Connect with us

News

85 per cent of journalist killings go unpunished

Published

on

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

Between 2006 and 2024, over 1,700 journalists have been killed around the world, and around 85 percent