.11.2019. IRAQ. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. Universal periodic review. On the occasion of the UPR 34 review of Iraq by the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns attacks and arrests of journalists while violent unrest continues.

PEC expresses concern over the upsurge in attacks on media outlets and calls on authorities to ensure the safety of all journalists reporting on protests. Unprecedented violations have occurred and must stop, among them attacks on several journalists by riot police, numerous arrests of reporters, raids on radio and TV broadcasters, several death threats against reporters, the firing of live bullets and tear gas towards journalists, and numerous cases of beatings and obstruction by police. On October 25 Hisham Waseem correspondent of Alsumaria (photo) was seriously injured in the face after the explosion of a tear gas canister in it. The PEC calls on UN Member States to condemn the ongoing violence which has already killed more than 300 people.

05.11.2019. GENEVA PEACE WEEK. Interview published by the Foundation ict4peace of the PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen (photo) author of: “Guerre et Paix dans le Cyberespace – Les démocraties à l’épreuve de la révolution numérique” (Georg, 2019).

"I sound an alarm in the face of the emergence of a new form of totalitarianism, a soft or high-tech totalitarianism, which is a threat to peace and freedom. China, Russia, Iran, Turkey and many other countries in Asia and Africa are censoring the Internet and social networks to the detriment of privacy, freedom of expression and association. These countries use the arsenal of cyber warfare to influence public opinion, including in democracies. This digital counter-revolution aims to stifle the emancipatory power of social networks. Orwell’s prophecies have come true...but we can react and we must react", said Blaise Lempen to ict4peace on the occasion of the Geneva Peace Week.

Read the full interview on PEC NEWS

31.10.2019. International Day to Combat Impunity for crimes committed against journalists November 2 // Journée internationale de la fin de l'impunité pour les crimes commis contre des journalistes le 2 novembre // Día internacional para poner fin a la impunidad por crímenes contra periodistas el 2 de noviembre

PEC Press release: Fewer journalists killed, but media workers targeted in demonstrations in several countries, and insufficient progress in the fight against impunity // Communiqué de la PEC: moins de journalistes tués, mais des reporters visés lors de manifestations dans plusieurs pays, et des progrès insuffisants contre l'impunité // Comunicado de prensa de la PEC: menos periodistas asesinados, pero reporteros atacados durante protestas en varios paises y progreso insuficiente contra la impunidad.

read the PEC press release English, French, Spanish, Arabic on PEC NEWS - consult also our page NO IMPUNITY

14.10.2019. MALTA. JUSTICE FOR DAPHNE. NEVER AGAIN IN THE EUROPEAN UNION. Wednesday 16 October marks two years since the brutal assassination of Malta’s investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) reiterated its call to the Maltese authorities to prosecute all those involved in planning and carrying the attack.

Although three men have been formally charged with her murder, those who ordered her killing remain at large. The Maltese authorities’ recent announcement to launch a public enquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia is a long overdue and essential step towards justice. The PEC supports the Caruana Galizia family’s call to ensure the full independence and impartiality of the inquiry. The Geneva-based NGO renews its congratulations for his exemplary courage to the family of Daphne who has received in June 2018 the PEC Award for the protection of journalists. In this regard, the PEC welcomes the statement of the new commissioner tasked with defending democracy and the rule of law in the European Union Vera Jourova on Monday 7 October telling MEPs at her hearing that "we definitely must do more" on media freedom "and support journalists whose safety is under threat". Jourova told MEPs she had promised the mother of murdered Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia to scrutinise the investigation into her death and promised her son Matthew (photo with his brother Paul) to better protect journalists. NO IMPUNITY ! NEVER AGAIN SUCH A CRIME IN THE EUROPEAN UNION !

02.10.2019. KHASHOGGI. ONE YEAR AFTER. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is grateful to UN Special Rapporteur Agnès Callamard and UK media freedom envoy Amal Clooney (photo) for recommending a UN Standing Instrument to investigate killings of journalists.

In an interview published by The Guardian, Amal Clooney (photo) said that a “glaring gap” exists in the world’s ability to investigate targeted state killings of human rights defenders and journalists such as Jamal Khashoggi. The international human rights lawyer also said she expected a specialist legal panel, set up by the UK government and due to report soon, to champion a new standing UN investigatory mechanism into such killings. The UN Special Rapporteur Agnès Callamard has herself called for such a mechanism, saying there is “a large accountability deficit”. The PEC has repeatedly called on the United Nations to establish such an international mechanism, to fill the gaps in prevention, protection and prosecution.

On October 3, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) has filed a legal challenge against the police over what it described as improper treatment of media at ongoing protests. The HKJA said journalists have been subjected to “a pattern of deliberately aggressive and obstructive police tactics as well as unnecessary and excessive force” since demonstrations began in June. The HKJA said the judicial review application referred to incidents of abusive and insulting language, use of high-intensity lights and strobe lighting to interfere with visual recording equipment, exclusion of reporters from newsworthy scenes and locations, deliberate blocking of reporters’ line of sight, as well as deliberate withholding of police officers’ identities. It also noted incidents of journalists being beaten, kicked, pepper-sprayed (photo), targeted with tear gas, having tear gas grenades thrown at them, water cannon jets directed at them and being hit with rubber bullets and bean bag rounds. On Sept 29 a Hong Kong-based Indonesian journalist Veby Mega Indah, who works for Suara, has been hit by a rubber bullet while covering a demonstration. Her right eye was injured by the projectile fired by a police officer. A journalist working with Hong Kong's public broadcaster RTHK was recovering in hospital on Monday Oct 7 after he was hit by a petrol bomb during weekend protests. The PEC will continue to closely follow the situation of freedom of the press in Hong Kong.

01.10.2019. KHASHOGGI. ONE YEAR AFTER. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) joins other organizations for a moment of unsilence one year after the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. It is important that the whole truth be established and accountability be achieved. Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Turkey on Oct. 2, 2018. Agents of the Saudi government killed the journalist inside the consulate and apparently dismembered his body, which has never been found. Saudi Arabia has charged 11 people in the slaying and put them on trial, which has been held in secret. As of yet, no one has been convicted. A U.N. report by the Special Rapporteur Agnès Callamard asserted that Saudi Arabia bore responsibility for the killing and said Prince Mohammed’s possible role in it should be investigated. Speaking to the US network CBS on its 60 Minutes programme aired on Sunday, Prince Mohammed bin Salman MBS said: "Absolutely not," when asked if he ordered the killing. But he said he took full responsibility, "since it was committed by individuals working for the Saudi government". "This was a mistake. And I must take all actions to avoid such a thing in the future," MBS said of the killing, which he finally called "heinous". The PEC says no to barbaric practices, no to impunity. We call on the international community to ensure that all perpetrators of the crime are identified and prosecuted in a fair trial and to guarantee freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia.

22.09.2019. MALTA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the launch by the Maltese authorities of a public inquiry into the death of Daphne Caruana Galizia (photo), killed on 16 October 2017. "It's coming late, but it is an important step in the fight against impunity and a texbook case for Europe", said the PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen. He added that the public inquiry must be truly independent, impartial and have the truth of all parties, including the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia. The PEC called repeatedly for a public investigation to find out who ordered the killing, and if it had been possible to prevent it. The PEC donated its annual award in 2018 to Daphne's family and it once again salutes the courage and determination of Daphne's family in their struggle to make all the clarity on this crime. The PEC will follow up the inquiry which is expected to be concluded within nine months (read more on the terms of reference on our page NO IMPUNITY).

The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has today in Geneva handed over the award to its Executive Director Ahmad Quraishi (photo). "Afghanistan is at a crossroad. Freeedom of the press is at stake. Terrorist groups are a constant threat to civilians and journalists", said the PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen at the PEC Award press conference at the Geneva Press Club. "The AFJC works to defend rights of Afghan journalists, the safety of journalists in a very dangerous conflict zone and to ensure freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Afghanistan. They deserve our support", he added. Ahmad Quraishi thanks the PEC for honoring the AFJC. "Taliban, IS (Islamic State group) and constant abuses by warlords, drug mafia and corrupt officials constitute a permanent threat and fear to journalists, the media, and in general freedom of expression/press in Afghanistan", said the AFJC Executive Director. He confided his fear that "we may go back to the dark era experienced under the Taliban". He called upon the international community who supported the Afghan young democracy in the past two decades to uphold the values gained .

Ahmad Quraishi Director of the Afghanistan Journalists Center, receiving the PEC Award 2019 from the PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen, with His Excellency Ambassador of Afghanistan to the United Nations Nasir Andisha (photo pec)

Read the press release English and French, speeches, biography on our page PEC AWARD

16.09.2019. AFGHANISTAN AT THE CROSSROAD. FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AT STAKE. PEC AWARD 2019: INVITATION TO A PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE GENEVA PRESS CLUB

The Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) has been chosen this year to receive the PEC annual award. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) will handed over the award to his Executive Director Ahmad Quraishi (photo) on Thursday September 19, 2019.

Invitation to a press conference with:
His Excellency Nasir Andisha Afghan Ambassador to the UN in Geneva
Ahmad Quraishi director of the Afghanistan Journalists Center in Kabul

Caroline Trautweiler Deputy Regional coordinator South Asia Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Blaise Lempen Secretary-General of the Press Emblem Campaign

Thursday 19 September at 2.30pm - Swiss Press Club, Geneva

Afghanistan is at the crossroad. Democracy and freedom of the press are threatened. Terrorist groups have killed 17 journalists last year and 7 more this year. The director of the Afghan Journalists Center Ahmad Quraishi is in Geneva to receive the PEC annual award for the protection of journalists and will give his testimony. His Excellency Ambassador of Afghanistan to the United Nations Nasir Andisha will analyze the political situation at a critical moment: the United States want to withdraw their troops but negociations with the Talibans are deadlocked.

07.09.2019. RUSSIA-UKRAINE. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomed today’s release of Ukrainian film director and writer Oleg Sentsov from Crimea, of the correspondent of the Ukrainian National News Agency, Ukrinform, Roman Sushchenko, and of journalist Kirill Vyshinsky, the chief of the RIA Novosti Ukraina office in Kyiv, as a result of the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. Sentsov was arrested in Simferopol by Russian security services in May 2014 and convicted in Rostov-on-Don in August 2015. He was serving a 20-year prison term on terrorism charges at a high-security penal colony in the Russian Federation. Sushchenko was arrested in Moscow in September 2016 and sentenced in June 2018 to 12 years on espionage charges.

In May 2018, the Ukrainian security services raided the office of RIA Novosti Ukraina and arrested Vyshinsky on charges of high treason. In July 2018, he was presented with additional charges and his pre-trial detention was extended several times. The PEC recalls that journalists should not under any circumstances be imprisoned for their journalistic work and must have the right to freely express opinions and dissenting views, even those that could be considered controversial.

02.09.2019. Missing Maldives journalist abducted in Aug 2014 was killed by al-Qaeda affiliate. Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla (28, photo) had been missing since August 7, 2014. Husnu Suood, the head of a presidential commission set up to investigate the case, found that members of a local affiliate of Al-Qaeda executed Rilwan on a ship for his writing about alleged Al-Qaeda links in the Maldives and his advocacy for freedom of expression, according to news reports. Officials in the Maldives have previously denied the existence of hardline Islamic groups in the Maldives, despite a spate of attacks against people advocating the practise of moderate Islam and freedom of belief. The attacks include the killing in 2017 of a prominent blogger, Yameen Rasheed, who led a campaign to find Rilwan. Rilwan worked for Minivan News, an English news website now named The Maldives Independent. Weeks before his abduction in August 2014, the 28-year-old journalist wrote a series of reports on Maldivians joining armed groups in Syria's war, said Suood. Maldivian authorities should prosecute those responsible for the 2014 killing of Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla, including the planners of the attack as well as any government officials who interfered in the investigation, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said today.

25.08.2019. ONE MORE JOURNALIST KILLED IN MEXICO. A Mexican reporter has been found dead in his home Aug 24, making him the thirteenth journalist killed in the country this year. Nevith Condes Jaramillo (photo) died as result of being stabbed several times. Jaramillo, 42, ran the local news site El Observatorio del Sur. On his website, he posted stories that led to him being at odds with local government, resulting in several threats over the last year. Jaramillo had requested federal protection because of the threats. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the murder and calls for an independent investigation.

21.08.2019. YEMEN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is deeply concerned about the fate of journalists after days of fightings between government forces and Yemeni separatists from the Southern Transitional Council in the port of Aden. The PEC condemns a series of attacks and calls on the warring parties to let journalists report freely and free all journalists detained. The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) reports that an armed group broke into the house of journalist Ali Saleh Al-Essa who works for the daily 14th October while he was abroad and seized some of his personal effects. Another armed group linked to the Transitional Council (TC) in Aden lodged a complaint against journalist Ahmed Maher for his writings which criticized the illegal practices of the Transitional Council militias. A group of journalists have also claimed they have been prevented from working at the state-owned newspaper 14th October which is now controlled by the TC. Other media workers from Yemen Public Radio and Television were refused access to the broadcaster's building which is also controlled now by the TC. Saba press agency is also prevented from producing any work by groups close to the TC, YJS reports.

15.08.2019. INDIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly criticized the restrictions imposed on the media under the lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir and called on the authorities to guarantee the media’s access to information and right to work. Communication in and out of the Indian region of Jammu and Kashmir has been blocked since August 4 following changes to the region’s autonomy in India’s Constitution. In the following days mobile, landline and the internet were cut off in the region. The PEC stands in solidarity with journalists in Kashmir and demands that all communication is restored in the region.

Kashmir has nearly 180 English and Urdu daily newspapers, but only five are publishing these days due to restrictions imposed by Indian authorities to prevent unrest after New Delhi revoked the state’s autonomy.

The PEC condemns several detentions and repeated attacks on foreign and russian journalists during demonstrations for fair elections on July 27, August 3 and August 10. The PEC calls on Russian authorities to allow journalists to cover protests freely and safely. Police must stop use of abusive force, a clear attempt to intimidate journalists and censor coverage (photo Reuters: Russian opposition figure Lyubov Sobol was detained August 10 near her office in Moscow)

03.08.2019. MEXICO. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the killing of three more journalists. Rogelio Barragán Pérez (47) was killed on July 30, in the town of Zacatepec, in Morelos state (photo). He was the founder of the news website Guerrero Al Instante. Separately Edgar Alberto Nava López, founder of the news website La Verdad de Zihuatanejo, was found dead on August 2 in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and Jorge Celestino Ruiz Vazquez has been murdered in Veracruz. These three brutal killings in one week are the tragic consequence of Mexico’s failure to address impunity in attacks on the press, said the PEC. Only an international mechanism to investigate these crimes can help to solve the problem. Mexico is the most dangerous country for journalists. At least 12 journalists have been killed in Mexico since the beginning of 2019 and 17 last year, according to PEC figures.

13.07.2019. SOMALIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is saddened to learn that two Somali journalists were among the 26 fatal victims of an attack by the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab on a hotel in Kismayo, in southern Somalia, on 12 July. The two media fatalities were Mohamed Sahal Omar, who worked for SBS, a TV channel based in the northwestern Puntland region, and Hodan Nalayeh (photo), who had Canadian as well as Somali nationality and worked for Integration TV. The death of these two reporters, the first to be killed this year in Somalia, is a reminder that Somali journalists continue to be the ones who are most exposed to this kind of terrorist attack after those in Afghanistan.

04.07.2019. PEC report for the first six months of 2019. According to the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), 38 journalists were killed in 20 countries from January to the end of June 2019. During the same period in 2018 (January to June) 66 journalists were killed: the decrease is significant with 42% less casualties than the previous year. This decrease is a positive development, however the trend remains very worrying in two countries. In Mexico, 9 journalists have been killed in six months and 6 in Afghanistan, more than one third of the total of fatalities (read the PEC report on PEC NEWS in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic)

01.07.2019. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - 41st session item 3. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) thanks the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings Agnes Callamard for her presentation at the Human Rights Council of her report (A/HRC/41/36) into the killing last October of Mr Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. In order to address similar cases in the future the PEC fully supports the Special Rapporteur's recommendation to the Human Rights Council or the General Assembly to establish a Standing Instrument for the Criminal Investigation into Allegations of Targeted Killing, or other acts of violence against journalists and human rights defenders. It is of utmost importance that crimes targeting journalists do not go unpunished and that all officials at all levels are identified and prosecuted (read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS)

20.06.2019. UKRAINE. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is deeply shocked by death of journalist Vadim Komarov in Ukraine. He had been in a coma since suffering a violent attack on 4 May in Cherkasy, Ukraine. Vadim Komarov (photo) was a well-known media professional exposing corruption and uncovering abuses of power. It is regrettable that about one-and-a-half months after the attack the law enforcement have not yet identified the perpetrators nor reported any progress on the investigation. The investigation into the July 2016 murder of Belarusian journalist Pavel Sheremet in Kyiv also continues to be shrouded in mystery. Those responsible for those crimes must be identified and face justice.

19.06.2019. Khashoggi killing: the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the report of UN human rights expert Agnes Callamard (photo) confirming that Saudi Arabia is responsible for “premeditated execution”.
Following a six-month investigation, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings issued her findings into the killing last October of Mr Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. "His killing was the result of elaborate planning involving extensive coordination and significant human and financial resources. It was overseen, planned and endorsed by high-level officials. It was premeditated", the report said. "The killing of Mr Khashoggi constitutes an international crime over which other States should claim universal jurisdiction. I call on those States to take the necessary measures to establish their competence to exercise jurisdiction under international law over this crime of extrajudicial execution,” Callamard said. The Special Rapporteur also determined that there was credible evidence, warranting further investigation of high-level Saudi officials’ individual liability, including that of the Crown Prince. Callamard called on the Human Rights Council, the Security Council or the UN Secretary-General to conduct an international follow-up criminal investigation for the purpose of determining individual liability and identifying options towards judicial accountability. The PEC fully agrees with the statement of Agnes Callamard and asks States to follow her recommendations.

16.06.2019. A l'occasion de la parution de son nouveau livre: "Guerre et Paix dans le Cyberespace - les démocraties à l'épreuve de la démocratie numérique" (Georg éditeur, 282 pages), Blaise Lempen a expliqué sa démarche et confié ses inquiétudes à la PEC. Il faut défendre nos libertés, nos démocraties à la fois contre les abus des multinationales du numérique qui concentrent les données et ceux de régimes autoritaires qui cherchent à supprimer toute opinion critique. L'Europe doit mener ce combat face aux empires numériques chinois, russe et américain. Une réflexion sur les mutations profondes de notre environnement sociopolitique et les outils de promotion de la paix numérique (lire l'interview de Blaise Lempen sur PEC NEWS)

12.06.2019. ENDLESS TRAGEDY IN MEXICO. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is sad to learn that an other woman journalist has been killed in Mexico. Norma Sarabia (photo) was shot dead on 11 June in Huimanquillo, Tabasco. She is the 9th journalist killed in Mexico since the start of 2019. Mexico is the most dangerous country for media workers. The PEC calls for an international investigation into these killings to end impunity.

28.05.2019. BRAZIL. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) denounces the assassination of journalist Robson Giorno in Maricá in the state of Rio de Janeiro on 25 May. The PEC trusts that the investigation will lead to the prosecution of the perpetrators of this crime. Robson Giorno (photo) was the founder and principal reporter of the online Jornal O Maricá, which focused on local news and politics. Unidentified callers lured Giorno out of his house where he was killed by unidentified assailants who immediately fled the scene. Robson Giorno is the first journalist to be killed in Brazil in 2019. Four journalists were killed last year in Brazil. Impunity must end (see casualties).

27.05.2019. SYRIA. As Syrian government air strikes continue to pound the last rebel-held stronghold in Syria, international and domestic journalists have come under fire - seemingly intentionally. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the attacks on Sky News' team in Idlib and other journalists by Syrian forces. According to Sky News' special correspondent Alex Crawford (photo), Sky News crew - clearly identified as journalists - was deliberately targeted on May 24 and attacked by Syrian regime forces using military drones to pinpoint their location, before launching a series of strikes. No members of the Sky News crew were hurt, according to Crawford's report. American journalist Bilal Abdel Karim, who was with them at the time, was wounded. The attack followed shortly on from the wounding of journalist Ayham Mohammed al-Bayoush on 18 May, as a result of another aerial attack by the Syrian government in the town of Maarat al-Numan, in the south of Idlib. On May 24, airstrikes also injured Mustafa al-Abbas, a reporter for the pro-opposition broadcaster Al-Jisr, and Mustafa al-Khalaf, a reporter for the pro-opposition broadcaster Syria TV, according to the Syrian Journalists' Association. Such attacks are shocking. Media workers should be allowed to work without such threats to their lives. The PEC reminds all belligerents that targeting journalists is a war crime.

12.05.2019. AFGHANISTAN. ONE MORE JOURNALIST KILLED. A prominent Afghan journalist Mena Mangal (photo) has been gunned down on Saturday morning in south-east Kabul, just days after she warned on social media that she feared for her life. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns this deliberate and heinous murder against a women's rights defender and asks the authorities to bring those responsible to justice. Mangal made her name as a presenter on the Pashto-language channel Tolo TV, the country’s largest private broadcaster, and later worked for Shamshad TV. She was a passionate advocate of women’s rights to education and work, and had recently become a cultural adviser to the lower chamber of Afghanistan’s national parliament. Afghanistan is after Mexico the most dangerous country for media workers this year with 5 journalists killed since January.

06.05.2019. MYANMAR. Finally a good news. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the release of two Reuters reporters after 511 days in jail. The Press Emblem raised the case of Wa Lone (33) and Kyaw Soe Oo (29) many times at the Human Rights Council since march 2018 and is pleased to learn that dialogue can work even with difficulties and delays. Both reporters should never have spent a day in prison. They were released under a presidential amnesty for 6,520 prisoners. Before their arrest in December 2017, they had been working on an investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys by security forces and Buddhist civilians in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Government spokesman Zaw Htay said the decision to release the two was made after the families wrote to government leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to Reuters.

The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of another journalist Telésforo Santiago Enríquez (photo), founder of a community radio station El Cafetal. He was found shot to death in a car on Thursday May 2nd in the southern state of Oaxaca. Enriquez is at least the seventh media member to be killed during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration. In March, the deputy interior minister for human rights, Alejandro Encinas, said six others had been murdered since López Obrador took office in December. The PEC calls on the authorities to conduct an exhaustive investigation into Enriquez' death and to bring the killer to justice. Mexico is the world’s most dangerous countries for media workers, according to the PEC.

21.04.2019. Northern Ireland. Freelance journalist Lyra McKee (photo) shot dead while she was covering the riots in the city of Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on Thursday night 19 April. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is shocked and urges the authorities to ensure a full investigation into her death. Our thoughts are with her partner, family and many friends and colleagues. On April 23rd, the New Irish Republican Army (New IRA) ackowledged its responsiblity in Lyra McKee's death and offered apologies to the journalist' relatives. Her death underscores dangers journalists face around the world while doing their job.

18.03.2019. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is sad to learn the murder of four journalists in three days, one in Mexico, one in Afghanistan, one in India and one in Honduras. The PEC condemns those killings and demands thorough investigations. A Honduran reporter critical of the government Leonardo Gabriel Hernandez (photo) was shot dead Sunday, March 17, in Nacaome, 100 kilometers south of the capital Tegucigalpa. He is the first journalist to be killed in the central American country since 2017 (go to Casualties)

The side-event took place at the Palais des Nations on March, 5 with the support of the Global Alliance MGF and the PEC (photo: the panellists with the moderator Eric Sottas). The Permanent Mission of Turkey in Geneva exerted pressure to remove civil society from the work of the Human Rights Council. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) denounces it firmly. The UN Director-General and the Office of the High Commissionner said that there was nothing against the speakers justifying an action against them.

19.02.2019. NO PROGRESS IN TURKEY. Cumhuriyet trial convictions a new setback for media freedom. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is alarmed by the decision of an Istanbul court to uphold convictions and severe sentences handed down to dozens of Cumhuriyet journalists. The PEC urges the immediate release and dismissal of all charges against these journalists. On 18 February, an Istanbul court upheld a ruling to jail journalists and executives from the newspaper Cumhuriyet. According to the court ruling, many journalists will have to return to prison to serve the remainder of their sentences. Several other media workers, all of them convicted to more than five years in prison, will appeal against their sentences at a higher court.

18.02.2019. MEXICO. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is appalled by the killing of radio announcer Reynaldo López (photo) in Hermosillo, Sonora. Reporter Carlos Cota is in critical condition. Several men armed with automatic weapons opened fire on them from another vehicle, killing López and seriously wounding Cota before fleeing the scene.
The PEC condemns the aggression against the reporters and urges Mexican authorities to bring the responsible of this crime to justice and ensure the safety of journalists. Reynaldo López is already the third journalist to be murdered in Mexico this year, following the killing of radio host Jesús Ramos Rodríguez in Tabasco a week ago and the assassination of community radio director Rafael Murúa in Baja California in January. Mexico was the most dangerous country for journalists in 2018 with Afghanistan.

17.02.2019. SLOVAKIA. One year after the murders of Kuciak and Kušnírová several protest gatherings will be held under the slogan “We won’t forget! We will continue!”. Slovakia will commemorate the one-year anniversary of the cold-blooded murder of investigative reporter Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová on February 21. One year later, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) regrets that the crime remains unsolved and unpunished. The PEC is also worried that the attention of authorities is mainly on the individual culpability of the murderers and not on the state’s responsibility for failing to protect Ján Kuciak. States have positive obligations to protect journalists - especially after they report threats.

16.02.2019. PHILIPPINES. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) joins 24 civil society groups calling for the dropping of charges against "Rappler" and Maria Ressa (photo). The PEC views with extreme concern the unwarranted arrest of Rappler's chief executive officer Maria Ressa on Wednesday, 13 February 2019, based on libel charges arising from a story published almost seven years ago by the online news site. Although Ms. Ressa was released on bail on 14 February 2019, the charges against her remain pending (read the statement of solidarity with Ressa and Rappler published on: www.seapa.org )

08.02.2019. Turkey/Saudi Arabia: UN expert delivers early findings in Khashoggi probe. “Evidence collected during my mission to Turkey shows prime facie case that Mr Khashoggi was the victim of a brutal and premeditated killing, planned and perpetrated by officials of the State of Saudi Arabia,” said in a statement Agnes Callamard (photo), the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the statement of the UN Special Rapporteur, urges all States to cooperate with the investigation and to send a clear message that arbitrary killings motivated to silence critical voices and impunity will not be tolerated (Read the UN statement on our page PEC NEWS)

05.02.2019. AFGHANISTAN. Two Afghan Journalists killed in targeted attack. Unidentified gunmen have opened fire at Radio Hamsada station in Taloqan, capital of Northern Takhar province, killing two journalists: reporter Shafiq Aria (26) and presenter Rahimullah Rahmani (25) in what the director of the Radio said was a "targeted attack". The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is deeply concerned by the murder of the young journalists, strongly condemns the attack and demands a full investigation of the incident to bring those responsible to justice. Afghanistan was last year the deadliest country for journalists in the world with Mexico.

27.01. 2019. TURKEY. FINALLY AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO JAMAL KHASHOGGI'S MURDER. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the visit to Turkey of a three-member team of international experts to conduct an inquiry into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on October 2 last year and hopes that the mission will be able to shed light on new elements in order to ensure accountability and transparency in this case . The PEC calls upon all authorities to cooperate with the experts. The experts in Turkey between January 28 and February 3 plan to report to the UN Human Rights Council in June. The UN rights office in Geneva said in a statement before the visit that the independent panel would seek to establish "the nature and extent of states and individuals responsibilities for the killing". The three members of the panel are Agnes Callamard (left on the photo meeting with Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, ap), UN special rapporteur on summary or arbitrary executions, British barrister Helena Kennedy and Duarte Nuno Vieira, a professor at the department of legal and forensic medicine and medical law at Coimbra University, Portugal. A Saudi public prosecutor's spokesman said last year that 21 Saudis had been taken into custody over the case, 11 of whom had been indicted and referred to trial. The prosecutor said it was seeking the death penalty for five of the 11 suspects. US intelligence agencies believe Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the operation to kill Khashoggi, a critic and Washington Post columnist, and say his body was dismembered and removed to a location still publicly unknown. Riyadh denies the Crown Prince had any involvement in the murder.

22.01.2019. FIRST JOURNALIST KILLED IN MEXICO IN 2019. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of Rafael Murúa Manríquez (photo, 34), calls on Mexican authorities to undertake a transparent and exhaustive investigation and to bring the killers to justice. Murúa was the director of Radiokashana FM, a community radio station in the town of Santa Rosalía, in the northern state of Baja California Sur. The journalist had reported receiving threats several times in recent years, and since June 2017 Murúa was assigned protective measures by the Federal Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists. Such measures include bodyguards, a panic button, and security systems at their residences and offices. Mexico was the most dangerous country for journalists in 2018 with 17 killed.

20.01.2019. LIBYA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) mourns the death of popular photographer, Mohamed Ben Khalifa (photo, 35) who worked for Associated Press news agency. He was killed by shellfire on Saturday Jan 19th south of Libya’s capital Tripoli where he was covering militia clashes. He was one of the leading photographers in Libya since 2014 and has won many awards. The PEC sends its condolences to his family, colleagues and friends.

17.01.2019. GHANA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale (34) on Wednesday, 16 January in Medina, a suburb of the capital, Accra. Hussein was a member of the team led by award-winning journalist Anas Aremeyaw that exposed corruption in African football. The PEC calls on the Government of Ghana to bring to justice the perpetrators and those who ordered this heinous crime. Ahmed Hussein-Suale is the second journalist to be killed in Africa in 2019.

11.01.2019. MYANMAR court confirms seven-year jail terms for Reuters journalists. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is appalled to learn that Myanmar’s high court upheld the jail sentences of Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo (photo) detained since December 2017. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo just did their job as reporters, investigating a massacre of Rohingya civilians by soldiers in a village in the north of Rakhine state. The PEC calls upon the United Nations and the Human Rights Council to condemn this judicial harassment against the two journalists that sent a chilling message to Myanmar’s journalists.

06.01.2019. KENYA: Journalist found dead, strangled in Kisii home. Johnson Nyakundi (photo) was found dead at his home in Jogoo estate, Kisii County on New Year’s day. The former cameraman for Newstar, Mwanyagetinge and Voice of Victory TV stations, was last seen two days before Christmas. Journalist Johnson Nyakundi was strangled, post-mortem report shows. He is the first journalist killed in 2019. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns this murder, calls for a swift and thorough investigation and that those behind this heinous act are identified and punished.

22.12.2018. SOMALIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) mourns the loss of Somali Journalist Awil Dahir Salad (photo), working for Universal TV. He was killed with at least 15 other people in a car bomb attack claimed by al Shabaab close to the president’s residence in the Somali capital Mogadishu. The prominent journalist is the fourth journalist killed in Somalia in 2018. The PEC send its condolences to the family's members, friends and colleagues of Awil Dahir.

17.12.2018. PEC ANNUAL REPORT: the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) announced that since the beginning of the year 113 journalists were killed in 30 countries, an increase of 14 percent in media casualties compared to the previous year // Rapport annuel de la PEC: depuis le début de 2018, 113 journalistes ont été tués dans 30 pays, une hausse de 14% par rapport à l'année précédente, a affirmé lundi la Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) dans son rapport annuel // Informe anual de la PEC: la Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC, por sus siglas en inglés) anunció que desde el comienzo del año, 113 periodistas han sido asesinados en 30 países, lo que representa un aumento del 14% en las bajas en los medios de comunicación en comparación con el año de 2017.

Read the PEC press release on PEC News, list of victims and graphics on our page Casualties

Main figures: most dangerous countries in 2018: Afghanistan 17 killed, Mexico 17, Syria 11, India 8, Yemen 8, USA 6, Pakistan 5, Brazil 4, Philippines 4

By region, Asia 36 killed, Latin America 32, Middle East 24, Africa 8, Europe 7, North America 6

In a decade from 2009 to 2018: 1221 media workers killed, 122 per year on average, 2,3 per week

During the last 5 years (2014 to 2018) the most dangerous countries were Syria (with 64 killed), Mexico (61), Afghanistan (48), Iraq (46), Pakistan (36), India (30), Yemen (29), the Philippines (24), Brazil (22) and Somalia (22).

11.12.2018. Time Magazine Person of the Year 2018 recognises journalists. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) congratulates the Time magazine team for choosing killed and imprisoned journalists - "The Guardians" - as people of the year 2018. The magazine featured four different covers with journalists who have been targeted for their work this year. They include Jamal Khashoggi who was killed in the Saudi embassy in Turkey and staff from Capital Gazette, the US newspaper where five people were killed.

05.12.2018. TWO MORE JOURNALISTS KILLED IN MEXICO. Jesús Alejandro Márquez Jiménez (photo), the founder and editor of the news website Orión Informativo, was murdered on same day as Mexico’s new president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador inauguration December 1st. Diego Garcia Corona was killed on December 5th in Ecatepec. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns these latest crimes and calls upon the authorities to conduct thorough investigations. Since January, 17 journalists were killed in Mexico, the most dangerous country this year with Afghanistan. Two more journalists, Rodrigo Acuña Morales in Veracruz and Ana Ledesma in Quintana Roo, survived murder attempts last month.

Raed Fares (photo) was killed in the north-western town of Kafranbel. He was a prominent anti-government journalist and also a sharp critic of Islamist militants. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) mourns a huge loss known for his influential "Radio Fresh" broadcasts. Photographer Hamoud Jneed was murdered with him on Friday morning by gunmen who have not been identified. Raed Fares' US-funded Radio Fresh station provides news of the conflict to Syria's northern provinces and is a source for international news outlets. Mr Fares survived an earlier assassination attempt in 2014 when he was shot in the chest by armed men. In 2016, he was abducted by militants affiliated with an Al Qaeda group and tortured. His radio station was raided by militants and bombed by government warplanes. The PEC is appalled by a new blow to the few independent voices that have continued to promote democratic change in the war-torn country.

16.11.2018. NO TO IMPUNITY. JAMAL KHASHOGGI CASE. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the new US sanctions on 17 Saudis allegedly involved in the killing of Khashoggi inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. The new measures, which follow travel bans already in place, freeze any assets the 17 may have in the US and prohibit any Americans from doing business with them. However, for the PEC these measures are not sufficient.

The PEC supports the move by a bipartisan group of US senators who introduced legislation seeking to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggi's murder. If the bill were to become law, it would suspend weapon sales to Saudi Arabia and prohibit US refuelling of Saudi coalition aircraft conducting air raids in Yemen. The move came after Riyadh's public prosecutor said five out of 11 suspects are facing a possible death sentence in the case. Saudi Arabia has admitted Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi writer, US resident and Washington Post columnist, was killed inside its consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul on October 2.

Funeral prayers have been held Friday in absentia for slain Saudi journalist in Ankara, Istanbul, London and the Grand Mosque in Mecca and Prophet Muhammad's mosque in the Saudi city of Medina with the participation of Salah Khashoggi, the son of murdered Washington Post columnist.

It is outrageous that the whereabouts of his body are still unknown. The PEC welcomes reports that Turkey is calling for an international investigation into the murder. We need a credible and independent investigation to establish facts and ensure all those responsible are brought to justice in fair trials.

The Israeli warplanes fired three warning missile, before F16 planes targeted with at least three missiles the TV headquarters, destroying it completely and causing serious damages to neighboring buildings, according to reports. No injuries were immediately reported and workers were believed to have evacuated after the warning shots. The station began broadcasting again a short while after the strike from an undisclosed location. Israel's military acknowledged hitting the building, saying in a statement "it contributes to Hamas's military actions, including by providing operational messaging to militants, directing and explicitly calling for terror activities against Israel, and providing guidance on how to carry out such terror activities".

07.11.2018. NO TO IMPUNITY. UNESCO launches Observatory of Killed Journalists, tracking actions taken to punish crimes against media practitioners. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes this initiative and hopes that it will help to fight against impunity. Link to the Observatory on our NO IMPUNITY page

Non à l'impunité. L’UNESCO lance l’Observatoire des journalistes assassinés, qui répertorie les mesures prises pour punir les crimes commis contre les professionnels des médias - la Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) se félicite de cette initiative en espérant qu'elle aidera à combattre l'impunité. Lien avec l'Observatoire sur notre page NO IMPUNITY

05.11.2018. UKRAINE. One more woman journalist killed in Europe. Kateryna Gandziuk (photo), a civic activist and local council member from Kherson, a city some 550 kilometers south of Kyiv, died on Nov. 4 in a Kyiv hospital. Gandziuk, 33, was attacked with acid on July 31, resulting in severe burns of her head and body. She was a co-founder of the Agency of civic journalism “MOST”, which is engaged in anti-corruption and monitoring research in the region. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns this attack against freedom of expression and urges the Ukrainian authorities to bring to justice the perpetrators of this crime.

International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November - PEC Condemns an Escalation in Killings of Journalists // Journée internationale de la fin de l'impunité pour les crimes commis contre des journalistes le 2 novembre - la PEC condamne l'escalade des meurtres de journalistes // Día Internacional para Acabar con la Impunidad por los Crímenes contra Periodistas el 2 de noviembre - PEC condena la escalada de asesinatos de periodistas

A cette occasion, la PEC et l'Organisation des journalistes de Côte d'Ivoire ont joint leurs forces pour le soutien à une Convention internationale

read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS

25.10.2018. SYRIA. Japanese journalist Jumpei Yasuda released, more than three years after he was abducted in Syria. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) warmly welcomes the release of Mr Yasuda (photo), abducted in June 2015, after travelling from Turkey to Syria to report on the country’s civil war. According to press reports, Yasuda was held by the al-Qaeda-linked group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which was once known as al-Nusra Front. He was released on Wednesday, October 24 and arrived back in Tokyo on Thursday. The PEC wishes him a good recovery.

16.10.2018. MALTA. On the first anniversary of the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) calls on the authorities of Malta and of the European Union to ensure that all those involved in this killing face justice. An international and independent investigation is needed to shed light on the sponsors of this murder and the possibility of state complicity. All those responsible for her death must be brought to justice and convicted. Last June, the PEC awarded her family with its annual prize for the protection of journalists to honor his fight against impunity. Daphne Caruana Galizia (photo) died on 16 October 2017 when a bomb in her car was detonated as she was driving from her home in Bidnija, Malta (read on our page PEC AWARD the testimony of Daphne's sister Corinne Vella)

12.10.2018. TURKEY/SAUDI ARABIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) considers that there is enough audio and video evidence that Jamal Khashoggi was killed on 2 October during his visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. According to this evidence, you can hear how the Saudi journalist living in the United States and working for the Washington Post was interrogated and then killed. The PEC asks for an international commission of inquiry to identify the perpetrators of this heinous crime and bring them to justice.

09.10.2018. TURKEY/SAUDI ARABIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is deeply concerned by the possible murder of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi (photo) and urges Turkey and Saudi Arabia to support an impartial and independent investigation to shed light on his disappearance one week ago from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. If reports of the circumstances are confirmed, this is truly shocking and marks a very disturbing escalation in criminal activity targeting journalists around the world.

25.09.2018. UNITED NATIONS. PRESS FREEDOM & ACCESS TO INFORMATION An initiative of UN Geneva and the City of Geneva. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomed the participants to its stand and explained the goals of the association // LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE & ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION. Une initiative des Nations Unies à Genève et de la Ville de Genève. La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) a accueilli les participants à son stand et expliqué les buts de l'association (Ricardo Espinosa, left, and Pilar Ackermann, right, members of the PEC board answered questions) (more on PEC NEWS)

14.09.2018. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - 39th session. Oral statement delivered by the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) on item 3: the PEC welcomes the new report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the Safety of Journalists (A/HRC/39/23). The PEC agrees with the conclusions of the report that there have been notable achievements in addressing the issue of the safety of journalists. However, the report adds that despite the attention given, "attacks on journalists are increasing, raising legitimate questions about the impact of these mechanisms at all levels". The PEC believes that the international community must adopt a more robust international instrument to deal effectively with this matter. National mechanisms are not enough when circumstances do not permit a thorough enquiry and when the judiciary is not independent (read the full statement on PEC NEWS)

05.09.2018. AFGHANISTAN. TWO MORE JOURNALISTS KILLED IN AN EXPLOSION IN KABUL. 15 journalists and media workers have already been killed in Afghanistan, the most dangerous country for journalists in 2018. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is sad to learn that two journalists of Tolo News, Afghanistan’s largest private broadcaster, Samim Faramarz and cameraman Ramez Ahmadi lost their lives in an explosion in Kabul while covering an earlier bombing. Three journalists from the Khurshid TV and one journalist from 1TV were wounded in the attack.
The first explosion happened at around 6pm Kabul time, targeting a wrestling gym in Qala-e-Nazer area in Kabul’s PD6, while the second explosion was a car bombing that according to officials left at least 20 people dead and more than 70 others wounded, Tolonews said. According to the ToloNews, Farmarz had been reporting live from the scene of the first explosion - just minutes before the explosion happened. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombings but sympathizers of the Islamic State (Daesh) claimed to have been behind April attack in Kabul which claimed lives of nine journalists.

13.08.2018. ONE MORE JOURNALIST KILLED IN SYRIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is dismayed by the killing of one more journalist in Syria, Syrian cameraman and photoreporter Ahmed Azize who worked for the pro-opposition Aleppo News Network. Ahmed Azize was killed on August 10 while covering Russian airstrikes on the town of Urum al-Kubra southwest of Aleppo. Like scores of journalists before him, Ahmed Azize put his life on the line to report on events in Syria and he paid the ultimate price for his courage.

31.07.2018. ECUADOR: NO TO IMPUNITY. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes a special Follow-up team installed in Quito by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and its Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (RFOE) for the case of the killing of journalists Javier Ortega Reyes, Paúl Rivas Bravo, and Efraín Segarra, of “El Comercio” newspaper in Quito, on the border between Ecuador and Colombia in April of this year (read more on our page NO IMPUNITY)

30.07.2018. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) regrets the death of ten more journalists in July, a total of 76 since the beginning of the year. Afghanistan (12 killed) and Mexico (10) remain the most dangerous countries (go to CASUALTIES)

Rubén Pat Caiuch (photo), director of Semanario Playa News, was shot and killed in the early morning of July 24 outside a bar in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo. His death comes less than a month after the murder of José Guadalupe Chan Dzib, also a reporter for Semanario Playa News, on June 29.

03.07.2018. PEC report. An increase of 32% in media casualties - Afghanistan, Mexico, Syria most dangerous countries for journalists in the first six months of 2018 // Hausse de 32% des victimes - l'Afghanistan, le Mexique et la Syrie pays les plus dangereux pour les journalistes pendant le premier semestre 2018 // Aumento del 32% en las bajas - Afganistán, México y Siria, los paises más peligrosos para periodistas durante la primera mitad de 2018

read the PEC press release English, French, Spanish and Arabic on PEC NEWS

The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is dismayed by the attack against the local newspaper in Maryland and strongly condemns this heinous act. Staff at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis said the attacker, armed with a shotgun and smoke grenades, shot through a glass door into the newsroom. The attack raises questions about the possible consequences of the anti-media rhetoric of political leaders in the U.S. The PEC expresses its deepest sympathies to colleagues and families of the five victims: Wendi Winters, 65, reporter, Rebecca Smith, 34, sales assistant, Robert Hiaasen, 59, editor, Gerald Fischman, 61, editorial writer, John McNamara, 56, reporter and editor (photo: Capital Gazette reporters did not interrupted their work: they were pictured working on the next day's newspaper from the car park after the attack)

20.06.2018. 38th session of the Human Rights Council. Side-event on Freedom of the press in Turkey - the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) calls upon all Members of the Human Rights Council to do their utmost to reverse a worrying trend targeting opposition journalists in Turkey. All journalists must be released.

Panelists: Levent Kenez, former editor of the newspaper Meydan in Turkey, Jeremy Dear, deputy Secretary-General International Federation of Journalists, Blaise Lempen, PEC Secretary-General, moderator: Alfred de Zayas, UN expert

According to the latest figures of the Stockholm Center for Freedom, 242 journalists were jailed, 182 arrested and 60 convicted and the number of media organizations seized and shut down by the government has reached 187. The press cards of 889 journalists were cancelled, the assets of 54 were seized and 142 journalists in exile are wanted (photo from left to right: Jeremy Dear, Alfred de Zayas, Blaise Lempen and Levent Kenez)

More on PEC NEWS

On October 16, 2017 the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in Malta. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has decided to honour her memory by giving its annual Award for the Protection of Journalists to members of her family. This crime must not remain unpunished. "When a journalist is killed, everyone loses in part their right to know and to understand. That makes a crime against a journalist a crime against us all. Hostile rhetoric against critical journalists legitimises attacks and ongoing impunity makes the situation worse. The cost of attacking a journalist needs to be raised. Otherwise, the message is that crimes against journalists are worth the risk", said Corinne Vella, sister of Daphne Caruana Galizia on behalf of the family at the press conference at the Swiss Press Club in Geneva (photo: Blaise Lempen, Corinne Vella, Luisa Ballin at the press conference at the Geneva Press Club)

Read the press release, speeches, watch the video on our special page PEC AWARD

30.05.2018. UKRAINE/RUSSIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns an unacceptable manipulation of public opinion by the Ukrainian security service. Arkady Babchenko (photo, 41), the Russian journalist who was reported to have been shot dead in Kiev, has turned up alive at a news conference in Ukraine. Vasily Gritsak, head of the Ukrainian security service, told reporters the agency had faked Babchenko’s death to catch people who were trying to kill him. Babchensko said he was told a month ago that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) was planning to kill him and he had no choice but to cooperate in the simulation of his death. The PEC regrets that Ukrainian authorities played with the truth and prematurely accused the Russian authorities of killing the journalist. Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko left Russia last year saying he was receiving death threats after articles questioning Russia’s seizure of Crimea from Ukraine and Russia’s military role in Syria.

15.05.2018. GAZA SRIP. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemned the use of gunfire by Israeli forces against journalists covering protests in the Gaza Strip. At least seven Palestinian journalists have been injured by Israeli gunfire while covering demonstrations for the nakba, or catastrophe of displacement. Since the protests began on March 30, 2018, live rounds fired by the Israel Defense Force have hit at least 22 journalists, two of whom Yaser Murtaja and Ahmed Abu Hussein died from their injuries. Israeli authorities must investigate the shootings and take all measures to ensure that the media can safely cover protests as it is stipulated by UN Resolutions.

The first blast took place in the Shashdarak area of the city, where the US embassy and Afghan government buildings are located, prompting journalists to rush to the scene. The second explosion came as an attacker, disguised as a cameraman, detonated explosives at the site of the initial explosion, according to officials. French news agency Agence France Presse confirmed that its photographer Shah Marai (photo) was killed and that, along with Marai, two journalists from 1TV and one from Tolo news were among the dead. The PEC strongly condemns this heinous terrorist attack targeting journalists among the crowd three days before World Press Freedom Day.

In a separate incident, a BBC reporter Ahmad Shah, 29, has been killed in an attack in the eastern Afghan province of Khost. It is the deadliest day in Afghanistan journalism history. The PEC send its sincere condolences to the families of all the victims (list of the dead journalists on our page Casualties)

25.04.2018. GAZA. Second journalist covering Gaza rally killed by Israeli forces. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is saddened to learn that Palestinian Ahmad Abu Hussein, 24, dies of wounds in Israel's Tel Hashomer hospital, near Tel Aviv after being shot in the abdomen during protest on April 13 near Jebaliya (Gaza strip). He is the second Palestinian journalist to have been killed by Israeli soldiers since a wave of demonstrations known as the "Great March of Return" began on March 30. According to eyewitnesses, Hussein, a photographer for the Gaza-based Voice of the People radio station, was wearing a protective vest marked "PRESS" at the time he was shot. The deaths of Ahmed Abu Hussein and Yaser Murtaja underscore the need for Israeli authorities to scrutinise its policies toward journalists covering protests and take effective action. Yaser Murtaja, a photographer with the Gaza-based Ain Media agency, was hit in the stomach despite also wearing a blue flak jacket marked with the word "PRESS" while covering a protest in Khuza'a in the south of the Gaza Strip April 6.

22.04.2018. NICARAGUA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the murder of journalist Angel Gahona (photo) shot dead as he broadcasts live on Facebook during anti-government protests. He was describing a damaged cash machine while videoing with his phone as a cameraman filmed behind him in the town of Bluefields on Saturday. The journalist and director of El Meridiano fell to the ground bleeding from the head, footage on Facebook Live showed. It was not clear who had fired the shot. Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa quoted another journalist as saying only police and groups fighting the protesters were armed there.

20.04.2018. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes a resolution on the protection of investigative journalists in Europe adopted by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on 19 April in Strasbourg. In the wake of the murders of investigative journalists Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta and Jan Kuciak in Slovakia, MEPs demand better protection of journalists who are regularly subject to lawsuits intended to censor their work, a permanent financial EU scheme to support independent investigative journalism, a draft EU directive to protect whistle-blowers, the Commission to address challenges to media freedom and pluralism in the EU. MEPs urged Slovak authorities to ensure a thorough and independent investigation into the murder of Ján Kuciak and his partner. A joint investigation team co-led by Europol with full access to the case file was strongly recommended.

15.04.2018. SUSPICIOUS DEATH IN RUSSIA. A Russian journalist who recently wrote about Russian mercenaries in Syria Maxim Borodin died at a hospital on Sunday after falling from his fifth-floor balcony in Yekaterinburg on Thursday. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) calls for a full investigation into the circumstances of the death of Maxim Borodin (photo, 32). Officials are considering his death to be a suicide, but Borodin's editor at Novy Den, Polina Rumyantseva, said that she doesn't believe he committed suicide. Borodin helped break the story about the deaths of Russian Wagner Group mercenaries from Asbest who were killed in Syria during a fight with the US military in February. In a separate incident, Dmitry Polyanin, the editor of Oblastnaya Gazeta newspaper, was brutally beaten by at least two assailants with metal bars on 12 April near his home in Yekaterinburg. He sustained multiple injuries and has been hospitalized.

13.04.2018. ECUADOR/COLOMBIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is shocked by the confirmation of the murder of three journalists. Ecuador’s President Lenin Moreno confirms today that three press workers kidnapped along the conflictive border with Colombia were killed - hours after a Colombian TV network said it had received gruesome photos purporting to show the bodies of the three men. The three employees of El Comercio newspaper reporter Javier Ortega, photographer Paul Rivas and their driver Efrain Segarra (photo in captivity) were taken hostage three weeks ago by a holdout faction of the demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia while investigating a rise in drug-fueled violence along Ecuador’s northern border. The PEC condemns this appalling crime and urges the governments of Ecuador and Colombia to provide a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding it.

07.04.2018. GAZA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the killing of Palestinian photojournalist Yasir Murtaja and the wounding of at least 7 more journalists in Gaza. The PEC calls for an independent investigation into the attacks. Murtaja (photo, 31), who was working for the Gaza-based news agency Ain Media, was killed on 6 April in the east of Gaza from wounds sustained by an Israeli sniper while covering the March of Return rally. He was wearing a flak jacket clearly marked with the word “PRESS” when he was shot on Friday.

Cela fait deux semaines que l'on est sans nouvelles du photojournaliste haïtien. Ce dernier réalisait un reportage sur les conditions de vie à Grand-Ravine, dans un quartier sensible de Port-au-Prince, une zone devenue depuis quelques années, le théâtre d'affrontements virulents entre gangs. Mercredi 28 mars, plus de deux cents journalistes soutenus par des citoyens ont marché en silence à Port-au-Prince, la capitale d'Haïti, pour exiger la vérité sur la disparition de leur collègue. Devant la lenteur des procédures d'enquête, l'épouse de Vladjimir Legagneur (photo) a déposé une nouvelle plainte contre X pour disparition au parquet de Port-au-Prince.

26.03.2018. INDIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of three journalists in 2 days in India. Two journalists Navin Nischal, a reporter for the Hindi-language daily Dainik Bhaskar, and Vijay Singh, a colleague, were on a motorcycle when they were deliberately run down by an SUV in Bhojpur, in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar, on the evening of 25 March. Less than 24 hours after Nischal and Singh were killed, another journalist, Sandeep Sharma, was deliberately killed by a dumper truck in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. He had been investigating illegal sand mining for a national TV channel. The PEC calls on the Indian authorities to carry out a full investigation to shed light on these crimes.

20.03.2018. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 37th session - Statement delivered by the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) (item 8): The PEC is worried about the escalation of repression against press freedom in Turkey (read the full statement on PEC NEWS)

On the same day, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Turkey had acted illegally in detaining two journalists despite the Supreme Court issuing an order for their release. Mehmet Atlan and Sahin Alpay were two of hundreds of journalists arrested on tenuous terror charges after the July 2016 failed coup attempt. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the first ECHR verdict on the situation facing journalists in Turkey and urges Ankara to reverse conviction of Turkish journalists. The ECHR noted that "there is a general problem in Turkey concerning the interpretation of anti-terrorism laws," and agreed with the plaintiffs that "dealing with matters of public interest" did not constitute incitement to violence.

Slovak reporter Jan Kuciak (photo, 27) and his partner have been shot to death in their home near Bratislava in an attack likely tied to his reporting. Kuciak went to the police last year after receiving threats, but the case was reportedly ignored. Kuciak has been working for Aktuality.sk (a unit of Ringier Axel Springer Slovakia) for the past three years. Kuciak’s reporting focused mainly on allegations of tax evasion and fraud involving high-ranking officials. The PEC strongly condemns the murders and urged the authorities to thoroughly investigate the case in order to bring the perpetrators to justice. It is the third murder of a journalist in the European Union in seven months, after investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in Malta on 16 October 2017 and Swedish reporter Kim Wall killed in Denmark on 11 August 2017 - a very disturbing trend.

16.02.2018. TURKEY. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the release of German Turkish journalist Denis Yücel after one year behind bars without charge just for doing his job. Diplomatic pressures is working, but the fight for press freedom in Turkey continues. The PEC condemns the verdicts by a Turkish court jailing journalists Mehmet Altan (65), his brother Ahmet Altan (67) and Nazli Illicak (73) for life imprisonment after finding them guilty of “involvement in the 2016 coup attempt.” The three journalists have always denied any implication in the failed coup. Many other journalists are charged in Turkey with similar groundless charges and must be released (photo: Denis Yücel with his wife on his release from prison)

14.02.2018. TURKEY. IN PRISON FOR A YEAR. Enough is enough. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is outraged by the detention of the German-Turkish journalist Denis Yücel in a Turkish prison for 365 days after his arrest Feb. 14, 2017. The "Die Welt" correspondent was never charged. Deniz Yücel was jailed just for doing his job as a journalist. The PEC calls for his immediate release. More than 100 other journalists are arbitrarily detained in Turkey. All European countries must act to #Freedeniz

09.02.2018. MALDIVES. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the threats that forced Rajje TV to stop broadcasting for safety reasons. A privately owned television station in the Maldives Rajje TV (opposition), said Friday in a statement that it stopped broadcasting because the country's environment does not allow journalists to report freely and independently. It said a mob had gathered at the station and called for it to be burned down, and government lawmakers had asked the broadcasting regulator to close it. It said the regulator, the Maldives Broadcasting Commission, has been taken over by the military, and police have withdrawn security for the television station despite the threats. "Given the present circumstances, especially with the curtailing of the right to free media, we have no choice but to suspend our regular services to ensure the safety and security of our station and our staff," the station said. Rajje TV was burned down ahead of the 2013 presidential election. No one has been convicted in the case. The PEC calls on Maldivian authorities to stop threatening news outlets and allow them to operate freely.

06.02.2018. MEXICO. El PEC demanda una acción inmediata por parte del Estado mexicano que permita determinar el paradero del periodista Agustin Silva Vazquez, desaparecido el 21 de enero en Matías Romero, Oaxaca. Agustín, de 22 años, colabora con los periódicos “El Sol del Istmo” y “El Sur”. Urge que las autoridades estatales y federales correspondientes realicen una investigación eficaz que tome en cuenta la labor periodística del Señor Silva. De acuerdo con la ONU, pocos días antes de su desaparición, Silva había hecho caso omiso a las presiones del representante de tres detenidos presuntamente vinculados con el crimen organizado, para que modificara una noticia.

01.02.2018. MYANMAR. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is dismayed and outraged by the decision of a Myanmar court to refuse to free two Reuters journalists. The PEC joins an international campaign to protest the court's refusal to grant bail to Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo (photo) who have been arrested on 12 December. They were charged on 10 January with violating the Official Secrets Act, under which they are facing a possible 14-year jail sentence. Their only crime was to take an interest in the atrocities by Myanmar’s security forces against the country’s Rohingya minority, which resulted in an exodus of around 700,000 refugees. Aung San Suu Kyi’s government must immediately end this travesty of justice used to intimidate their media colleagues.

Dunja Mijatovic (photo, Bosnia and Herzegovina) was elected as the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights by the Organisation’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) at its plenary session in Strasbourg. An expert on media law and media regulation she served as the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media from 2010 to 2016. She received the PEC award in Geneva in June 2015 to thank her for her very good work especially in protecting journalists in Ukraine. Mijatovic will take office on 1 April for six years. "We are sure that she will be an effective defender of human rights throughout Europe, "said the PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen.

Ileana Alamilla died at the age of 68 on 17 January. Alamilla was executive director of the Centre for Informative Reports on Guatemala (Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala, Cerigua) from 1983 until her death. Ileana Alamilla received the PEC award in June 2013. She was a staunch fighter and defender of free expression and the rights of journalists in Guatemala and throughout the continent. Alamilla was sworn in as president of the Guatemalan Journalists' Association (Asociación de Periodistas de Guatemala, APG) on 15 January, two days before her sudden death. On that occasion, she said: “Since 2000, 38 journalists have lost their lives in violent circumstances. Media outlets and journalists continue to suffer attacks, intimidation and harassment in a number of different ways.” The PEC salutes the memory of a tireless defender of the protection of journalists.

23.01.2018. TURKEY. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly protests against the shutdown of ON4 and KANAL12 Television stations by Turkish government without any clear legal justifications. The forcible closure of ON4 TV and KANAL12 stations bring the total number of 151 media outlets ordered to close. More than 367 journalists and media worker are subsequently dismissed from their posts for exercising their freedom of expression rights. The channels were shut down under the new government decrees 682, 683, 684 and 685 that have been issued following the post-coup state of emergency. The PEC calls on all concerned governments and organizations to ask the Turkish authorities to put an end to the forcible closure of the two TV stations.

19.01.2018. BRAZIL. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of two journalists in two days in Brazil and calls for a thorough investigation. Ueliton Bayer Brizon was shot dead on January 16. He was the owner of newspaper Jornal de Rondonia, in the State of Rondonia. Radio journalist Jefferson Pureza Lopes (photo) was shot three times in the head inside his house in Edealina, in the State of Goias. The journalist had been receiving threats for his work for at least two years after denouncing alleged irregularities in the public administration and criticizing municipal and regional authorities.

15.01.2018. MEXICO. Second journalist killed this year in Mexico. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is dismayed by the murder of one more journalist in Mexico: Carlos Domínguez Rodríguez (photo) was stabbed to death in Nuevo Laredo, a border town in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, on 13 January. Very critical to the local authorities, he was a reporter for the Noreste Digital and Horizonte de Matamoros news websites. PEC is alarmed to see that 2018 is beginning as badly as 2017 in Mexico, the deadliest country for journalists last year. PEC fears a growing political violence ahead of Mexico’s presidential elections in July. These crimes must not go unpunished.

08.01.2018. FIRST JOURNALIST KILLED IN 2018, A MEXICAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of José Gerardo Martínez (photo, 35), a journalist from El Universal, killed on 5 January during an assault in the Coyoacán Delegation of Mexico City. El Universal where he worked as an editor specifically stated in their reporting that they did not think he was targeted because of his journalism work. PEC calls for an independent investigation. Mexico was in 2017 the most dangerous place for journalists, according to the PEC annual report.

05.01.2018. UPDATE PEC ANNUAL REPORT. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) regrets the death of two more journalists at the end of 2017, one in Afghanistan, one in Syria since the publication of its annual report on 18 December. The final number for 2017 is 99 journalists killed in 28 countries, a significant decrease of 22% compared to 2016. The most dangerous countries in 2017 were Mexico (14 killed), Iraq (9), Afghanistan (9), then India (7), Pakistan(7) and Syria (7). Still a lot to do (for more see our page CASUALTIES)

28.12.2017. AFGHANISTAN. One of the deadliest years on record in the country. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) in Geneva strongly condemns the suicide bombing in Kabul that killed at least 41 people, among them one journalist, and injured 84 people, among them 10 journalists. The attack occurred during a morning panel discussion with journalists on the 38th anniversary of the Soviet invasion at the Tebyan Social and Cultural Centre and it also hits the Afghan Voice News Agency (AVA) which has an office on the floor above. Sayed Mehdi Hosaini a journalist from Jomhor News agency was killed in the attack, and 10 other journalists; 9 from Afghan Voice News Agency and one from Shamshad TV were wounded, according to the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC). The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The PEC calls on the Afghan government to strengthen its efforts to secure media organization and media workers' safety. This is the third deadly attack on media organizations in Afghanistan in 2017. On November 7, IS gunmen attack on Shamshad TV station in Kabul, killed two people including an employee of the TV station and injured 24 others including four firefighters. On May 17, six people including four employee of the RTA state broadcaster were killed in IS raid on the Station in Jalalabad.

26.12.2017. AFGHANISTAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns an arson attack on the private Radio Sarhad in province of Ghor on Sunday and calls on the Afghan government to identify and prosecute the perpetrators. According to the Afghanistan Journalists Center(AFJC), an eyewitness said he saw flames on the roof of the radio station before a blast occurred and a motorcyclist fled the area. All devices and equipment, including the broadcast building, were torched and destroyed. The Afghanistan Journalists Center executive director Ahmad Quraishi condemned the attack and expressed sorrow at the incident. "The attack on Radio Sarhad effectively hinders an entire community in a remote province from exercising its right to be informed” said Mr. Quraishi. Sarhad Radio station was established in 2014 in Ferozkouh, the provincial capital of Ghor province, and became popular across the province in a short time.

12.12.2017. PALESTINE. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the deliberate targeting of journalists by the Israeli Occupation forces during this past week in order to prevent them from filming scenes of repression against protesters. According to various sources, more than 16 journalists were injured during the coverage of the rallies, including by rubber bullets and tear gas canisters. In addition, the occupation forces prevented many journalists from doing their work and confiscated press equipment. The PEC calls on Israel to cease its deliberate violations against journalists who carry out their professional work.

05.12.2017. YEMEN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the hostage-taking of around 40 journalists and media workers of the TV channel Yemen Today. The staff is being held inside the Television building in the capital Sana'a, following the Houthis militias’ raid on the station of 3 December. During the attack, at least three building guards were killed or injured, according to the sources. The rebels seized the TV channel after the broadcast of former Yemeni President Saleh last Saturday, in which he called on his followers to revolt against the Houthis. Saleh was killed on Monday by Houthi militias while trying to escape the capital Sana’a. The PEC calls on the Houthis to release all journalists being held at the Yemen Today TV.

14.12.2017. The PEC is relieved by the reported release of the 41 journalists and employees of the Al Yemen Al Youm TV channel who had been held by Houthi rebels in Sanaa since 2 December. The PEC continues to be concerned by the pressure to which all journalists in Yemen are subjected.

21.11.2017. MORE INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes a new UN resolution on journalists’ safety and the issue of impunity, the seventh since 2012. The resolution on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity A/C.3/72/L35/Rev 1 was adopted without a vote on 20 November by the General Assembly’s Third Committee. The resolution’s central focus is on the “specific risks faced by women journalists in the exercise of their work,” including in the online sphere. The PEC calls on all Member States to swiftly implement the principles adopted. The PEC also welcomes the recent decision to “mobilize a network of focal points throughout the United Nations system to propose specific steps to intensify efforts to enhance the safety of journalists and media workers”. The mobilization of this network of focal points was announced by UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres on 2 November (read the text of the UN Resolution on our page DOCUMENTS)

19.11.2017. NEW SUPPORTS FOR A BINDING CONVENTION. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) congratulates the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) for supporting a new United Nations Convention aimed at giving greater protection for journalists. Journalists union leaders representing 600,000 media workers across the world endorsed the IFJ's call for a new binding international instrument on the safety of journalists at a meeting in Tunisia. The ground-breaking convention would for the first time establish binding standards creating safeguards specifically for journalists and media workers, stressed the IFJ. The PEC welcomes this step forward from the largest organization of journalists in the world. The PEC supported the idea of a binding convention on the journalists' safety since its creation in 2004. The PEC calls all stakeholders to support the IFJ's proposed International Convention on the Safety and Independence of Journalists and Other Media Professionals. The PEC particularly endorsed the idea of establishing a Committee on the Safety of Journalists.

Shamshad TV station came under attack after a suicide attacker detonated explosives at the gate of the network’s compound – which opened the way for other gunmen to enter the facility where at least 200 employees were working. The Islamic State (ISIS) group claimed responsibility for the attack which lasted about three hours before Afghan Special Forces freed staff trapped inside the building. Interior ministry said two security guards had been killed and 24 people wounded.
Shamshad TV is Afghanistan’s major Pashto-language station. This attack highlights the risks facing journalists, who are increasingly targets in the war-torn country. This is the second deadly attack on media organizations in Afghanistan in 2017. On May 17, six people including four employees of the RTA state broadcaster were killed in an ISIS raid in Jalalabad.
(Photo: a screen grab of Parwiz Sapy, a Shamshad TV news anchor who was wounded by shattered glass in the attack. Shamshad TV stopped broadcasting during the attack but resumed a few hours later)

31.10.2017. International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November - PEC says a binding international convention more needed than ever after the brutal murder of the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia // Journée internationale de la fin de l'impunité pour les crimes commis contre des journalistes le 2 novembre - la PEC affirme qu'une convention internationale contraignante est plus nécessaire que jamais après l'assassinat brutal de la journaliste maltaise Daphne Caruana Galizia // Día Internacional para Acabar con la Impunidad por los Crímenes contra Periodistas el 2 de noviembre – La PEC dice que una convención internacional vinculante es más necesaria que nunca después del brutal asesinato de la periodista maltesa Daphne Caruana Galizia (read the PEC press release English, French, Spanish and Arabic on PEC NEWS)

(see also our special page NO IMPUNITY)

13.10.2017. SYRIA. A woman reporter for ANHA killed. Rojava based Hawar News Agency (ANHA) reporter Dilîşan Îbiş (photo) has been killed and two other reporters got wounded as result of the ISIS attack that targeted civilians near Deir ez-Zor Thursday evening. Hawker Faisal died from his injuries at the hospital in Qamishli one day after. ANHA reporter Dilîşan Îbiş is the 12th woman journalist killed since January. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) offered its condolences to the families of Dilîşan Îbiş and Hawker Faisal.

11.10.2017. COLOMBIA. ONE MORE WOMAN JOURNALIST KILLED. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of Efigenia Vásquez Astudillo (31, photo), a reporter with community radio Renacer Kokonuko. The young presenter is the 11th woman journalist killed this year. PEC calls on the authorities to identify those responsible for fatally shooting the reporter as she covered a riot police operation against indigenous protesters in southwestern Colombia on 8 October. PEC is also worried by a separate incident on 8 October, when police fired rubber bullets and teargas at an international delegation of UN and OAS representatives, members of human rights NGOs, politicians and journalists in a rural area of Tumaco, in the neighbouring department of Nariño. The delegation had gone there to investigate the deaths of six farm workers in clashes with police on 5 October.

11.10.2017. COLOMBIA. UNA MUJER PERIODISTA MAS MUERTA. La Campana Emblema de Prensa (PEC, por sus siglas en inglés) condena el asesinato de Efigenia Vásquez Astudillo (31, foto), periodista de la radio comunitaria Renacer Kokonuko. La joven presentadora es la undécima periodista asesinada este año. La PEC pide a las autoridades locales y nacionales que identifiquen a los responsables del asesinato fatal de la periodista ocurrido mientras cubría una operación de la policía antidisturbios contra manifestantes indígenas en el suroeste de Colombia, el pasado 8 de octubre. La PEC también está preocupada por un incidente diferente, que también tuvo lugar el 8 de octubre, cuando la policía disparó balas de goma y gas lacrimógeno a una delegación internacional de representantes de la ONU y la OEA, miembros de ONGs de derechos humanos, políticos y periodistas en una zona rural de Tumaco, en Nariño. La delegación había ido a investigar la muerte de seis trabajadores agrícolas en enfrentamientos con la policía el pasado 5 de octubre.

09.10.2017. VENEZUELA. La Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC, por sus siglas en inglés) se muestra satisfecha por la liberación, este lunes por la mañana, de tres periodistas detenidos el sábado pasado en Venezuela. Se trata de Filippo Rossi (27), un periodista suizo independiente de Lugano y quien trabaja para el diario milanés, Il Giornale. El segundo liberado es el italiano, Roberto Di Matteo, quien también trabaja para el mismo diario. Y el último profesional que recobró su libertad es Jesús Medina, colaborador del sitio web DolarToday, opuesto al gobierno. Según el Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Prensa (SNTP), los tres periodistas fueron acusados de poseer dispositivos de registro electrónicos no autorizados durante una investigación efectuada en la penitenciaría de Tocorón, en el estado de Aragua. Esta prisión está ubicada a unos cien kilómetros al suroeste de la capital, Caracas.
Los tres periodistas fueron arrestados por la Guardia Nacional Venezolana. Una foto que los mostraba desde atrás, aparentemente esposados y vigilados por dos soldados, fue transmitida por el SNTP y su caso fue conocido mundialmente. Representantes sindicales y abogados pudieron reunirse con los detenidos antes de que fueran liberados.

08.10.2017. VENEZUELA. La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) demande la libération rapide de trois journalistes arrêtés vendredi au Venezuela. Filippo Rossi (27 ans) est un journaliste suisse indépendant de Lugano et travaille pour le quotidien milanais Il Giornale. L'Italien Roberto Di Matteo travaille aussi pour Il Giornale. Jesus Medina collabore au site DolarToday, opposé au gouvernement. Selon le Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Prensa (Sntp), les trois journalistes sont accusés d'avoir en leur possession des appareils d'enregistrement non autorisés lors d'une enquête dans le pénitencier de Tocorón dans l'Etat d'Aragua. Cette prison est située à une centaine de kilomètres au sud-ouest de la capitale, Caracas. Les trois journalistes ont été arrêtés par la Garde nationale vénézuélienne. Une photo les montrant de dos, apparemment menottés et encadrés par deux militaires, a été diffusée par le Sntp. Des représentants du syndicat ainsi que des avocats ont pu rencontrer les détenus.

09.10.2017. La PEC se félicite de la libération des trois journalistes après trois jours de détention injustifiée

06.10.2017. MEXICO. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemned new murder of a journalist in Mexico. The body of Edgar Esqueda (photo) was found Friday morning near the airport in the industrial city of San Luis Potosí, some 350 kilometres north of Mexico City, according to local media. Esqueda covered police and crime for the digital outlets Vox Populi SLP and Metrópoli SLP. Vox Populi SLP reported on its Facebook page that Esqueda’s hands had been bound and his body showed signs of torture. News outlets in the state reported that the photojournalist had reported the threats to the authorities. The name of Edgar Esqueda is added to a list of at least 9 journalists killed in 2017 in Mexico: Cándido Ríos, Cecilio Pineda, Ricardo Monlui, Miroslava Breach, Maximino Rodríguez, Filiberto Álvarez, Javier Valdez, Jonathan Rodríguez y Salvador Adame.

22.09.2017. SYRIA/TURKEY. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the brutal murder of two Syrian journalists in Istanbul. The journalist, writer, activist and former member of the Syrian National Council, Orouba Barakat (60) and her daughter Hala Barakat (photos, 22) were murdered by unknown assailants in their house in Kadıköy neighbourhood in Istanbul, Thursday 21 September. Sister claims they were assassinated by the Syrian regime, according to Rami Jarrah, prominent Syrian activist. Hala worked as a journalist in the Dubai-based Syrian Orient News channel. The PEC calls on the Turkish authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to bring those responsible to justice.

07.09.2017. INDIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is shocked by the murder of courageous journalist Guari Lankesh in Bangaluru (Bangalore). The PEC condemns the killing, demands an immediate and thorough investigation into Lankesh’s murder and calls for the arrest of those responsible.
Lankesh (photo, 55), a respected veteran journalist and outspoken critic of Hindu nationalists, was shot dead outside her home in Rajarajeshwarinagar in northern Bengaluru, Karnataka, as she returned from work and as she entered through the gate of her home. Lankesh died at the scene after receiving gunshots to the head and chest. Lankesh edited and published a Kannada-language weekly newspaper Gauri Lankesh Patrike and wrote in the English media.

There have been protests against the killing of Gauri Lankesh across India. Indian reporters are being increasingly targeted by radical Hindu nationalists, activists say. Karnataka state's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was one of the first to respond to her death, calling it an "assassination on democracy".

Ms Lankesh was convicted of defamation last year for a report she published on local BJP leaders. She was sentenced to six months in jail and was out on bail and appealing the conviction at the time of her death.

27.08.2017. SOUTH SUDAN. American journalist Christopher Allen killed in South Sudan fighting. Amid conflicting accounts, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the killing and calls for an independent investigation. The PEC also calls on the armed groups in South Sudan to fulfil their obligations under international law and to ensure that no more journalists are killed whilst reporting in the country.
Christopher Allen (photo, 26), a US freelance reporter and photographer who had written for various outlets, was embedded with rebel forces when fighting broke out. He was killed in a firefight between government forces and rebels near the Ugandan border. The warring sides have given conflicting accounts of his death and whether he was wearing a press vest when he died.

17.08.2017. SYRIA. American journalist Austin Tice (photo), missing in Syria since August 2012, must not be forgotten. Tice’s family believes that, despite the fact no one has claimed to be holding him and no ransom demand has been made, Tice is alive. But where? Indications are he’s being held by a branch of the Syrian government, which has denied any involvement. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) urges all parties to do their utmost to bring him safely home. #FreeAustinTice

14.08.2017. TURQUIE. La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) dénonce une nouvelle détention parmi les journalistes étrangers. La PEC s'associe aux appels pour la libération immédiate du journaliste français Loup Bureau (photo, 27 ans), arrêté par les autorités militaires turques, le 26 juillet, dans la région de Silopi, en province de Sirnak, frontalière de l’Irak et de la Syrie, où il est, depuis lors, incarcéré. L’accusation dont il fait l’objet, "participation à un groupe terroriste" pour avoir réalisé un reportage diffusé par TV5 Monde, dans le Kurdistan syrien, sur une unité de protection du peuple kurde (YPG) combattant contre Daesh, est totalement infondée et injustifiée. Les journalistes étrangers ne sont pas épargnés par la chasse aux médias dans le pays. En mai, le journaliste français Mathias Depardon avait été détenu dans un centre de rétention à Gaziantep avant d’être expulsé vers la France un mois plus tard. Deniz Yücel, le correspondant en Turquie du quotidien allemand Die Welt est derrière les barreaux depuis février.

PEC also condemned a new wawe of arrests among turkish journalists in Turkey, under a combined warrant issued on 3 August for 35 journalists and media workers suspected of installing the encrypted messaging app ByLock on their smartphones. The authorities are now treating installation of this app as proof of membership of the movement led by the Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, which is accused of masterminding the July 2016 coup attempt.

12.08.2017. DENMARK. PEC very concerned by the disappearance of a young journalist. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is sad to learn that the Swedish freelance journalist Kim Wall (photo, 30) has disappeared in Denmark after embarking on a home-made submarine. She has worked for the New York Times, the Guardian and Libération. To do a story about Danish inventor Peter Madsen, she set off with him in the Nautilus, on the evening of 10 August and never came back. Madsen was rescued when the Nautilus sank the next day but there was no sign of Wall. After failing to account satisfactorily for her disappearance, he was arrested on a manslaughter charge on 12 August.

30.07.2017. TURKEY. A Turkish court ordered the release of seven suspects in the trial of 17 journalists and executives from the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet on Friday 28 July. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the decision and calls on the Turkish authorities to release all other journalists currently imprisoned. The next hearing is listed for 11 September. The trial, which began on Monday 24 July, involved 17 Cumhuriyet journalists and executives wrongfully accused of secretly supporting the PKK – a militant Kurdish organisation and FETO, the group allegedly responsible for last year’s failed coup. The PEC condemned a politically motivated effort to criminalize journalism. The 7 released journalists and executives are Musa Kart, Bülent Utku, Turan Günay, Önder Çelik, Kemal Güngör, Hakan Karasinir and Güray Öz. Following Friday’s decision, journalists Kadri Gürsel, Ahmet Şık, Akin Atalay, Murat Sabuncu and teacher Ahmet Kemal Aydogdu will remain in prison. Arrest warrants for Can Dündar and Ilhan Tanir remained in place.

15.07.2017. Giles Trendle, Aljazeera English Managing Director, gave a press conference at the Geneva Press Club on July 13. He answered the questions of the Vice-President of the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) Luisa Ballin: “We will not be silent, censored or intimidated”

“Despite the demand to shut down Al Jazeera, all our journalists carried on doing their job. We have stood firm on the quality of our journalism. Demands were made to shut down Aljazeera so let’s make a demand ourselves: on behalf of all journalists we demand that journalists be allowed to do their job without threat or intimidation”, said Giles Trendle (photo), Aljazeera English Managing Director & Director of Programmes (Read the full PEC interview on PEC NEWS)

13.07.2017. PEC report - Mexico, Afghanistan and Iraq most dangerous countries for journalists in the first six months of 2017 - according to the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), 50 journalists were killed in 18 countries from January to the end of June 2017 // Rapport PEC - Le Mexique, l'Afghanistan et l'Irak pays les plus dangereux pour les journalistes pendant le premier semestre 2017 - selon la Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC), 50 journalistes ont été tués dans 18 pays, en six mois, de janvier à la fin juin de cette année // PEC informe - México, Afganistán e Irak son los países más peligrosos para los periodistas en los primeros seis meses de 2017 - Según la Press Emblem Campaign (Campana Emblema de Prensa, PEC por sus siglas en ingles), 50 periodistas fueron asesinados en 18 países desde enero hasta finales de junio de 2017 (read the PEC report on PEC NEWS, English, French, Spanish and Arabic)

10.07.2017. Que faire face à l’impunité des auteurs de crimes contre les journalistes ? Le Palais des Nations à Genève a accueilli le 29 juin (photo UNESCO: Frank La Rue, Maria Ressa and Alice Bah Kuhnke) une consultation organisée par l’UNESCO et le Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l’homme (HCDH) sur le renforcement de la mise en œuvre du Plan d’Action des Nations Unies sur la sécurité des journalistes et la question de l’impunité. Entretiens réalisés par la PEC avec Michel Forst, Rapporteur Spécial sur la situation des défenseurs des droits de l’homme de l’ONU, et Agnès Callamard, Rapporteur Spécial de l’ONU sur les exécutions extrajudiciaires sommaires et arbitraires (lire les interviews exclusives de Luisa Ballin sur notre page PEC NEWS)

02.07.2017. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is very concerned by the attacks of the President of the United States Donald Trump against US media company CNN, following a video the President published on Twitter. The video originally shot in 2007 shows President Trump beating up a person with the CNN logo on his face. The PEC agrees with CNN which in a statement called it a "sad day when the President of the United States encourages violence against reporters". The PEC warns that this inappropriate and detremental behaviour can be a dangerous precedent used against press freedom by other leaders around the world.

25.06.2017. DON'T MISS UNESCO MEETING IN GENEVA 29 JUNE. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) attends the Multi-Stakeholder Consultation on Strengthening the Implementation of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. The consultation brings together key stakeholders to take stock of developments in the area of safety of journalists and the issue of impunity, within the context of the first five years of implementation of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. For more information on the Multi-Stakeholder Consultation, please find here the concept note. You will find also here:

The draft report that details the key achievements, challenges and lessons learnt from the implementation to date of the UN Plan.
The list of draft recommendations, which has been drafted in the light of the submissions received from stakeholders within the framework of a global consultation. This document constitutes the primary object of discussion at the Multi-Stakeholder Consultation the 29 June 2017.

24.06.2017. IRAQ. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is deeply shocked and saddened by the death of Swiss reporter Véronique Robert, who died on 24 June in France after being injured by an explosive device in Mosul (Iraq). Veteran journalist, Véronique Robert (photo) was assigned to Iraq for the France 2 TV channel’s programme “Envoyé Spécial”. She was transferred to a hospital near the French capital after being seriously wounded on 19 June. Two of her colleagues, Stephan Villeneuve and Bakhtyar Haddad, lost their lives during the same attack.

23.06.2017. SOLIDARITY WITH AL JAZEERA. Press freedom and journalists must not be used as a bargaining chip. Saudi Arabia led coalition today sent an unacceptable ultimatum to Qatar with 13 demands to be met within the next 10 days in order to end Qatar crisis, including the closure of Al Jazeera and other news outlets funded by Qatar. Among the Opens external link in new window

demands, the coalition is asking Qatar to shut down Al-Jazeera and its affiliate stations, as well as the news outlets funded directly and indirectly by this country. In late May, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates moved to block the websites of Al Jazeera and other Qatari media outlets. On June 7, Jordan closed Al Jazeera’s Amman bureau and stripped it of its operating license. Saudi Arabia followed suit the next day, closing Al Jazeera’s Riyadh bureau, according to reports.

22.06.2017. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) joins a coalition of freedom of expression and journalists’ organisations urging all 57 OSCE participating States to urgently appoint a new Representative on Freedom of the Media. The former mandate holder, Dunja Mijatović, left Office on 10 March 2017. She has done remarkable work documenting the violations in the whole region and she intervened successfully several times. Dunja was awarded by the PEC Prize in Geneva in June 2015 (photo). There has been no announcement of her successor. Continued failure to appoint a successor will weaken protections for freedom of the media across the OSCE region, at a time when media organisations are under critical attack. Here is the Opens external link in new window letter to the members of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), calling for the appointment of a new Representative on Freedom of the Media without delay, to ensure the Office’s achievements over the last two decades are not lost.

20.06.2017. IRAK. La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) exprime ses condoléances aux familles du journaliste français Stéphan Villeneuve (photo) et du journaliste kurde irakien Bakhtiyar Haddad, tués par l’explosion d’une mine lundi à Mossoul. Trois journalistes français Stéphan Villeneuve, Véronique Robert et Samuel Forey, accompagnés par le journaliste kurde irakien Bakhtiyar Haddad, couvraient la bataille de Mossoul dans le nord de l’Irak, dans le cadre d’un reportage pour le magazine « Envoyé spécial » sur France 2. Alors qu’il suivait l’avancée des forces spéciales irakiennes dans leur bataille contre le groupe État islamique (EI), le groupe de journalistes a été touché par l’explosion d’une mine. Villeneuve était un journaliste très expérimenté qui avait couvert plusieurs conflits. Véronique Robert, qui accompagnait Stephan Villeneuve, a été hospitalisée dans état critique. L’Irak est l’un des pays les plus dangereux pour les journalistes. Seize journalistes y ont perdu la vie en 2016 et maintenant cinq depuis début 2017. La PEC a averti plusieurs fois des dangers élevés pour les journalistes dans la bataille de Mossoul.

The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) expresses its condolences to the families of French journalist Stephan Villeneuve (photo) and Iraqi Kurdish journalist Bakhtiar Haddad killed by an explosive device while they were covering Iraqi operations in the Ras Al-Jadah district of Mosul, in northern Iraq, on Monday. Villeneuve was a very experienced reporter who had covered wars all over the world. Véronique Robert, another French reporter was badly injured by the same explosion. She, Villeneuve and Haddad were all on assignment in Mosul for the France 2 TV channel’s programme Envoyé Spécial. They were accompanying Iraqi army forces in areas held by Islamic State in the old town. Iraq is one of the world's deadliest countries for journalists. Sixteen journalists were killed last year in Iraq and now five since the beginning of this year. PEC warned of the high risks for journalists in the battle of Mosul several times.

09.06.2017. TURQUIE. La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) se félicite de la libération du photographe français Mathias Depardon (photo) détenu en Turquie pendant un mois.
Photographe indépendant collaborant notamment au Monde et au Wall Street Journal, Mathias Depardon a été arrêté le 8 mai alors qu'il réalisait un reportage pour le magazine National Geographic sur le déplacement d'un tombeau médieval menacé d'inondation à Hasankyef, dans la province de Batman, au sud-est du pays. Il était soupçonné de «propagande terroriste» pour des photos de militantes du Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK) publiées dans des médias français et sur les réseaux sociaux. Par deux fois, le président farnçais Emmanuel Macron a discuté de sa situation avec le président turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan. La mobilisation, notamment grâce aux efforts de RSF, a payé. "C'est un bon signe, mais 165 autres journalistes sont détenus en Turquie. Il faut continuer à se mobiliser", a affirmé à Genève le secrétaire général de la PEC Blaise Lempen. La PEC avait consacré son prix annuel à la liberté de la presse en Turquie le 1er juin et avait demandé à cette occasion la libération, entre autres journalistes emprisonnés, de Mathias Depardon. "Je pense que l’idée était d’envoyer un message assez fort auprès des journalistes étrangers et turcs qui ont pour but de faire des sujets dans le sud-est de la Turquie", a estimé le journaliste après son expulsion de Turquie et son retour en France. Les régions kurdes du sud-est, ainsi que les abords de la frontière avec la Syrie, sont des zones où les journalistes ne sont pas bienvenus.

01.06.2017. The PEC Award 2017 goes to the Platform for Independent Journalism in Turkey - The PEC Award 2017 is dedicated to the situation of freedom of expression in Turkey. The PEC Award committee for the protection of journalists handed the award on Thursday in Geneva to Hasan Cemal (photo), founding President of the Platform for Independent Journalism in Turkey P24. The PEC Award committee has selected Turkey because of the deterioration of press freedom and risks faced by journalists in recent months in this country. The PEC wants to express its solidarity with the journalists arbitrarily detained and to support the brave fight of many others for freedom of expression (read the PEC press release, speeches at the award ceremony on our special page PEC AWARD)

"I have been a journalist for nearly 50 years and of course I have many memories. But the one thing I cannot remember is a period in which Turkey was more repressive and more intolerant of dissent then the one we are living through today", stressed Hasan Cemal receiving the PEC Award (photo with Blaise Lempen and Luisa Ballin at the Swiss Press Club in Geneva).
"Turkish journalists are being punished for telling the truth, for saying things those in power do not want to hear. In fact there are 169 Turkish journalists behind bars making Turkey the world's most vicious prosecutor of journalists", he added.

29.05.2017. INVITATION TO A PRESS CONFERENCE, GENEVA PRESS CLUB, Thursday 1 June 2017, 3pm. Turkey a new dictatorship ? with Hasan Cemal, founding President of the Platform for an Independent Journalism in Turkey and Blaise Lempen, PEC Secretary-General. Turkey evolves toward a dictatorship of one man. Near 165 journalists are in jail et 200 media were closed. Journalist engaged, founding president of the Platform for Independent Journalism ( www.platform24.org), Hasan Cemal is in Geneva to receive the annual Prize awarded by the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC). He will testify to the situation in Turkey after the referendum // INVITATION A UNE CONFERENCE DE PRESSE, Club suisse de la presse, jeudi 1er juin 2017, 15h00. La Turquie une nouvelle dictature ? avec Hasan Cemal président de la Plateforme pour un Journalisme Indépendant en Turquie et Blaise Lempen, secrétaire général de la PEC. La Turquie évolue vers la dictature d'un seul homme. Quelque 165 journalistes sont en prison et 200 médias ont été fermés. Journaliste engagé, président de la Plateforme pour un journalisme indépendant ( www.platform24.org), Hasan Cemal est à Genève pour recevoir le prix annuel décerné par la Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC). Il témoignera de la situation en Turquie après le référendum.

19.05.2017. MEXICO. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes President Enrique Peña Nieto’s pledge to reinforce protection for journalists and expects it will be followed up by action. After the sixth murder of a journalist (Javier Valdez Cardenas on May 15) since the start of the year Peña Nieto announced a series of concrete measures to provide journalists with more protection and to combat impunity for crimes of violence against them. Peña Nieto said at a meeting he will act with firmness to arrest and punish those responsible and plans to reinforce the Federal Mechanism for Protecting Human Rights Defenders and Journalists and the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Crimes against Freedom of Expression (FEADLE). He also announced plans to establish a national protocol for investigating crimes of violence against journalists and for looking after the victims - read more in Spanish on: http://urlz.fr/5irK

Mexican journalist Javier Valdez Cárdenas (photo), who reported extensively on drug trafficking, was killed on Monday in Sinaloa. He is the sixth journalist to be killed in Mexico this year. Valdez was a well-respected journalist in Sinaloa and published several books on drug trafficking, crime, and its effects on communities. Riodoce, the weekly publication Valdez founded and worked for, reported he was shot to death. Valdez was also a correspondent for La Jornada in Sinaloa and worked with news agency AFP. The PEC laments this new tragedy and calls on the Mexican authorities to shed all possible light on this cowardly murder.

17.05.2017. AFGHANISTAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns in the strongest terms deadly attack on state radio and TV in Jalalabad. At least six people have been killed by assailants wearing suicide vests who stormed Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) in the city of Jalalabad, in eastern Afghanistan. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group claimed responsibility for the attack. At least 16 people, including journalists, were wounded. Among the dead were four RTA employees, including a driver, a guard, and two technical personnel. Wednesday's attack underscores the growing dangers faced by media workers in Afghanistan as the security situation worsens. The country suffered its deadliest year on record for journalists in 2016 with 13 killed. According to the PEC Safety Index, the country is one of the most dangerous for reporters in the world.

12.05.2017. La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) salue la parution du livre de son secrétaire général Blaise Lempen: "Le Nouveau Désordre Mondial - de la chute du communisme à la montée des populismes" (Georg, 368 pages) (only in French). Ce livre explique pourquoi la liberté d'expression est aujourd'hui sur la défensive dans de nombreux pays. Il réagit à l'intolérable: guerres interminables au Moyen-Orient, impuissance internationale, montée de l'extrémisme, tensions migratoires, crispations nationalistes et identitaires. Témoin privilégié de l'histoire contemporaine comme correspondant à l'ONU pendant plus de 20 ans, Blaise Lempen s'interroge sur la marche de l'Histoire, le progrès humain, le retour de la barbarie, les risques systémiques, les blocages des démocraties. Un éclairage en profondeur sur le contexte international. En librairie, sur Amazon ou sur commande à: www.georg.ch

The scale is going from 1 to 5, the highest level of danger, which reflects high risks of conflict-related accidents, kidnapping, arbitrary detention, deliberate murder, injuries, absence of independent judiciary to investigate crimes against journalists and to prosecute the responsible.

The index is based on a six-month period and is published twice a year, to coincide with World Press Freedom Day on 3 May and the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November.

World Press Freedom Day 2017 highlights the protection of journalists. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) celebrates World Press Freedom Day 2017 (3 May).

PEC is pleased to see that the safety of journalists is at the heart of the program. Under the global theme of Critical Minds for Critical Times: Media’s role in advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies, participants gathered in Jakarta examine current challenges facing media, including the continuous trend worldwide of attacks against those who bring information to the public.

Read more on the official website, where you will find the concept note and more information about the event,

available at: http://en.unesco.org/wpfd

30.04.2017: The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the killing in Istanbul of Gem TV Iranian CEO Saeed Karimian (photo, 45). The founder and chairman of the Persian-language Gem TV company has been shot dead in the Maslak neighbourhood, along with his Kuwaiti business partner. Mr Karimian had previously been tried in absentia by a Tehran court and sentenced to six years in prison for spreading propaganda against Iran. It is understood he died immediately after the gunmen - who were reportedly masked - opened fire on the vehicle on Saturday evening. Gem TV has been criticized by Iran for showing programmes which go against Islamic values. Family members told the BBC's Jiyar Gol that Mr Karimian had been threatened by the regime the past three months, and as a result was planning to leave Istanbul and move back to London. Gem Group was initially established in London, but later expanded to Dubai.

20.04.2017. BURMA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the brutal murder of Wai Yan Heinn in Burma (Myanmar) and calls for a thorough investigation into the murder. Wai Yan Heinn, the 27 year old weekly magazine editor at the Iron Rose was found dead on Sunday, April 16, at the publications offices in Rangoon’s Pazundaung Township. Heinn published a number of articles that have been critical of the elites in Myanmar particularly the military, business and government. Heinn was stabbed 15 times in the chest and abdomen.

25.03.2017. IRAQ. Kurdish journalist died from her injuries after Sinjar clashes. Tuba Akyılmaz (photo), a reporter for the pro-PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) agency Roj News, died on 23 March from her injuries after being shot during clashes between PKK and KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) affiliated forces in Sinjar on 3 March. In the clashes at least three journalists were injured, including Çıra TV journalists Hadi İlyas and İzzet İsmet alongside journalist Tuba Akyılmaz (who used the name Nujiyan Erhan). Tuba is the second female journalist to be killed in Iraq since the start of the year. The first was Shifa Zikri Ibrahim (Shifa Gardi), a Kurdish reporter for Rudaw TV killed by the blast of an improvised explosive device in a road in Al-Mamun, a western suburb of Mosul, on 25 February. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) calls again on the Iraqi forces and all warring parties to ensure the safety of the reporters who risk their lives to cover the fighting.

24.03.2017. MEXICO: lamentablemente, tres periodistas asesinados en tres semanes. El PEC es chocada y condena el homicidio de la comunicadora Miroslava Breach (54, photo), este jueves 23 de marzo en la ciudad de Chihuahua, corresponsal de La Jornada y directora editorial del diario El Norte de Chihuahua. Sus notas se centraban en temas de crimen organizado, narcotrafico y corrupcion politica. Otros dos periodistas mexicanos fueron asesinados en marzo: Cecilio Pineda y Ricardo Monlui. Debe castigar a los culpables y poner fin a la impunidad, dijo el PEC.

17.03.2017. NEW FIGHTING IN LIBYA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the attack against Al-Nabaa TV targeted by an RPG on March 15 in Zanata, Tripoli. The explosion of the rocket at the TV’s headquarters led to a great panic among staffers and set part of the building on fire, not to mention that the TV went off air. Tripoli is again the playground of clashes between armed groups from Misrata and other central region areas and security forces of the Government of National Accord. This is the second time Al-Nabaa TV channel is targeted. It was targeted by explosives and gunfire in late March 2016 because of its support of the Tripoli-based government. PEC reminds all belligerents that all media facilities must be spared and calls on authorities in Tripoli to protect the station's employees from future violence.

15.03.2017. TURKEY. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - 34th session. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) oral statement: Journalists are not ping pong balls between governments. Mr Erdogan has been using the abortive coup of July 2016 as an excuse to launch a media witch hunt and to silence the independent media in the country creating a climate of fear. The PEC protests those undemocratic practices, calls upon the authorities in Turkey to release without delay all journalists and urges Members of the Human Rights Council to condemn the outrageous violations of press freedom by Turkey (read the full statement on PEC NEWS)

04.03.2017. AZERBAIJAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns in the strongest possible terms the sentencing of Mehman Huseynov (photo), Azerbaijani journalist and chairman of the country's leading freedom of expression group, Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety, to two years in jail on defamation charges. The PEC joins other organizations to call on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mehman Huseynov and to reverse the continuous clampdown on freedom of expression occurring in the country. PEC also calls on the international community to exert political pressure and take all the necessary measures until Azerbaijan honours its human rights commitments.

03.03.2017. PERU. Lamentable noticia. El periodista y realizador audiovisual José Yactayo Rodríguez de 55 años fue hallado tras ser brutalmente asesinado en Huacho. El PEC lamenta la muerte del periodista José Yactayo y expresa sus más sentidas condolencias a los familiares. Sus restos fueron encontrados dentro de una maleta en una chacra en Andahuasi. José Yactayo quien es un destacado realizador audiovisual de larga trayectoria fue visto por última vez el último sábado 25 de febrero cuando salía de una reunión con amigos.

PERU. Sad news. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the brutal murder of the well-known journalist Jose Yactayo Rodriguez (photo, 55) and expresses its sincere condolences to his family. His remains were found inside a suitcase in a farm in Andahuasi. José Yactayo, who is a prominent audiovisual director with a long history, was last seen on the last Saturday, February 25, when he was leaving a meeting with friends.

28.02.2017. TURKEY: A new chapter in the Turkish authorities’ crackdown on freedom of expression. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the detention of Deniz Yücel (photo), a Turkish-German national journalist working for the German newspaper Die Welt. Deniz Yücel has already spent 13 days in police detention. He now joins the ranks of more than 120 journalists and media workers in Turkey who have been imprisoned awaiting trial since the attempted coup in July 2016. Turkey now has the shameful honour of being the world’s biggest jailer of journalists. PEC urges the Turkish authorities to immediately release Deniz Yücel.

to defend free expression in Turkey, go to: www.freeturkeyjournalists.com

25.02.2017. IRAQ. Sad news: young Rudaw journalist Shifa Gardi killed while covering clashes between government forces and ISIL in Mosul. Rudaw channel said roadside bomb explosion kills its female reporter Shifa Gardi (photo, 30) and wounds cameraman Younis Mustafa. The media group in Kurdistan said it lost one of its most prominent journalists and that Gardi had broken the stereotypes of male-dominated journalism in war zones. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) expressed its condolences to her family and her media group.

19.02.2017. IRAQ. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) warns of high risks for journalists covering the second part of the battle of Mosul. Iraqi government forces have launched an offensive to liberate the western part of the city of Mosul from so-called Islamic State, after retaking the city's eastern half last month. The western side, with its narrow, winding streets, presents a more difficult challenge than the rest of the city. The UN has voiced concern about civilians trapped there, amid reports that they could number up to 650,000. Experts warn that western Mosul is more densely populated and includes districts that are seen as pro-IS.
Read the survey of the Global Investigative Journalism Network: Looking for a Suicidal Job? Try Iraqi War Reporter: http://urlz.fr/4PSq

15.02.2017. República Dominicana. La Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC) condena con firmeza el asesinato del locutor Luis Manuel Medina Pérez y del director de radio Leónidas Antonio Evangelista Martínez, quienes perdieron la vida mientras transmitían en directo en la ciudad de San Pedro el martes 14 de febrero. La PEC denuncia este acto odioso y exhorta a las autoridades dominicanas a identificar los autores de estos asesinatos // Dominican Republic. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the fatal shooting of a radio news presenter Luis Manuel Medina Pérez and his producer Leónidas Antonio Evangelista Martínez (photos) in mid-broadcast on Tuesday 14 February in San Pedro and calls on the Dominican authorities to identify those responsible for this shocking double murder.

more info on: http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2017/02/16/san-pedro-macoris-enluta-por-muerte-dos-comunicadores

13.02.2017. PAKISTAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the brutal killing of a young journalist in Karachi, on February 12. The PEC demands justice for the killed cameraman Taimoor Abbas, of Samaa TV news channel. He was shot in his head and chest when he was traveling in the Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) van in north Nazimabad to report on an attack on the police. The unidentified assailants on a motorbike had thrown an explosive device on a police armored personnel carrier, and had started shooting when the Samaa TV van arrived. Taimoor Abbas is the second journalist killed this year in Pakistan, one of the most dangerous countries for journalists.

25.01.2017. SOMALIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) expressed its shock and condemns a terrorist attack in which 7 journalists were wounded in Mogadishu. In this attack targeting an hotel in the city center, seven journalists who came to cover the attack were wounded and admitted to Madina hospital, among them Abdulkadir Abdullahi Ga’al (HornCable TV), Farah Abdi Warsame (AP news agency), Abdulkadir Abdullahi (Radio Kulmiye), Yusuf Jama Abdullahi (Aljazeera TV) and Mohamed Abdiwahab (AFP news agency). At least 15 people have been killed and dozens wounded in the attack carried out by al-Shabab. The assault on Wednesday morning began when attackers rammed an explosives-packed car into the gate of Dayah Hotel, and then stormed inside exchanging gunfire with security guards. A second massive car bomb blast went off after ambulances and journalists had arrived at the scene, according to news agencies.

24.01.2017. IRAQ: crimes committed by Daesh (ISIS). The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations sent a clarification to the PEC annual report. According to the PEC report, Iraq was in 2016 the most dangerous country with 16 journalists killed. The government of Iraq says that "the growing number of journalists' victims in Iraq is the result of the crimes committed by the Daesh terrorist groups" and lists 10 journalists executed by Daesh. The PEC strongly condemns these heinous crimes. Read the statement on Iraq on PEC NEWS

17.01.2017. SYRIA. South African photojournalist Shiraaz Mohamed kidnapped in northern Syria since one week. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the kidnapping and demands his immediate release. Shiraaz Mohamed (photo, 38) was taken by unidentified armed men on January 10 near Turkey border while on assignment for the aid group Gift of the Givers. Mohamed arrived in Syria on January 4 and photographed inside and around the Gift of the Givers hospitals. Shiraaz's passion for his pictures and for people led him into a career as an international photographer. Last year, he travelled to 12 countries.

READ MORE: South African photojournalist kidnapped in Syria

11.01.2017. Azerbaijan. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the abduction and torture of journalist Mehman Huseynov (photo), chairman of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety. In recent weeks, Huseynov had produced a series of investigative reports on villas he alleges belong to state ministers and parliamentarians. Azerbaijan's authorities must immediately revoke the travel ban on Huseynov and allow him to work as a journalist freely and without fear. Read more on: irfs.org

05.01.2017. UPDATE - 156 media workers killed in 2016, a record number. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has updated its annual report published on 14 December. Since mid-december until 31 December, 12 journalists died on duty. The total number for the year 2016 amounts to 156 killed in 33 countries: it is the highest number in 10 years, an increase of 15% compared to 2015 // 156 travailleurs des media tués en 2016, un nombre record - La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) a mis à jour son rapport annuel publié le 14 décembre. De mi-décembre au 31 décembre, 12 journalistes sont morts en mission. En un an, le bilan s'élève désormais à 156 travailleurs des médias tués dans 33 pays. C'est le chiffre le plus élevé en 10 ans, en hausse de 15% par rapport à 2015 (read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS, list of victims on CASUALTIES// Lire le communiqué de la PEC sur PEC NEWS, liste des victimes sur CASUALTIES)

27.12.2016. BAHRAIN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of a female journalist Iman Salehi in Bahrain on 23 December and calls for a full and independent investigation. A military officer belonging to Bahrain’s royal family allegedly shot a female sports journalist “at point blank” range in the city of Riffa on Dec. 23. Iman Salehi (on the right on the photo) was reportedly in her car with her 6-year-old son when a military officer harassed her. When Salehi refused his advances, he shot her. Iman Salehi’s case gets more complicated considering she belongs to the Shiite sect and the suspect is believed to be a member of the House of Khalifa, the ruling family of Bahrain, the Sunni monarchy.

25.12.2016. RUSSIA-SYRIA. NINE RUSSIAN JOURNALISTS KILLED when a Russian military plane carrying 92 people crashed into the Black Sea on its way to Syria on Sunday. At least 60 were members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, better known internationally as the Red Army Choir, and were being flown out to Russia's Hmeymim air base in Syria to entertain troops in the run-up to the New Year. Nine Russian reporters were also on board as well as military servicemen. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) send its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the Russian media concerned by this catastrophe, the second one this year affecting the media community after the one in Colombia at the end of November. "These reporters were on duty. They flew to Syria to testify to the conflict. It is a new tragedy for the media", said the PEC. Journalists died in 2016 in a record number, the toll is now 155. "The war in Syria has already claimed the lives of more than 100 journalists since 2012. This violence must stop now", added the PEC.

14.12.2016. PEC annual report : 144 media workers killed in 2016, a record number //

Rapport annuel de la PEC: 144 travailleurs des media tués en 2016, un nombre record //

Informe Anual de la PEC: 144 trabajadores de los medios murieron en 2016, un número record

التقرير السنوى لحملة الشارة الدولية
144 صحفياً وصحفية قُتِلوا فى 2016

(read the PEC press release English, French, Spanish and Arabic on PEC NEWS)

12.12.2016. Un journaliste meurt en détention en Algérie. La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) est consternée d'apprendre la mort en prison à Alger de Mohamed Tamalt, 42 ans. La PEC appelle les autorités algériennes à ouvrir une enquête indépendante sur les circonstances de sa mort. Il avait été condamné en juillet à deux ans de prison pour « offense au président de la République ». Le journaliste Mohamed Tamalt, 42 ans, est mort dimanche 11 décembre à l’hôpital de Bab El-Oued à Alger, « après plus de trois mois de grève de la faim suivis d’un coma de trois mois », a annoncé son avocat, Amine Sidhoum. Dans un communiqué, la direction de l’administration pénitentiaire a expliqué que le prisonnier avait bénéficié d’un suivi médical et de médicaments pendant sa grève de la faim, qu’il avait eu un accident vasculaire cérébral ayant nécessité une intervention, et que son état s’était subitement dégradé en raison d’«une infection pulmonaire». Diabétique, Mohamed Tamalt était en prison depuis son arrestation le 27 juin, date à laquelle il avait entamé une grève de la faim. Le 11 juillet, il avait été condamné à deux ans de prison et une amende pour « outrage à corps constitué » et « atteinte à la personne du président » en raison de publications sur Facebook, s’attaquant à des responsables politiques, notamment au chef de l’Etat, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

08.12.2016. Dutch journalist Okke Ornstein jailed in Panama since 3 weeks. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) urges authorities to immediately release the dutch journalist. On 15 November, Ornstein was arrested on his arrival at Panama's international airport and charged with slander and libel in connection with articles he published on his website about the alleged fraudulent commercial activity of a Canadian citizen, Monte Friesner, who is currently facing criminal proceedings in Panama. The journalist faces a prison term of 38 months. UPDATED 21.12.2016. PEC welcomes Panama's president pardon to Dutch journalist

04.12.2016. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of two Finnish journalists, killed on 4 December in the town of Imatra, in the southeast region of Finland. Katri Ikävalko, 36, worked for the local daily newspaper Uutisvuoksi and Anne Vihavainen, 52, worked for the regional daily newspaper Etelä-Saimaa in Imatra. They were killed by a lone gunman who also killed the Chair of the City Council of Imatra, Ms Tiina Wilén-Jäppinen. The PEC trusts that the authorities will conduct a swift and transparent investigation and bring the assailant to justice. It is not clear if the killings had any connection to the journalists’ professional activities.

29.11.2016. La organización Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC) lamenta profundamente la muerte de 20 periodistas que perecieron en el accidente de avión que se estrelló la noche del lunes cerca de la ciudad colombiana de Medellín. La PEC envía sus condolencias a todos los miembros de las familias afectadas por este terrible desastre. Además, pide a las autoridades competentes una investigación exhaustiva para esclarecer las causas del suceso.

The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is saddened by the death of 20 journalists who faced their unfortunate fate in a plane crash of a Columbian aircraft Monday night close to the Columbian city of Medellin. PEC expressed his shock for the death of 20 Journalists who accompanied a Brazilian football team and stressed that it is one of the worst accidents facing the profession with a very high tally and has hit hard on the sports media community. The PEC presents its condolences to the families of the killed journalists who lost their lives in this horrible catastrophe.

ACCIDENT D'AVION EN COLOMBIE. La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) est consternée d'apprendre que 20 journalistes sont morts lors de l'accident d'avion qui s'est écrasé lundi soir près de la ville colombienne de Medellin et qui a fait au total 75 victimes. Il s'agit d'un des plus graves accidents frappant la profession depuis des années. L'ONG basée à Genève adresse ses condoléances à tous les membres des familles touchées par cette terrible catastrophe. Elle demande aux autorités compétentes une enquête complète pour faire la lumière sur les causes de cet accident (Photo: Rafael Henzel of Radio Oeste in Chapecó was the sole surviving journalist aboard the charter flight to Medellín)

(press release on PEC NEWS, lire le communiqué de la PEC sur PEC NEWS, lea la lista de los periodistas que iban a cubrir el juego de Chapecoense)

11.11.2016. COLOMBIE. « Journaliste et défenseur des droits de l’Homme sont les professions les plus dangereuses en Colombie », affirme à la PEC le photographe colombien Rene Torres à l'occasion du festival FILMAR en América Latina - Dans le cadre de la série d'interviews consacrées par la PEC à des journalistes engagés pour défendre la liberté de la presse, Rene Torres a répondu aux questions de la vice-présidente de la Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) Luisa Ballin sur la situation des médias en Colombie, après la signature historique de l'accord de paix entre la guérilla des FARC (photo de combattants) et le gouvernement colombien.

Lire le témoignage de Rene Torres sur PEC NEWS

08.11.2016. NO TO IMPUNITY FOR CRIMES AGAINST JOURNALISTS: Time has come to turn words into action. A conference convened by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in Brussels on ending impunity for crimes targeting journalists and media workers has called for action to tackle the global crisis of impunity. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes and strongly supports the IFJ recommendation to address current weaknesses in the international legal framework for greater media protection through the adoption of a new convention on the safety of journalists.

(read the IFJ press release on our page NO IMPUNITY)

08.11.2016. IRAQ. MORE JOURNALISTS INJURED IN THE BATTLE OF MOSUL. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) expresses its serious concern. The most recent attack on journalists was carried out by the so called Islamic State (ISIS) on 5th November. The correspondent for Al Forat Satellite Channel Ahmed Al-Zaidi was injured by shrapnel in his body following a rocket explosion. Since the battle to liberate the city of Mosul from ISIS Al Forat Satellite Channel have also encountered serious injury to photojournalist Arwa Abdul Karim Al-Tamimi who was wounded following a landmine explosion. At least ten journalists were wounded since October. At the same time the PEC welcomes the release of Japanese journalist Kosuke Tsuneoka Monday in Iraq. He was captured last month while reporting on the battle to retake Mosul from ISIS and taken into custody by Kurdish-led forces.

(read more on PEC NEWS)

2.11.2016. INTERNATIONAL DAY TO END IMPUNITY. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes a new report by the Director-General of UNESCO showing stronger political will to monitor and report on murderous attacks on media workers. In this year’s Report, 40 out of 62 countries where journalists have been killed in connection with their work have responded to the Director-General’s request. In 2014, date of the previous report, only 16 out of the 59 countries concerned had provided information. At the same time, the Report notes that fewer than one in ten cases of killed journalists is resolved by the judiciary, according to the information received from those Member States that have responded to the Director-General’s requests for data about judicial follow up (read more on our page NO IMPUNITY)

Launching today its second edition of a new index aiming to clarify the level of safety/danger for media representatives, the PEC added that the scale is going from 1 to 5, the highest danger level, which reflects high risks of conflict-related accidents, like kidnapping, arbitrary detention, deliberate murder, injuries, absence of independent judiciary to investigate crimes against journalists and to prosecute the responsible.

La PEC lance la seconde édition du nouvel index sur la sécurité des journalistes. Le niveau de danger va de 1 à 5, le niveau le plus élevé, évalué en fonction des risques liés à des accidents dans les zones de conflit, des enlèvements, détentions arbitraires, assassinats, blessures, absence de procédures judiciaires indépendantes pour enquêter sur les crimes perpétrés à l'encontre de journalistes et pour en poursuivre en justice les responsables.

For the International Day to End Impunity: http://en.unesco.org/day/endimpunity

31.10.2016. TURKEY. THE PRESS EMBLEM CAMPAIGN (PEC) CONDEMNED THE LATEST WAVE OF ARRESTS OF MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA. Police in Istanbul raided the offices of the opposition daily newspaper Cumhuriyet and detained at least 12 of the newspaper's journalists and directors. Reportedly, since the attempted coup in Turkey in July, more than 125 media outlets have been closed and 120 journalists detained. Anti-terrorism legislation goes far beyond what may be justifiable under a state of emergency. PEC urged the authorities to restore media freedom and recalled that journalists must be able to do their work in a free and safe manner, without fear of being harassed, intimidated, threatened or detained.

Sign the petition: https://lc.cx/odta

Twitter: #FreeTurkeyJournalists

23.10.2016. FRANCE. LA LIBERTE DE LA PRESSE EN DANGER. Dans un entretien exclusif à la PEC à quelques mois de l'élection présidentielle française, le journaliste Laurent Mauduit (photo), cofondateur de Mediapart, avertit dans un livre: de nouveaux empires médiatiques sont une atteinte au pluralisme démocratique, l'indépendance des rédactions est gravement remise en cause

FRANCE. THE PRESS FREEDOM IN DANGER. In an exclusive interview with the PEC only a few months from the French presidential election, the cofounder of Mediapart Laurent Mauduit (photo) warns that new media empires are a serious threat to democratic pluralism and that journalistic independence is substantially undermined in France

(lire notre entretien sur la page PEC NEWS) (read our interview on PEC NEWS)

16.10.2016. THE PRESS EMBLEM CAMPAIGN (PEC) CONDEMNS NEW ATTACKS AGAINST JOURNALISTS IN AFGHANISTAN AND YEMEN.

In AFGHANISTAN, PEC is shocked by the assassination of a reporter for Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) Yaqoob Sharafat (photo) in Zabul on 16th October. According to Zabul police chief Gen. Mirwais Noorzai the RTA reporter for southern Kandahar province was attacked in Rasala village of Qalat city, Zabul’s capital.The armed men opened fire at Yaqoob Sharafat and killed him on the spot. Police had launched a probe into the murder.

On 9th October unidentified gunmen have assaulted and snatched car, laptop and cell phones of the Afghanistan Times’ editor-in-chief, Abdul Saboor Sarir (photos), in Kabul. Abdul Saboor Sarir sustained head injuries in the attack. It is not the first time that Mr. Sarir came under attack. He was repeatedly threatened by different groups of dire consequences.

PEC requests the afghan government to immediately commence investigations in order to identify the suspects and take swift action against those responsible of both attacks.

In YEMEN, on Saturday the 8th October the Saudi -led coalition have carried out a series of devastating airstrikes on a funeral procession in the capital of Yemen that killed more than 140, and over 500 people were injured including cameraman Hashim Al-Shami of Al-Masirah Satellite Television. Since the War on Yemen began more than 15 journalists have been killed, and eight media outlasts were deliberately destroyed. The PEC requests that all parties fully implement the international law on safety of journalists working in war zones; which include the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1738, the UN Human Rights Council Resolutions on the Safety of Journalists, the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. The PEC regrets that the Human Rights Council has not decided at its last session to undertake an international investigation into the violations committed by all parties in Yemen including against journalists, media worker, and media outlasts.

03.10.2016. LIBYA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) mourns the death of prominent Dutch journalist Jeroen Oerlemans (photo) killed covering a government offensive against ISIL in the group's Libyan stronghold of Sirte, a city 450km east of Tripoli. Dr Akram Gliwan, spokesman for a hospital in Misrata, told the AFP news agency that Oerlemans was shot in the chest by an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group sniper. Oerlemans was working in Libya for a number of media organisations, including the Belgian weekly Knack magazine.

14.09.2016. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - 33rd session. Statement delivered by the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) - general debate on the oral update by the High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein (photo): "The PEC regrets that freedom of expression has deteriorated in several countries since the previous session of the Human Rights Council in June. Since January, at least 95 journalists were killed in 25 countries. Since the 32nd session, 21 journalists were murdered, other journalists are missing (...) The Human Rights Council must do more to investigate all these cases (...) We need an independent mechanism to follow up" (read the full PEC statement on PEC NEWS)

08.09.2016. TWO JOURNALISTS KILLED IN ONE WEEK IN KENYA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) urges police to investigate the mysterious death of two journalists in Kenya. One journalist, Joseph Masha, was killed in Kilifi County on Saturday 3 September. The journalist who worked for The Standard is said to have had dinner with a local politician to mend fences following frosty relations between the two. Family members revealed that the politician had complained of a story that appeared on The Standard newspaper on August 31 in which Mr Masha analysed Kilifi politics. Another Kenyan reporter Dennis Otieno was murdered at his home in Trans Nzoia county on Thursday over a photograph in his possession. Hundreds of other journalists protested in the capital Nairobi against threats and intimidation. The PEC joins Kenyan journalists to demand the government do more to protect reporters against attacks.

06.09.2016. SYRIA: ONE MORE JOURNALIST KILLED IN ALEPPO. Shamel Al Ahmed (photo) was one of the Aleppo Media Center founders. He passed away on 2 September in an hospital in Gaziantep after a struggle with his wounds being hit with a barrel bomb in Aleppo two weeks ago along with his wife who passed away four days ago. He was well known with his good moral and a bright smile. He captured with his camera, horror and poetry of a city guilty only of wanting to be free, to be against the dictatorial regime of Assad, against the terror of his bombs, of those of its allies.

18.08.2016. BURUNDI: journalist Jean Bigirimana missing for four weeks. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) asks the United Nations to investigate the disappearance of the Burundian journalist Jean Bigirimana (photo) missing for four weeks. Bigirimana, a reporter with the independent weekly newspaper Iwacu, left his home in the capital Bujumbura on July 22. He has not been seen or heard from since. The worst is feared: Iwacu's editor in Burundi has issued a cry for help after two bodies were found during a search for his missing journalist. There are more than 100 Burundian journalists in exile, and the very last media houses have been facing extraordinary pressures and threats for over a year now. Instead of helping the search being conducted by the Iwacu team, the police tried to obstruct it.

17.08.2016. TWO JOURNALISTS KILLED IN IRAQ. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) mourns two new fatalities in the north of Iraq. Widat Hussein Ali, a 28-year-old reporter for RojNews, a news agency that supports the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), was kidnapped in Dohuk and then murdered on 13 August. Mustafa Said a cameraman with Kurdistan TV, a satellite TV channel owned by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (PDK), was killed on 14 August while covering the fighting in the north of the city of Mosul between Islamic State and kurdish forces.

08.08.2016. PAKISTAN. TWO JOURNALISTS KILLED, OTHERS INJURED IN A SUICIDE BOMB ATTACK AT THE CIVIL HOSPITAL IN QUETTA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the senseless terrorist attack which killed around 70 people, among them patients, mourners, lawyers and journalists who had gathered at the hospital to mourn the Balochistan Bar Association President who was shot dead earlier in the day. Cameramen from Dawn News and Aaj TV were killed in this particularly appalling attack. The PEC is sad to hear that journalists are increasingly caught in the middle of violence in Pakistan.

28.07.2016. TURKEY. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC ) joins the solidarity campaign launched by the European and International Federation of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) with the Turkish journalists following the new attacks on press freedom and human rights in Turkey since the coup attempt on 15 July. We invite PEC partners to help the Turkish colleagues by:

sending a letter to the Turkish ambassador in your country and/or your national government (sample letters enclosed)

signing and sharing the Amnesty International petition “Rights hard-won cannot be taken away”, calling on President Erdogan to uphold human rights in Turkey

sharing in your social media and website the visual “Did you know? Journalism is not a crime” #JournalismIsNotACrime

The EFJ and the IFJ are also monitoring the situation regarding detained/arrested journalists and press freedom violations since 15 July. A list of detained journalists is available here and all the alerts submitted to the Council of Europe platform for the protection of journalism and the safety of journalists, here.

22.07.2016. UKRAINE. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the murder of Pavel Sheremet. Pavel Sheremet (44, photo), who worked for the Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper died when the car he was driving exploded shortly after it started. Sheremet was a well-known journalist and political analyst specializing in relations between Russia and Ukraine. The authorities of Kiev must act swiftly to bring the killers to justice.

The most dangerous countries for media workers were in the first six months of 2016: Afghanistan with 10 journalists killed, then Syria with 9 killed. Mexico follows with 8 killed, then Iraq and Yemen with 7 in each country. 5 journalists were killed in Guatemala, and 4 in each of the following countries: India, Pakistan, Turkey. 2 journalists were killed in the Philippines, 2 in Russia and 2 in El Salvador. One journalist was killed in the following countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Honduras, Libya, Serbia, United States, Somalia and Venezuela.

27.06.2016. SYRIA. Video shows Islamist militants from Daesh brutally killing 5 Syrian media activists. The Press Emblem Campaign is outraged, strongly condemns such brutal acts and requests that those responsible are identified and punished.

The Islamic State group has reportedly released a video that shows five media activists from Syria being executed according to an Associated Press (AP) report. "The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights received a copy of a video issued by the 'Islamic state' in Deir Ezzor, where it showed 5 media activists from Deir Ezzor province," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said in a post on its verified Facebook page. It gave the name of the five as Samer Mohamad al-Aboud, Mahmoud Shaaban al-Haj Kheder, Mohamad Abdulkader al-Essa, Mostafa Haj Hasa and SOHR activist Sami Jodat al-Rabah.

"The first one was executed by cutting his throat with a knife, the second activist was executed by tying him to his laptop then tying his laptop to explosives and detonating it inside his house," said SOHR in the post. It went on to add that "the third activist was executed by tying him to a metal door and choking him using an iron chain, the fourth one was executed by slaughtering him using a sharp object". It also said: "And the last activist was executed by hanging his camera to his neck and detonating it after tying him it to the balcony of his house". The post also said the activists had been executed on charges of "acting against the Islamic state, communicating with outside parties and receiving funds, and other charges." The AP report quoted the SOHR as saying that Isis had abducted the five activists in October last year and executed them in December. The PEC adds their names to its casualties' list just today because we heard the news only now.

The PEC pays tribute to the courage of those who continue to inform us despite the barbarity of such acts.

20.06.2016. Another dark day for media freedom in Turkey, RSF’s Turkey representative jailed. Istanbul's Second Criminal Court of Peace ordered Erol Önderoğlu's arrest, alongside journalist and writer Ahmet Nesin and Şebnem Korur Fincancı, president of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (photo), on charges of making propaganda for a terrorist group for taking part in a campaign of solidarity with the Kurdish daily Özgür Gündem. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) calls on the Turkish authorities to drop all charges and release them immediately. We call on you to sign the petition to #FreeErol.

UPDATE: Erol Önderoglu, Sebnem Korur Fincanci and Ahmet Nesin were released after 10 and 11 days in an Istanbul prison, but charges are not dropped.

06.06.2016. PEC AWARD CEREMONY (Read the PEC press release, speeches delivered at the press conference on our special page PEC AWARD)

The PEC Award 2016 goes to Zhanna Nemtsova and the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom in Russia.The PEC Award committee for the defense of journalists handed over the award on Monday 6 June in Geneva to Zhanna Nemtsova (photo) the eldest daughter of Boris Nemtsov, a Russian opposition leader killed on 27 February 2015 at the Kremlin Walls. The award was designated to the Foundation that she created last year.

Receiving the PEC award at the Swiss Press Club in Geneva

(here with the PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen), Zhanna

Nemtsova said : "I strongly believe in free journalism (...)

Unfortunately we now in Russia don't only have independent

media. We have propaganda. My father put it this way "

Russian propaganda is a weapon of mass destruction of

people's brains". It breeds hatred towards the so-called

enemies, the West, and to opponents of the regime within the

country and leads to aggressive behavior. Finally it aims at

destroying people 's ability of critical thinking. Russian state-

controlled media present a very simple picture of the world

where there are only two colors: black and white".

05.06.2016. TWO MORE JOURNALISTS KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN: PEC is dismayed by the death in fightings of one American journalist David Gilkey and a local freelance Zabibullah Tamanna in Helmand province, in southern Afghanistan on Sunday 5 June. Zabibullah Tamanna (left) and David Gilkey (right), an American photojournalist with the National Public Radio (NPR), both embedded with the Afghan Special Forces, were killed when the armored vehicle in a convoy they were travelling in was struck by an 82mm rocket in a Taliban ambush near Marjah in Helmand.

Gilkey, 50, was an award-winning journalist who had extensive experience covering conflicts in Gaza, South Africa, Iraq, the Balkans and Afghanistan. Tamanna was a freelance journalist who worked for NPR as well as the NBC News and Turkey’s Anadolu News Agency. He had also worked with Chinese news agency Xinhua as a photojournalist. So far, 10 media workers have been killed in Afghanistan this year, a very heavy toll.

25.05.2016. AZERBAIJAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) congratulates Khadija Ismayilova. International mobilization has paid.
The prominent Azerbaijani investigative journalist has been released on probation after her detention was widely criticised by activists. Khadija Ismayilova was arrested in December 2014 and sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in jail in September last year. She was freed by the country’s supreme court on Wednesday 25 May after judges ruled her sentence would be changed to a three-and-a-half-year suspended term. Speaking after she left court (photo), Ismayilova said she would persist with her reporting and push for a full acquittal. “I will continue my journalist work with renewed energy,” she said. “I feel younger and more energetic, and I will fight until the end.”

THREE REPORTERS MISSING IN COLOMBIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is worried. All sides in the Colombian civil conflict must do their utmost to ensure the safety of all media personnel. Two Colombian TV journalists may have been kidnapped in Colombia's dangerous northeast Catatumbo region, their employer said May 24. Reporter Diego D'Pablos and camera operator Carlos Melo, of Bogotá's RCN TV station, were investigating the disappearance of Salud Hernandez-Mora, a Spanish-Colombian journalist who was last seen Saturday afternoon in the village of El Tarra, according to her employer. PEC demands the release of the three journalists.

UPDATE: the three journalists kidnapped were released on 27 May after being held by the guerrilla group ELN.

MAY 2016. ONE MORE JOURNALIST KILLED IN MEXICO: The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is dismayed by the escalation of violence in Veracruz, condemns this new murder and calls for a full investigation - Six journalists killed so far in Mexico in 2016 - El asesinato de Manuel Torres González (photo) ocurrido la tarde del sábado en el municipio de Poza Rica, al norte del estado Veracruz, elevó a 6 el número de periodistas asesinados en Mexico en el 2016 y a 16 el número de reporteros que ejercían en Veracruz y que han muerto de forma violenta en lo que va del sexenio del gobernador Javier Duarte. PEC condenó el homicidio y demandó la atención de las autoridades para encontrar a los responsables y procesarlos.

DISTURBING TREND IN INDIA: the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder or two journalists in two days. Rajdeo Ranjan (photo), bureau chief of daily Hindustan, was shot dead in Bihar’s Siwan on Friday 13 May. A group of five criminals on motorcycles shot two bullets at 42-year-old Rajdeo Ranjan when he was on his way home from office on a bike, according to the Hindustan Times. The crime came a day after a Hindi television journalist was shot dead in Jharkhand. Unidentified people shot dead Indradev Yadav, a journalist working for a Hindi news channel from Chatra, late on Thursday evening. PEC requires a full investigation.

SYRIA. GOOD NEWS ! THE PRESS EMBLEM CAMPAIGN (PEC) WELCOMES THE RELEASE OF THREE SPANISH JOURNALISTS AFTER ALMOST A YEAR IN CAPTIVITY. Reports suggested they had been kidnapped by al-Nusra Front. They arrived in Madrid on Sunday 8 May and were received by friends and family (photo). The trio were flown on a Spanish defence ministry jet from Turkey. A statement from the spanish prime minister's office said that "allied and friendly" countries had helped to secure the journalists' release, highlighting the role of Turkey and Qatar which had provided assistance "especially in the final phase".

BUENA NOTICIA. PEC se felicita por la liberación de tres periodistas españoles Antonio Pampliega, José Manuel López y Ángel Sastre, secuestrados en Alepo, al norte de Siria, en julio del año pasado. Los reporteros, a quienes se perdió la pista el 12 de julio de 2015, llevaban cubriendo la guerra en Siria desde su estallido en 2011. Pampliega y López han publicado en la prensa española amplios reportajes narrando el drama de los civiles sirios.

SHAMEFUL DAY IN TURKEY: Newspaper editor Can Dündar sentenced to more than five years for state secrets offence on same day man tried to shoot him outside court (photo)

“In the space of two hours we have experienced two assassination attempts: one was done with a gun, the other was judicial,” said Can Dündar, speaking in front of the court after the verdict was announced Friday, May 6. “The [jail sentences] we received are not just to silence us. The bullet was not just to silence us. This was done to all of us, to scare us into silence, to make us stop talking", he added, according to reports. Dündar, editor-in-chief of Turkish daily Cumhuriyet, and fellow journalist Erdem Gül, its Ankara bureau chief, were acquitted on charges of trying to overthrow the government, but convicted of publishing secret state documents. Dündar was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison and Gül to five years. “This is a verdict against journalism and we don’t accept it,” said Gül. The verdict came on a dramatic day in which an attacker fired several shots in quick succession at Dündar, who was unharmed. NTV television reported that one of its reporters had suffered minor injuries from ricocheting bullets. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the verdict and the attack against the journalists and urges the court of appeal to acknowldege that Dündar and Gül were only doing their job.

World Press Freedom Day 2016 - The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the killing of 40 journalists since the beginning of 2016 and is launching a new index to rate countries according to their safety for journalists

Journée mondiale de la liberté de la presse 2016 - La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) condamne le meurtre de 40 journalistes depuis le début de l'année et lance un nouvel indice sur la sécurité des journalistes

Día Mundial de la Libertad de la Prensa en 2016 - La PEC condena el asesinato de 40 periodistas desde comienzos del año y lanza un nuevo índice sobre la seguridad de los periodistas

READ THE PEC PRESS RELEASE ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH AND ARABIC ON PEC NEWS

MAY 2016. EGYPT: the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) protests against the storming of the headquarters of the Egypt's Press Syndicate in Cairo and the arrest of journalists Amr Badr and Mahmoud El-Sakka on Sunday evening. The PEC supports its Egyptian colleagues on the eve of World Press Freedom Day.
The Egypt's Press Syndicate has called on members to continue a round-the-clock sit-in at the HQ (photo) until Wednesday's general assembly. The interior ministry said in a statement Monday, May 2 that it followed all legal procedures while carrying out the arrests. The two journalists are accused of "inciting violation of the protest law, disrupting security and attempting to destabilise the country," the ministry added. Amr Badr, editor-in-chief and founder of Yanair (January) news portal, and journalist Mahmoud El-Sakka, who works for the same website, were staging a sit-in in the syndicate to protest against their arrest warrants as well as the storming of their homes by security forces last month. Syndicate head Yehia Qallash and other journalists said the ministry's move was a clear violation of Egyptian press law.

APRIL 2016. TURKEY: The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) protests vigorously against targeting or banning foreign press correspondents. The PEC condemns the arrest on Saturday 23 April and the travel ban imposed by Turkish authorities against the Dutch journalist Ebru Umar (photo) for writing tweets considered critical of President Erdogan. She was later released but said she is not allowed to leave the country and must report to police in a few days, even though she was due to fly back to the Netherlands on Sunday. German newspaper, Bild said on Sunday that one of its photographers was expelled from Turkey after a visit from Chancellor Angela Merkel. Russian journalist Tural Kerimov, the Turkey bureau chief for Sputnik news agency, was stopped last week by a border control officer who said the journalist was a persona non grata for the Turkish authorities, before sending him back to Russia. And on 19 April, Turkish border officials applied a similar entry ban to the German journalist Volker Schwenk, the Cairo correspondent of Germany’s ARD TV. The way the Turkish administration prohibits the work of the press is totally unacceptable, stressed the PEC.

APRIL 2016. SYRIAN JOURNALIST KILLED IN TURKEY. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns a new attack in the Turkish town of Gazientep. Aleppo Today TV journalist Mohammed Zaher Al-Shurwat (36) was in intensive care on Sunday 10 April after he was shot in the head by a masked gunman in southern Turkey according to news reports. He died at the hospital 12 April. Mohammed Zaher Al-Shurwat worked for Aleppo Today TV, a television station known for opposing the Islamic State group. While many journalists choose Gazientep as a base after fleeing Syria, the town has become increasingly dangerous with a number of journalists, media workers and activists being attacked and killed there in the past six months, warned the PEC. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the killing of four journalists in Turkey in six months. Another journalist had escaped an assault last month.

US hostage released in Syria. Finally a sign of hope for the American journalist Austin Tice. Austin Tice’s family expressed their hope that their son, who disappeared in Syria in August 2012, might be released. Russian authorities said on Friday 8 April that they helped to secure the release of US freelance photographer Kevin Dawes who was abducted in Syria in 2012 after crossing the border from Turkey. The Tice family released a statement saying: “We are very happy for the Dawes family with the news of Kevin’s safe release and we can only imagine the relief he and his loved ones must be experiencing. We sincerely hope Kevin’s release is a precursor of Austin’s imminent freedom.” PEC expressed the same hope after waiting for more than three years for news of his whereabouts.

APRIL 2016. TWO BRAZILIAN JOURNALISTS INJURED IN SHOOTING IN TWO WEEKS. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is appalled by the climate of violence in Brazil and calls for a thorough investigation. Ivan Pereira Costa who runs the local news website Veja Noticias was hospitalized after a shooting attack on Monday 4 April in the small Amazonian town of Cujubim, in the Brazilian state of Rondônia. Pereira wrote about peasant occupations and about organized crime in the region. On March 27, Brazilian radio journalist Jair Pereira Teixeira survived after being shot in the northeastern state of Ceará. Last year, eight journalists were killed in Brazil, according to the PEC.

MARCH 2016: THE PRESS EMBLEM CAMPAIGN (PEC) IS UPSET BY THE ARREST OF FLORENCE HARTMANN HELD IN ISOLATION IN THE HAGUE AND CALLS FOR HER IMMEDIATE RELEASE. The former spokesperson of the Tribunal and a former correspondent for French Newspaper Le Monde in the Balkans, has been jailed on Thursday 24 March at the war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Hartmann was convicted of contempt of court in 2009 for revealing in a book that the tribunal had withheld crucial information on the Srebrenica massacre of 1995 from the nearby international court of justice.

Sign the petition: https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/release-florence-hartmann-petition.html

Florence Hartmann has been released on Tuesday 29 March after completion of more than two-thirds of her sentence. The petition has obtained more than 5000 signatures in 5 days.

MARCH 2016. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 31st session. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is very worried by the deterioration of the freedom of the press in Turkey. Ten days ago, Turkey seized one of the country's leading newspapers. We call upon Turkey to reverse its decision to seize Zaman and urge the international community to speak out against Turkey's repeated attempts to stifle a free and independent media (read the statement delivered by the PEC at the Human Rights Council on PEC NEWS)

MARCH 2016. Journalists covering torture assaulted at Chechnya border. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns an attack on six Russian et foreign journalists investigating human rights abuses in the north Caucasus region and calls on authorities in the Russian republic of Ingushetia to hold accountable those responsible. According to reports, around 20 masked men wielding knives and clubs ambushed the journalists in their minibus as they attempted to cross from Ingushetia into neighbouring Chechnya together with representatives of a Russian anti-torture NGO. Both foreign journalists involved, Swedish Radio’s Maria Persson Lofgre and Øystein Windstad, a reporter for the Norwegian daily Ny Tid, were hospitalised with non-severe injuries.

MARCH 2016. TURKEY. SIGN THE PETITION TO END TURKEY'S CRACKDOWN ON PRESS FREEDOM. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) joins Index on Censorship, writers, journalists and artists from around the world to condemn the shocking seizure of Turkish independent media group, Zaman.

"Today Turkey seized one of the country's leading newspapers. In so doing, Turkey has confirmed that it is no longer committed to a free press, which is the bedrock of any democratic society. We, the undersigned, ask the court to reverse its decision to seize Zaman and urge the international community to speak out against Turkey's repeated attempts to stifle a free and independent media."

https://www.change.org/p/president-recep-tayyip-erdogan-condemn-turkey-s-crackdown-on-press-freedom/sponsors/new

MARCH 2016. SYRIA. PEC condemns artillery attacks in Syria wounding foreign journalists on press tour. A group of 33 foreign journalists have been targeted in an attack in the northern Syrian province of Latakia. The group was on a trip organized by Russian officials. Journalists from China, Bulgaria and Canada suffered minor injuries in the incident. The incident took place near the border town of Kessab, on March 1, when eight shells were fired in total. The shells have landed some 150-400 meters from the journalists, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said. The Syrian army is blaming the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front for the attack, but there is no confirmation from an independent source.

MARCH 2016. SUDAN.The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) stands by more than 30 Sudanese journalists who have launched a hunger strike to protest against the forced closure of their newspaper by the government. In the biggest organised strike of its kind in the country, the El Tayar reporters were greeted by hundreds of supporters at the newspaper’s offices in Khartoum on March 1. Wearing chains and linking hands, the journalists assembled in front of the building to announce their plans before retreating inside the building to begin their sit-in. “We want to draw attention to the difficulties faced by journalists and the restrictions on the freedom of press in the country in general,” said Khalid Fathi, the newspaper’s managing editor. On March 3, journalists of al-Tayyar newspaper have agreed to end their three-day hunger strike after a pledge from the government to refer the closure of the newspaper to the Constitutional Court.

FEBRUARY 2016. TURKEY. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the conditional release 26 February of Turkish journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül (photo), of the daily newspaper Cumhuriyet, and calls on authorities to drop all charges against them. The two who spent 92 days in pre-trial detention stll face multiple life sentences if convicted of exposing state secrets for publishing reports alleging Turkey tried to smuggle weapons to Islamists in Syria. The PEC also calls for a full and swift investigation of the murder of Rohat Aktas: the editor and journalist for the Kurdish-language daily Azadiya Welat was killed 24 February in Cizre in southeast Turkey. Aktaş had travelled to the province to report on the curfew imposed in the area by Turkish authorities. Aktaş became trapped in a basement with dozens of others after he was shot in the arm while reporting on the efforts to help wounded civilians.

FEBRUARY 2016. Israel-held Palestinian journalist ends 94-day hunger strike. The Palestinian journalist held by Israel without trial, Mohammed al-Qiq, agreed Friday 26 February to end his 94-day hunger strike under a deal for his release in May. The Israeli army however, in a statement, was less categorical on his release. "He will continue to remain in custody until May 21, 2016. On that date, the situation will be examined to determine whether there is new information or security circumstances which require extending detention," it said. But for Qiq's family and supporters it was a victory.

FEBRUARY 2016. YEMEN. ONE MORE JOURNALIST KILLED IN THE FIGHTING. Armed men in the central Yemeni city of Taiz fatally shot Ahmed al-Shaibani on Tuesday 16 February, according to his colleagues and employers. Al-Shaibani was working for the independent Yaman News website and state-run Yemen TV while reporting on fighting in Taiz. He is the fifth journalist killed in Yemen since the beginning of the year.

FEBRUARY 2016. MEXICO. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of Anabel Flores Salazar (32), a reporter for El Sol de Orizaba who was abducted from her home near the city of Orizaba in Veracruz on Monday 8 February. PEC urges federal authorities to investigate the murder and bring all those responsible to justice. The journalist is the third killed in Mexico since the beginning of 2016.

Mexico continúa la cuenta de periodistas asesinados. El cadáver de Anabel Flores Salazar, secuestrada por un comando armado en su casa en Veracruz, ha sido hallado al borde de una carretera del Estado de Puebla. En El Sol de Orizaba había trabajado como colaboradora los últimos seis meses. La especialidad de Flores era la información sobre crímenes. La periodista tenía 32 años y era madre de un bebé recién nacido y de otro niño de cuatro años.

FEBRUARY 2016. ISRAEL. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) calls for the immediate release of Palestinian journalist, Mohammed Al-Qiq, who has been on hunger strike for more than two months and is “close to death” according to reports. Al-Qiq, a correspondent for Saudi Arabia’s Almajd TV network, was arrested on November 21 last year at his home in Ramallah, and is on hunger strike since November 25.

Read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS

La PEC a appris avec une immense tristesse le décès de Maria Simon Rodriguez (71 ans), sa vice-présidente pour l'Amérique latine. Elle est décédée à Genève des suites d'une grave maladie le 27 janvier.

The PEC has learned with great sadness of the death of Maria Simon Rodriguez (71), its Vice President for Latin America. She died in Geneva following a serious illness on 27 January.

La PEC expresa su tristeza por el deceso de María Simón Rodriguez (71 años), su vicepresidenta para América latina. Murió en Ginebra de los séquitos de una enfermedad grave el 27 de enero.

PEC press release on PEC NEWS - Spanish, English and French

JANUARY 2016. TURKEY. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) joins other organizations to protest again the indictment of a Turkish prosecutor demanding on 27/01/2016 during a court hearing in Istanbul “aggravated life imprisonment and imprisonment up to 30 years” for Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, two journalists working for the daily Cumhuriyet in Turkey. Can Dündar, editor in chief of Cumhuriyet and Erdem Gül, the newspaper’s bureau chief in Ankara have been accused of aiding a terrorist organisation and disclosure of classified documents, which showed that Turkey’s intelligence agency secretly armed rebel Islamist groups in Syria. The two journalists are arrested since 26 November 2015 and detained in Silivri detention camp. Together with a coalition of press freedom groups, the PEC calls on authorities in Turkey to immediately release Dündar and Gül and drop all charges against them. They only work for the public interest.

MEXICO. PEC condemns the murder of two journalists in Oaxaca state. Marcos Hernández Bautista, a 38-year-old correspondent for the news organization Noticias Voz e Imagen of Oaxaca, was shot in the head while getting into his car on the night of Jan 21, in San Andrés Huaxpaltepec in the Costa Region of Oaxaca state. Marcos had expressed fear because in some publications he had touched on political interests and those interests of chiefs in the region. Also in Oaxaca, Reynel Martínez Cerqueda, a host at community radio station "Manantial" of Santiago Laollaga, was killed on Jan. 22. Three journalists were found murdered in Oaxaca last year. Abel Manuel Bautista Raymundo, founder and director of Radio Espacio 96.1 FM, was killed on April 14, 2015. The body of Veracruz radio journalist Armando Saldaña Morales was found in the state on May 4. And radio journalist Filadelfo Sánchez Sarmiento was killed outside his office at La Favorita 103.3 FM on July 2.

YEMEN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) demands the immediate release of three Aljazeera Arabic news staff believed to have been kidnapped in the city of Taiz in southern Yemen. According to Al Jazeera, its Arabic correspondent, Hamdi Al-Bokari and his crew, journalist Abdulaziz Al-Sabri and driver Moneer Al-Sabai, were last seen on January 18. The team was covering events in the besieged city of Taiz, which is controlled by Yemeni forces and armed groups loyal to Yemeni president and is surrounded by rebels forces. The PEC joins calls on warrying parties in Yemen to do their utmost to protect media professional’s safety on the ground. The abduction comes just days after Yemeni journalist Almigdad Mojalli was killed on 17 January in an air raid by the Saudi-led coalition in the capital, Sana’a.

Al Jazeera channel’s Arabic correspondent Hamdi Al-Bokari and his crew, journalist Abdulaziz Al-Sabri and driver Moneer Al-Sabai, have been released, the Qatari cable news network said January 28. The PEC welcomes the safe return of the TV crew.

VENEZUELA. PEC condemns the murder of prominent pro-government journalist Ricardo Duran - any political motives ?

The Venezuelan journalist was a strong supporter of the governments of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro. Ricardo Duran was killed outside his home Wednesday 20 January in Caracas. His work colleague, Daniel Aponte, told VTV, “They did not take anything from Ricardo Duran, not his wallet, nor money, nor his cell phone, nor his side arm, not even his car.” PEC calls for a thorough investigation.

AFGHANISTAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the barbaric attack on Afghan TV channel TOLO in Kabul. Seven employees of popular Afghan TV channel TOLO were killed Wednesday 20 January when a Taliban car bomber rammed into their minibus in Kabul, just months after the militants declared the network a legitimate "military target". At least 25 other people were wounded in the first major attack on an Afghan media organisation since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001. The deadly assault spotlights the growing dangers faced by media workers in Afghanistan, as the security situation worsens amid a growing wave of militant attacks. The PEC is shocked and saddened by this outrage and demands that those responsible are arrested and brought to justice.

PEC press release on PEC NEWS (English and Arabic)

La PEC pleure la mort de la photographe franco-marocaine Leila Alaoui.

Grièvement blessée lors de l'attaque terroriste qui a fait 30 morts à Ouagadougou le 15 janvier, Leila Alaoui (33 ans, photo) est décédée lundi soir des suites de ses blessures. La jeune femme se trouvait dans la capitale du Burkina Faso dans le cadre d'un reportage pour Amnesty International. Au café-restaurant Capuccino, "Leila a été touchée par les balles du terroriste à bout portant au poumon, à l’abdomen, au bras, à la jambe et au rein", a précisé la mère de la photographe, Christine Alaoui, dans un message adressé au Quai d’Orsay. Elle était l'invitée de la prochaine édition du Forum international du film et des droits humains (FIFDH) en mars à Genève.

Plus d'infos sur PEC NEWS

PEC is saddened by the death of the French-Moroccan photographer and video artist Leila Alaoui (33) killed by terrorists in Ouagadougou 15 January (photo). She was working for a documentary with Amnesty International.

IRAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the release of the US-Iranian journalist Jason Rezaian (photo) as part of a prisoner exchange after spending 543 days in detention.

The Washington Post’s Tehran bureau chief was one of four American-Iranian prisoners who were released in exchange for seven Iranians held in US custody on Saturday 16 January. Washington Post publisher, Frederick Ryan released a statement welcoming the announcement, saying: “We couldn’t be happier to hear the news that Jason Rezaian has been released from Evin Prison". His newspaper said that the journalist had been subjected to physical and psychological mistreatment during his detention. He was accused of spying for US government officials before he was eventually convicted of espionage in October and sentenced to jail.

PAKISTAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns as an attack against press freedom a grenade attack on the Islamabad offices of Pakistani broadcaster ARY News 13 January. A video editor was wounded. Daesh Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the attack in pamphlets thrown outside the office, according to reports. Copies of the pamphlets warned the broadcaster about its coverage of the Pakistani military offensive against militants in the North Waziristan tribal region. PEC condemns intimidation of journalists by terrorist groups anywhere in the world. Media are independent and not part of the military institution. More on:

http://arynews.tv/en/ary-news-officresponsibility/

Israel. Break the silence. Hunger-striking Palestinian journalist's health failing

Palestinians demonstrate in solidarity with the journalist Muhammad Al-Qeeq, 33, who has been on hunger strike in Israeli prisons, since Israeli forces arrested him from his home November 21 in Nablus, West Bank. He began a hunger strike on November 25, alleging torture by his captors and is currently in the hospital wing of Ramle prison, in central Israel.

As his health deteriorates, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein may be forced to weigh force feeding Al-Qeeq. He works as a reporter for the Saudi news channel “Almajd”. The Shin Bet claims that al-Qeeq is a member of Hamas. Al-Qeeq recently published a number of articles criticizing the Palestinian Authority, denouncing the lack of freedom of the press in the West Bank as well as the security forces who arrest political activists.

JANUARY 2016. PEC update: 135 journalists killed in 2015 in 33 countries - risks very high in 2016

The situation is very grim. The PEC fears that terrorists acts and the fight against terrorism all around the world may rise further in 2016 and lead to more journalists killed, wounded, kidnapped, detained, harassed, facing huge difficulties to do freely their work, and will further restrict freedom of the press. The PEC calls the United Nations to enforce stronger investigation and accountability mechanisms to fight against impunity (read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS, see our page CASUALTIES)

DECEMBER 2015. SOMALIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is horrified and strongly condemns the attempted murder in Mogadishu of Omar Faruk Osman, Secretary general of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). Omar Faruk is a supporter of the PEC since the launch of our ONG in 2004 and we frequently joined our efforts during the sessions of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. According to reports, Osman was entering 29 December the union’s office in the Taleh area in Mogadishu when his car was sprayed with bullets by gunmen and he only owed his life to the quick thinking of his body guards, one of them was wounded in the attack as well two pedestrians (photo nusoj/ifj: Omar Faruk speaking at the HRC session in Geneva) (read the PEC press release English and Arabic on PEC NEWS)

ONE MORE SYRIAN JOURNALIST KILLED IN TURKEY. The PEC condemns the murder of Syrian journalist and filmmaker Naji Jerf gunned down in Gaziantep, in Turkey near the Syrian border. Editor-in-chief of the monthy Hentah and the maker of documentary films on the group Islamic State, he was killed 27 December by unknown assaillants in front of a building that houses Syrian opposion news outlets in Gaziantep. The PEC calls on Turkish authorities to sep up measures to protect all Syrian journalists on Turkish soil.

Naji Jerf, 38, was shot with a silenced pistol in downtown Gaziantep, near the Syrian border, Turkish media reported. Mr Jerf was the film director for Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS), a group of journalists who risk their lives daily to report on IS abuses. It is the second murder of a member of the group in December, after Ahmad Mohammed al-Mousa was killed in Idlib, in Syria. Mr Jerf directed two recent documentaries about the group - one about the killing of Syrian activists in Aleppo, the other about the work of RBSS. As well as his work with RBSS, Mr Jerf was editor-in-chief of Hentah, a Syrian magazine that reports on the "daily lives of Syrian citizens", according to the publication's website.

Annual report of the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC): No progress for the protection of journalists, 128 journalists killed in 2015 in 31 countries // Rapport annuel de la PEC: pas de progrès dans la protection des journalistes sur le terrain: 128 travailleurs des media tués en 2015 dans 31 pays // Informe Anual de la Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC): Ningún progreso en la protección de los periodistas en el terreno: 128 trabajadores de los medios fueron asesinados en el 2015

(press release on PEC NEWS English, French, Spanish and Arabic - see also our page Casualties)

DECEMBER 2015. SYRIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) mourns Al Jazeera cameraman Zakaria Ibrahim who died Monday 7 December six days after he was injured by shrapnel while covering a Syrian army bombardment in the province of Homs. Al Jazeera paid a heavy tribute to the war in Syria. A number of Al Jazeera journalists were killed in the line of duty: last September, Ahmad Abdel Karim Masalameh, an Al Jazeera reporter in Deraam, died while covering the fighting there. In December 2014, Al Jazeera's Mahran al-Dairi was killed while reporting on clashes between regime troops and rebels in Deraa. Mohammad Jalil al-Qasem was killed in Sepember 2014 in the suburbs of Idlib. On December 4, 2013, cameraman Yasser al-Jumaili was shot multiple times as he tried to leave Syria by road after finishing an assignment. In January 2013, Mohammad al-Hourani, an Al Jazeera correspondent in Deraa, was killed by a sniper in the suburb of Busra al-Harir.

NOVEMBER 2015. Speech delivered by PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen at a reception by the Association of correspondents to the United Nations in Geneva (26/11): "The war in Syria has cost the lives of many colleagues. It has been allowed to deteriorate and we harvest bitter fruits in Europe (...) // "On a laissé pourrir la guerre en Syrie qui a coûté la vie à beaucoup de collègues. On en récolte aujourd'hui les fruits amers en Europe (...) (read the full speech on PEC NEWS)

NOVEMBER 2015. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) warned that as the world marks the United Nations International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November at least 110 journalists were killed since the beginning of the year. Much more needs to be done.

Killings of journalists go unsolved and unpunished which has created a culture of impunity where critical voices are silenced and citizens are denied accurate information about the societies in which they live. Regrettably, the situation is not improving, on the contrary, especially in the Middle East.

(read the PEC statement English and Arabic on PEC NEWS)

- OCTOBER 2015: BURUNDI - the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the murder of a TV cameraman and his family in Bujumbura. At least seven people were killed in shootings and a grenade attack on Tuesday 13 October in Burundi's capital, police and residents said, in a further spate of violence following the election of President Pierre Nkurunziza to a third term. Residents of the Ngagara neighbourhood - a stronghold for opposition supporters - said two police officers and a television cameraman and his family were among the dead. Residents identified the cameraman as Christophe Nkezabahizi who worked with state-run RTNB radio and television station, who they said was shot dead along with his wife and two children.

- ISRAEL-PALESTINE - 39 attacks against journalists in 10 days. PEC concerned about excessive use of force, urges calm and restraint (read on PEC NEWS)

ONE MORE JOURNALIST KILLED IN SYRIA - Anadolu Agency photojournalist Saleh Mahmoud Laila (photo) was killed in a suicide car bomb attack in Syria on Thursday.The attack in the opposition-held town of Hraytan, north of Aleppo, was carried out by Daesh, local civil defense sources said.At least 20 people were killed, and dozens injured, when a bomb-laden vehicle exploded at a marketplace, they added.

Laila, 27, had survived an airstrike by regime forces last July in Aleppo's al-Zahraa neighborhood, suffering multiple burns.He was sent to Turkey for treatment and later returned to Aleppo to cover the conflict.

Laila's photos documenting the Syrian civil war have been published by major media outlets.

- The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes new security information sharing, training, insurance and communications initiatives launched on Safety Principles - Sotloff Foundation and four U.S. television networks sign on (read on PEC NEWS)

- SEPTEMBER 2015. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 30th session. Statement delivered by the Press Emblem Campaign - PEC mira con profunda preocupación la situación de violencia contra profesionales de periodismo en América Latina (read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS and an interview with Dario Cervantes, PEC Rep at the UN)

- EGYPT. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the release of al-Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed following a presidential pardon. The journalists were facing a retrial on the charge of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood but has been pardoned among 100 prisoners by Egyptian president El Sisi - The PEC has repeatedly called for a presidential pardon for the release of the two journalists and thanks Egyptian president, even it is late - international solidarity paid (23/09)

- HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. 30th session. TWO STATEMENTS DELIVERED BY THE PRESS EMBLEM CAMPAIGN:: interactive dialogue with of the Commission of inquiry on Syria: "the dimension of the conflict has changed, it is time to act" - item 4 situations that require the Council's attention: "more than 100 journalists killed from the outset of the year"(21/09) (read the PEC statements on PEC NEWS)

COURAGE IS CONTAGIOUS

After Berlin (in May), Dresden (in June) and before Paris, the travelling exhibit "Anything to Say?" has stopped in Geneva during the Human Rights Council's 30th session. Bronze statues of Edward Snowden, Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning, standing on chairs and made by the artist Davide Dormino (left on the chair), were exposed on the Place des Nations from 14 to 18 September (photo pec)

PEC Press release English and French on PEC NEWS

"It is a monument to the courage of three people who said no to the establishment of a comprehensive monitoring and lies and have chosen to tell the truth," said the Italian artist Davide Dormino.

Assange, Manning and Snowden, "traitors" or heroes of our time? The public can respond by mounting a fourth chair intentionally left empty. "Art has the power to make things happen. The chair has a double meaning. It may be comfortable, but it can also be a pedestal to grow, to have a better perspective, to learn. All three of them mounted on a chair with courage at their own risk and peril ", said Davide Dormino.

Watch the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnbpEzhmbH0

- AZERBAIJAN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is deeply outraged by sentencing of journalist Khadija Ismayilova to 7.5 years in prison, handed down by an Azerbaijani court on 1 september. The harsh sentence is clearly politically motivated, given the lack of due process in the case and the absence of credible evidence presented by the prosecution.

- AUGUST 2015. EGYPT. Retrial and sentencing of Al Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed represent a setback for freedom of expression in Egypt. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) looks forward to the appeals process and reiterates its call for the release of the journalists. PEC reminds Egypt the adoption by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly of many resolutions on the safety of journalists recommending to take active steps to promote a safe environment for journalists. Egyptian President Sisi must pardon Al Jazeera journalists to close the case.

- The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is shocked: gunman murders two reporters in Virginia (United States) in an attack on Live TV - WDBJ says reporter Alison PArker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, were both killed in the attack

A gunman killed the young reporter and photographer (photo) during a live television broadcast on Wednesday, according to officials and colleagues at the station. WDBJ7 correspondent Alison Parker is seen conducting an interview at around 6:45 a.m. at a shopping center in Moneta, Virginia. In chilling footage that has been posted online, several shots break out and screams are heard. The camera drops to the floor and the screams continue — before the broadcast cuts away to a confused and concerned-looking anchor (read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS)

- The Press Emblem Campaign worried by two more killings in Africa: one more journalist killed in Mozambique, one in Mozambique (read on PEC NEWS)

- MEXICO. SIGN THE PETITION. Mexican photojournalist Rubén Espinosa was found tortured and murdered August 2. Ruben is the 14th journalist killed in the southern state of Veracruz where governor Javier Duarte has made open threats against reporters. Almost none of these crimes have been solved. But this case has sent thousands into the streets and set off an explosion in the national and global media. Now Gael García Bernal, Salman Rushdie, Christiane Amanpour and hundreds of journalists, writers and artists have signed an open letter demanding justice for journalists in Mexico murdered for doing their jobs. The letter is already making waves with the government, but if we add over a million more names, and get it published on the front page of Mexican media, we can drive it home and show that people from every country in the world stand with the freedom of expression fight in Mexico. The PEC added its voice - sign the petition here: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/ruben_global_l/?kEBwteb

- The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the release of Syrian human rights activist and journalist Mazen Darwish after spending more than three years in prison in Syria. Mazen Darwish received the PEC award in absentia in Geneva in June 2012.

Darwish is the director of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), he was arrested in the Syrian capital, Damascus, in February 2012 with two colleagues. His colleagues were released last month as part of an amnesty.
Darwish is still facing trial and is due to attend a court hearing later this month. He was jailed for reporting on the government's crackdown on protesters in the early days of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
The PEC heartily congratulates his wife Yara Badr and his family members and calls on the Syrian regime to drop all remaining charges against Mazen Darwish.

Darwish has been awarded a number of international prizes: last April he won the UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Prize in recognition of the work that he has carried out in Syria “for more than 10 years at great personal sacrifice, enduring a travel ban, harassment as well as repeated detention and torture”. The PEC hopes that what appeared as a goodwill gesture by president al-Assad will be followed by other signs of openness to end an outrageous war and to find the way to peace (August 11)

JULY 2015. SYRIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) launches an appeal for the liberation of 4 Western journalists who disappeared since 2 weeks in Syria // La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) lance un appel à la libération de quatre journalistes étrangers disparus depuis deux semaines en Syrie // La PEC pide que liberen a los 4 periodistas desaparecidos en Siria // حملة الشارة تطالب باطلاق سراح 4 صحفيين أجانب مختفيين (read full statement English, French, Spanish and Arabic and more info on PEC NEWS)

Jose Manuel Lopez, Angel Sastre, and Antonio Pampliega, are missing in Syria since July 13

IRAQ/SYRIA. THE PEC IS APPALLED BY THE CONTINUED DRAMATIC SITUATION FOR MEDIA: FOUR FOREIGN JOURNALISTS MISSING - TWO MORE JOURNALISTS KILLED IN MOSUL BY THE GROUP ISLAMIC STATE - TWO MEDIA ACTIVISTS working for Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS), one of the few remaining independent news sources in the province, killed according to a video of ISIS (see Casualties, read on PEC news)

READ OUR PEC biennial report: 7 percent increase in the number of journalists killed in 6 months // Rapport de la PEC : hausse de 7% du nombre de journalistes tués en six mois // Informe del PEC: aumenta un 7% en el número de periodistas asesinados en seis meses // تقرير حملة الشارة: 7 بالمائة زيادة فى مقتل الصحفيين من يناير ليونيو //Организация The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) зарегистрировала увеличение числа убитых журналистов в мире на 7 %. По данным PEC, с января по июнь в 24 странах был убит 71 журналист. При этом, Украина в списке занимает 7 место по количеству погибших сотрудников СМИ © Центр журналистских расследований

(Read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS, English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian, list of victims on our page CASUALTIES)

The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has registered a 7 percent increase in the number of journalists killed from January to June in 24 countries, the number has gone up to 71 journalists killed. This increase is related to the intense fighting in Middle East.

Countries with the highest casualties are as follows: France 8, Libya 8, Iraq 6, South Sudan 6, Yemen 6, Mexico 4, Ukraine 4, Brazil 3, Honduras 3, Guatemala 3, the Philippines 3, Colombia 2, India 2, Pakistan 2, Syria 2. One journalist was killed in each of the following countries: Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Gaza, Indonesia, Kenya, Paraguay, Poland, and Somalia.

The Press Emblem Campaign expresses at the Human Rights Council its disappointement that on 12 June, an Israeli military tribunal has closed the case involving the killing by Israeli shelling of four children in Gaza in July 2014 without any further legal proceedings – criminal or disciplinary – to be taken against those involved in the incident. Journalists were direct witnesses of the attack on a beach in Gaza City on 16 July 2014. Four young Palestinian boys were killed (Credit Tyler Hicks, The New York Times).

Ali Lmrabet (photo) a commencé le 24 juin une grève de la faim devant le siège de l'ONU à Genève parce que le Maroc refuse de lui renouveler ses papiers. "Je suis un journaliste indépendant et c'est ce qui dérange", a-t-il expliqué. Le journaliste a l'intention de relancer ses journaux satiriques au Maroc, mais ne peut le faire sans certificat de résidence. NOUVEAU: Ali Lmrabet a cessé sa grève de la faim le 28 juillet après avoir reçu des assurances du ministère marocain de l'Intérieur qu'il pourra renouveler son passeport et obtenir un certificat de résidence dans son pays. La PEC est soulagée et félicite Ali Lmrabet pour sa ténacité (pec)

- YEMEN. Statement delivered by the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) at the HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - 29th session: The PEC is very concerned that the space for free journalism is decreasing because of tensions in the whole region (read the full PEC statement on PEC NEWS, english and arabic)

- SYRIA. Statement delivered by the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) at the HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - 29th session: Fewer journalists are covering the war - The Commission of Inquiry reports are more necessary than ever to prevent victims are forgotten. PEC hopes that impunity will not prevail and that a tribunal will in the near future judge all those responsible for crimes and atrocities committed (read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS)

"The continuing war represents a profound failure of diplomacy (...) While upholding the need for a political solution, some States have deepened their military involvment, accentuating the internationalisation of the conflict", said in his statement, the chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic Paulo Sergio Pinheiro (here with Carla del Ponte, member of the COI). "The absence of decisive action by the community of States, as a whole, has nourished a now deeply entrenched culture of impunity", stressed the chair.

- HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - 29th session: the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the first report of the new UN Rapporteur on freedom of expression David Kaye, calls for an independent expert on freedom of the press (read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS)

- AZERBAIJAN: the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the release of journalist Emin Huseynov who had been sheltering for 10 months at the Swiss Embassy in Baku, deplores that seven journalists remain behind the bars (read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS)

Switzerland has flown out of Azerbaijan the opposition journalist Emin Huseynov (photo) who had been sheltering for 10 months at its embassy in Baku, a day after the inaugural European Games opened in the tightly-controlled country. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the arrival in Switzerland of the opposition journalist and congratulates the swiss diplomats for their successful efforts, but deplores that seven other journalists remain behind the bars on the basis of fabricated charges.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic (photo) was the guest speaker at the PEC event June 4 in Geneva attended by more than 40 diplomats, journalists, NGOs representatives. "The media freedom situation in Ukraine is very complex. The main media freedom issue in this conflict is journalists'safety; journalists are being threatened, intimidated and attacked just for doing their job", stressed Ms Mijatovic.

"False and misleading information must be countered and fought with truthful and factual information, that must be the basis encountering and addressing propaganda", she added. Ms Mijatovic called to fight propaganda and incitment to hostility or violence.

At the Swiss Press Club during the award ceremony on Thursday 4 June, from left to right: PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen, OSCE Representative for freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic, Liudmyla Zlobina, Executive Director Information Press Center in Kiev, and the Mayor of Geneva, Esther Alder (photo pec) // de gauche à droite pendant la cérémonie au Club suisse de la presse jeudi 4 juin: le secrétaire général de la PEC Blaise Lempen, la représentante de l'OSCE pour la liberté des médias Dunja Mijatovic, la directrice de l'Information Press Center à Kiev Liudmyla Zlobina et la maire de Genève, Esther Alder (photo pec)

- UNITED NATIONS. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2222 on the protection of journalists in conflict situations by the UN Security Council (read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS, text of the resolution on DOCUMENTS)

- YEMEN: PEC calls for an enquiry on the killing of two more journalists - kidnapped by Houthis and bombed by the coalition (read on OTHER NEWS)

- BRAZIL: The Press Emblem Campaign shocked. Brazilian reporter Evany José Metzker investigating drug-dealing and child prostitution case found decapitated (read reports on OTHER NEWS)

The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) demanded that the crime be investigated rigorously and quickly. Violence against professional journalists is growing all over Brazil. The investigative reporter Evany Jose Metzker (photo) was found decapitated in the town of Padre Paraiso, in Minas Gerais state, authorities said May 19. Metzker, 67, wrote an investigative reporting blog called Coruja do Vale, which published news of crime and corruption, along with critical articles about politicians in the Valle del Jequitinhonha region, a poor rural area of northeast Minas Gerais.

- SYRIA: PEC deeply concerned by the enforced disappearance of Mazen Darwish, Hani Al-Zaitani and Hussain Ghrer, respectively President and members of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), who are arbitrarily detained since February 2012, and have been unaccounted for since May 3, 2015 - Mazen Darwish was awarded the PEC Prize in June 2012 and on May 3, 2015 the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize (read on OTHER NEWS)

- PEC welcomes the JOINT DECLARATION ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND RESPONSES TO CONFLICT SITUATIONS adopted by the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the Media, the Organization of American States (OAS) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information (read on OTHER NEWS)

- World Press Freedom Day 2015 - PEC alarmed: the safety of journalists in many countries has deteriorated // Journée mondiale de la liberté de la presse 2015 - La PEC alarmée : détérioration des conditions de la sécurité des journalistes dans plusieurs pays // Día mundial de la libertad de prensa 2015 - La PEC alarmada: deterioro de las condiciones de seguridad de los periodistas en numerosos países (read the PEC statement English, French, Spanish and Arabic on PEC NEWS)

- LIBYA: PEC is deeply shocked by the discovery of the bodies of four libyan journalists and one egyptian photographer - Libya has become the most dangerous country this year (read on PEC NEWS)

- YEMEN: The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns an air strike targeting the TV station Yemen Today in Sana'a which killed one journalist and three staff members (read reports on OTHER NEWS)

- The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes UNESCO’s Executive Board meeting clear message: Improving the safety for all journalists (read the UNESCO statement on OTHER NEWS)

- UKRAINE: the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the murder of prominent Ukrainian journalist Oles Buzina shot dead in Kiev (read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS)

The PEC stressed that whatever the motivations are journalists must be spared from being targeted because of political rivalries.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko ordered "a quick and transparent" investigation into the murders of a pro-Russian journalist Oles Buzina (photo) and an ex-lawmaker loyal to ousted President Viktor Yanukovich. "Their nature and political import are clear - this is a deliberate act, which plays into the hands of our enemies," his press service quoted him as saying in an online statement.

- YEMEN: Norwegian journalist missing after arrest - PEC calls for his immediate release (read on OTHER NEWS)

- The press Emblem Campaign (PEC) denounces the cyberattack on TV5 Monde that paralyzed its network, as a new and very worrying form of attacks by terrorists groups against the freedom of the press - still many questions (read reports on OTHER NEWS)

- The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) congratulates heartily Christian Campiche for his election as president of Impressum, the Swiss Syndicate of Journalists. Christian is a member of the PEC board since many years // La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) félicite chaleureusement Christian Campiche pour son élection comme président d’Impressum, le syndicat des journalistes suisses. Christian est membre du comité directeur de la PEC depuis plusieurs années (read on PEC NEWS)

It is a great day for the PEC when one of its executive committee members and a very dedicated member becomes president of IMPRESSUM which assembles 6000 Swiss journalists. PEC president Hedayat Abdel Nabi noted that being elected president of IMPRESSUM is well deserved for Christian Campiche (photo). PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen stressed that IMPRESSUM has supported the PEC since the Geneva based NGO was created in 2004. The PEC wishes him a great tenure as president.

- HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - 28th session: statement delivered by the Press Emblem Campaign on item 8: The PEC is deeply concerned that some States have done nothing to implement the resolution on safety of journalists (A/HRC/27/L7) adopted last September (read the statement on PEC NEWS)

- HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - 28th session: statement delivered by the Press Emblem Campaign on item 7: Last year was the worst and the deadliest year in the history of Palestine media (read the statement on PEC NEWS)

- "La démocratie à l’ère numérique": Surveillance numérique, respect des libertés, droit à l’oubli sur Google, révolutions Facebook, affaire Snowden, autant de sujets abordés par le secrétaire général de la PEC Blaise Lempen dans Le Grand Entretien diffusé par la Radio suisse. Ecouter l’interview: http://urlz.fr/1Ka1

- YEMEN: the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the killing of top Yemeni Journalist Abdul Kareem Al-Khaiwani in Sanaa (read the story on OTHER NEWS)

One of Yemen's top journalists and activists close to the country's dominant Houthi militia, Abdul Kareem al-Khaiwani, has been killed, the group's official television channel al-Maseerah said. The son al-Khewani, who is also a respected writer, said a pair of armed men riding on a motorbike opened fire and gunned down his father as he came out of his home on Wednesday morning.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though Sunni Muslim al Qaeda militants have claimed several previous attacks on the Shi'ite Houthis, whom it regards as heretics. Khaiwani's editorials were once the scourge of Yemen's veteran autocrat, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

- HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - 28th session - PEC statement delivered on situations that require the Council's attention - PEC requires the Human Rights Council to send a very strong message to all criminals that there would be no impunity for perpetrators of crimes against the freedom of expression (read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS)

- SYRIA'S CONFLICT enters its fifth year - PEC statement at the Human Rights Council on the report of the International commission of inquiry on Syria: "not to publish names at this juncture of the investigation would be to reinforce the impunity" (read on PEC NEWS)

- PALESTINE: MADA report: 2014 the worst, the deadliest, and the hardest year in the history of Palestinian Media (for the MADA report, go to OTHER NEWS)

- GUATEMALA: PEC condemns the murder of two journalists - PEC y Cerigua consternados: dos periodistas asesinados en Mazatenango (read on PEC NEWS)

- DEBAT SUR LA CYBERSURVEILLANCE avec Edward Snowden: Snowden aimerait bien revenir en Suisse // DEBATE ON CYBERSURVEILLANCE with Edward Snowden: Snowden would like to return to Switzerland as a political refugee - see:

http://new.livestream.com/accounts/7424308/events/3825690

participez au débat sur la cybersurveillance sur: www.altermondes.org:

http://www.altermondes.org/contribution/demander-si-la-surveillance-numerique-est-necessaire-cest-venir-comme-la-pluie-apres-la-vendange/

Le film Citizenfour a été présenté dans le cadre du Festival international du film et forum sur les droits humains (FIFDH) à Genève. Sous le pseudonyme de Citizenfour se cache un jeune homme qui aura 30 ans dans quelques jours, dont le nom et le visage sont encore inconnus. C'est Edward Snowden que rencontrent, en juin 2013, dans une chambre d'hôtel, à Hongkong, la réalisatrice et le journaliste Glenn Greenwald, accompagnés parfois par un autre journaliste spécialiste du renseignement, le Britannique Ewen MacAskill. Leurs conversations durent huit jours et portent sur le processus à adopter pour révéler dans les meilleures conditions souhaitables ce que Snowden a découvert, à savoir que l'agence NSA espionne les citoyens du monde entier...Interrogé par Darius Rochebin, de la TSR, après la présentation du film, Snowden avoue que son exil en Russie lui pèse: voir la vidéo

- EGYPT - an unprecedented legal limbo: Mohamed Fahmy retrial delayed until March 19 after witnesses fail to show (read on OTHER NEWS)

- COLOMBIA: second journalist murdered in less than three weeks - segundo asesinato de periodista colombiano en 2015 (read on OTHER NEWS)

- UKRAINE: ONE MORE JOURNALIST KILLED on the eve of the session of the Human Rights Council - the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is deeply saddened by the death of Sergii Nikolaiev, senior photographer of Segodnya daily Ukrainian newspaper. Since the start of the year, in two months, 29 journalists have been killed while only doing their job (read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS)

Sergii Nikolaiev (photo) died of wounds he received on Feb. 28 in eastern Ukraine, according to news reports. The tragedy occurred in the village of Pisky located just 1.5 kilometers from Donetsk airport, which is now controlled by separatists. Several of his colleagues on the scene reported that Nikolaiev was wounded by explosion of the mine, while Segodnya newspaper reported that he was wounded by shells. Nikolaiev, 43, has worked in numerous conflict zones, including wars in Georgia, Libya, Syria, and Somalia. He has become the tenth journalist killed since the beginning of 2014 in Ukraine, the seventh directly caused by the war (five Russians, one Italian, one Ukrainian).

- UNITED STATES: UN rights expert hails US move to keep Internet open (read on OTHER NEWS)

- PAKISTAN: slow progress in the fight against impunity in Balochistan (see our page NO IMPUNITY) - An official autopsy report on the death of Reuters journalist Maria Golovnina has concluded that she died of asphyxiation, the cause of which "at this stage cannot be established." Golovnina, 34, the Reuters bureau chief for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was declared dead in an Islamabad hospital on February 23 after she collapsed in the Reuters news bureau. Pakistan authorities are conducting a further toxicology report, which is expected to take about a month. PEC will follow-up and expects the authorities to conduct a full and transparent investigation

- UKRAINE - RUSSIA: one year after the Euromaidan revolution in Kiev, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) concerned: the space for free journalism is steadily decreasing - PEC condemns all obstacles to reporting on the conflict and calls on all parties to respect the freedom of information for all journalists

Read: Russian journalists go abroad to report free of Kremlin control http://flip.it/aNLKi

and: Kommersant article on Russian troops fighting in Debaltseve: http://www.unian.info/war/1046898-kommersant-article-on-russian-troops-fighting-in-debaltseve-full-text-in-english.html …

and: Russian media outlets working in Ukraine’s state bodies stripped of accreditation http://tass.ru/en/world/777136

http://rbth.co.uk/news/2015/02/21/ukrainian_security_service_determines_over_100_russian_media_outlets_who_43918.html

OSCE Denounces 'Continued Intimidation' Of Media NGOs In Russia: http://www.osce.org/fom/142391

http://www.ifj.org/nc/news-single-view/backpid/1/article/ifj-backs-ukraine-russian-dialogue-to-counter-harassment-and-intimidation-of-journalists/

- SYRIA: Swedish Journalist Released From Captivity in Syria - Swedish tabloid Expressen says Swedish journalist Joakim Medin has been released from a weeklong captivity in Syria. Medin, 30, said in an interview with the paper Sunday 22 February that he and his interpreter were captured by Syrian government forces while working in the Kurdish parts of the country. Medin, who works as a freelancer for Swedish media, was released late Saturday after spending a week in an isolation cell. Swedish Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ulla Jacobson confirmed that Medin has been released.

- A Call for Global Safety Principles and Practices: the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) endorses safety principles and practices for international news organizations and the freelancers who work with them in a conflict zone or any dangerous environment (read the principles on OTHER NEWS)

Read his interviews on: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/02/14/mohamed-fahmy-still-living-in-this-nightmare.html

and: http://news.sky.com/story/1427717/al-jazeera-trio-used-as-pawns-says-journalist

http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/2014-2015/the-mohamed-fahmy-story-400-days …

- AZERBAIJAN: The Swiss embassy in Baku has been secretly sheltering Azerbaijani journalist and human rights activist Emin Huseynov for the past six months, a Swiss national television report has revealed on Wednesday 11 February - the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) urges Azerbaijan to grant Huseynov safe passage out of the country (read on PEC NEWS)

- SYRIA: Japan confiscates journalist's passport to stop him going to Syria - What is the most important, the right to information of the public or the journalists' safety? The passport seizure has brought sharp criticism from journalists and free-speech advocates. The PEC questions the legitimacy of the decision (read on PEC NEWS)

- LIBYA: JOURNALISTS UNDER ATTACK - report released by Human Rights Watch (read on OTHER NEWS)

- SYRIA: REMEMBER AMERICAN JOURNALIST AUSTIN TICE MISSING SINCE AUGUST 2012 - Parents of missing journalist push for new hostage policy - see the video: http://goo.gl/wbCeTS

- BURUNDI: PEC is concerned about the arrest and detention of Burundian journalist Bob Rugurika (read the OHCHR statement on Other News)

- EGYPT: The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes Peter Greste's release, a move in the right direction, and demands the release of his colleagues Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy (PEC press release on PEC NEWS, more info on OTHER NEWS)

Australian journalist Peter Greste (here on his arrival in Cyprus) has been deported and is free after 400 days in detention in Egypt. Greste was arrested in December 2013 with his colleagues Mohamed Fadel Fahmy (Canada) and Baher Mohamed (Egypt). Accused of collaborating with the banned Muslim Brotherhood after the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi by the military in 2013, the three men said they were simply reporting the news.

- SOUTH SUDAN: FIVE JOURNALISTS KILLED IN AN AMBUSH IN BAHR AL GHAZAL STATE - PEC condemns the attack and urges the authorities to identify the perpetrators - 21 journalists killed since the start of the year, an unprecedented record for January (see casualties)

- SYRIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is deeply concerned by a video released by the Islamic State militant group, showing surviving Japanese freelance journalist Kenji Goto, in handcuffs and dressed in orange, holding a photo of what appears to be beheaded compatriot Haruna Yukawa. PEC firmly condemns an outrageous act of banditry and calls for the immediate release of the Japanese hostage (read the PEC press release on PEC NEWS)

- MEXICO: PEC worried - Mexican journalist remains missing after three weeks - no investigation from authorities in Veracruz - sadly the body of the reporter Moises Sanchez Cerezo, 49, was found January 24 hidden in a black bag in the small town of Manlio Fabio Altamirano (updated - read on OTHER NEWS)

- ETHIOPIA: Media Being Decimated // Ethiopie : Un paysage médiatique peu à peu décimé (read the Report of Human Rights Watch on OTHER NEWS)

- Entretien exclusif avec Laurence Deonna, journaliste, écrivaine: « Pour être publiés, le reporter et le photographe doivent aller au plus près du drame au risque de leur vie » - Propos recueillis par Luisa Ballin pour la Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) - lire l'entretien sur PEC NEWS

Exclusive Interview with Laurence Deonna, journalist, writer, "To be published, the reporter and the photographer must move closer to the drama at the risk of their lives" - Interview by Luisa Ballin for the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) (read the interview translated in English on PEC NEWS)

Journaliste, photographe, grand reporter et écrivaine voyageuse, lauréate du Prix Unesco pour l’éducation à la paix en 1987, la Genevoise Laurence Deonna vient de publier son dernier livre intitulé « Mémoires ébouriffées » (Editions de l’Aire/Ginkgo). Cette fine connaisseuse du Moyen-Orient a accordé un entretien exclusif à la Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC). Elle nous parle du métier de reporter de guerre devenu beaucoup plus dangereux

- Je suis Charlie. La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) n’est pas d’accord avec la nouvelle publication de " Charlie Hebdo " // The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) does not agree with the new publication of "Charlie Hebdo" // La organización internacional de periodistas Campana Emblema de Prensa (PEC) no está de acuerdo con la nueva publicación de "Charlie Hebdo"(read the PEC press release French, English, Spanish and Arabic on PEC NEWS)

- Je suis Charlie: over one million people for the defense of freedom of expression and against terrorism Sunday in Paris, four million people throughout France

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said: "We do not need retaliation. Neither Islam nor multiculturalism in Europe is to blame for the bloody attack two mornings ago, as some right-wing political leaders have already begun to say". He added: "The right to the freedom of expression has always been considered as that human right which best answers to the wickedness brought on by tyranny and racism (...) That right, the freedom of expression, must therefore be argued for vigorously, most especially by this organization: by us".

- LIBYA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns the execution by the Libyan branch of the Islamic State jihadist group of two Tunisian journalists who went missing in September, Sofiene Chourabi and Nadhir Ktari - the news is not yet confirmed // LIBYE. La Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) condamne l'exécution revendiquée par la branche libyenne de l'Etat islamique de deux journalistes tunisiens Sofiène Chourabi et Nadhir Guetari enlevés depuis le 8 septembre en Libye - L'authenticité des images n'a pas pu être vérifiée de source indépendante à ce stade

- FRANCE. Attaque contre le journal Charlie Hebdo à Paris : la Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) horrifiée s’interroge sur les raisons d’un acte révoltant et appelle à un apaisement des conflits au Moyen-Orient // The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), horrified, can only wonder what is behind the attack and calls for a peaceful solution to the conflicts in the Middle East // La PEC horrorizada se interroga sobre las razones de tan repugnante acto y exhorta al apaciguamiento de los conflictos en el Medio Oriente

(read the press release French, English, Spanish and Arabic on PEC NEWS)

- MAURITANIE: soutenons Mohamed Cheikh journaliste mauritanien condamné à mort - Signez la lettre ouverte au président mauritanien, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, également président en exercice de l'Union Africaine // MAURITANIA: sign the petition to release the journalist Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed convicted of apostasy (lire sur OTHER NEWS)

- PAKISTAN: 2014 AMONG THE WORST FOR JOURNALISTS IN A DECADE (read on OTHER NEWS)

- EGYPT: the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) joins the calls to release the Al Jazeera staff held for one year in Egypt. They are not criminals, only journalists. December 29 marks one year since Baher Mohamed, Mohamed Fahmy and Peter Greste were arrested in Cairo under false charges of aiding the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and spreading false news. In June, Greste, an Australian, and Fahmy, an Egyptian-Canadian, received seven-year jail terms, while Mohamed, an Egyptian, was sentenced to 10 years. After the Court orders the retrial of the journalists January 1rst, the PEC still hopes that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will issue a presidential pardon to end this ordeal that tarnishes the image of Egypt.

- 15 DECEMBER 2014. PEC annual report - 2014 a terrible year for the journalists: 128 journalists killed in 32 countries // Rapport annuel de la PEC - 2014 une année terrible pour les journalistes: 128 journalistes tués dans 32 pays // Informe anual de la PEC - El año que finaliza ha sido terrible para los periodistas: 128 periodistas asesinados en 32 países

(read the PEC summary English, French, Spanish and Arabic, go to CASUALTIES for more)

watch the video - entretien diffusé dans le journal 64' de TV5 Monde: http://youtu.be/kMlcZEIalt0

- Halte à l’hécatombe des correspondants de guerre - lisez l'entretien du secrétaire général de la PEC Blaise Lempen publiée lundi 15 décembre dans le quotidien suisse "Le Temps" (allez sur PEC NEWS)

- SYRIA. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) appalled - FOUR JOURNALISTS KILLED IN TWO DAYS - 13 in Syria since the beginning of this year (read on OTHER NEWS)

- YEMEN. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) shocked - freelance american photojournalist Luke Somers has been killed during a rescue attempt in Yemen - Luke Somers was abducted in September 2013 in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, by al-Qaeda (more on OTHER NEWS)

- SOMALIA. TWO MORE JOURNALISTS KILLED. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is saddened to learn the murder of two journalists, while three others were wounded in a suicide car bombing attack in the town of Baidoa (read on OTHER NEWS)

- GAZA: threats of the so-called “ISIS-Gaza” against journalists and artists - a very worrying phenomenon (read on OTHER NEWS)

- NOVEMBER 2014. UKRAINE. PEC condemns the killing of Oleksandr Kuchynsky and his wife in Donetsk Oblast. He is the ninth journalist killed in Ukraine this year, the 120th worldwide. Kuchynsky, 57, was a chief editor of Criminal Express, a newspaper in Donetsk covering the crime news (see casualties)

- UNITED NATIONS. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) welcomes a new resolution adopted by consensus at the third committee in New York which aims at enhancing the safety of journalists, but more needs to be done – five years after the Ampatuan Massacre, no one has been convicted. The PEC calls on the UN to create a new international mechanism to follow-up the enquiries and bring those responsible to justice // حملة الشارة الدولية ترحب پقرار اللجنة الثالثة لحماية و سلامة الصحفيين
(read the PEC statement English and Arabic on PEC NEWS)

- PEC took part in a meeting in Strasbourg organized by UNESCO: Legal experts discussed frameworks to tackle impunity - and attended the 3rd UN Inter-Agency Meeting on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity (read on PEC NEWS)

- HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. REVIEW OF EGYPT (UPR). IPI and PEC sent a letter to Ambassadors to call attention to the dare situation journalists are facing in Egypt (read the letter on PEC NEWS)

- INTERNATIONAL DAY TO END IMPUNITY. Symposium on safety of journalists - the reality of violations and the efforts for protection - Doha (Qatar) - read the PEC statement on PEC NEWS

- INTERNATIONAL DAY TO END IMPUNITY for CRIMES AGAINST JOURNALISTS. ONE YEAR AFTER THE MURDER OF TWO FRENCH JOURNALISTS OF RFI IN MALI - PEC welcomes a new campaign launched by RSF: www.fightimpunity.org. ACT NOW (read more news and statements on our pages OTHER NEWS and NO IMPUNITY)

- OCTOBER 2014. The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly protests against the targeting by israeli soldiers of an AP reporter and a Swiss photograph in the West Bank, demands that the israeli authorities apologize - la PEC proteste énergiquement contre les tirs effectués par des soldats israéliens contre un reporter d'AP et un photographe suisse indépendant en Cisjordanie et demande que les autorités israéliennes s'excusent (lire les infos sur OTHER NEWS)

- EBOLA. THE PRESS EMBLEM CAMPAIGN RELIEVED. American cameraman Ashoka Mukpo declared Ebola-free after treatment(read on OTHER NEWS)

- A NEW PUBLICATION ON THE FACEBOOK, GOOGLE, TWITTER "REVOLUTION": BLAISE LEMPEN "THE DEMOCRACY AT THE DIGITAL AGE" - UNE NOUVELLE PUBLICATION: "LA DEMOCRATIE A L'ERE NUMERIQUE - la "révolution Facebook, Google, Twitter et Cie", par Blaise LEMPEN (plus d'infos sur PEC NEWS)

- IRAQ - Islamic State publicly executes Iraqi journalist in northern Iraq - Islamic State fighters have publicly executed an Iraqi journalist Raad Mohamed Al-Azaoui, Al Jazeera reported on Saturday Oct 11. It follows the executions of two Western journalists. Raad Mohamed Al-Azaoui, a cameraman for Sama Salah Aldeen TV, was abducted by Islamic State fighters on September 7 when he was working in Samara, in the northern province of Saladin. The group later issued threats to behead Al-Azaoui after he refused to work for the Islamic State. This new execution highlights the mounting dangers journalists face while working in the region. The terrorist organization eliminate all those who refuse to swear allegiance to ISIS, warned the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) (see casualties)

- ALERT. EBOLA IN WEST AFRICA. NEW RISKS FOR JOURNALISTS. American Journalist With Ebola, NBC Team Brought Back to U.S. (read media reports and latest news of the NBC cameraman on OTHER NEWS)

Les 3e Assises du Journalisme, organisées par Impressum, Amnesty, la PEC, RSF et l'Université de Fribourg ont réuni à Lausanne le 24 septembre plus de 200 journalistes, éditeurs, rédacteurs en chef, étudiants, membres d'ONG pour discuter de la liberté de la presse, de la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme, de la protection des journalistes en zone de guerre et de la cybersurveillance lors de quatre ateliers (photo PM).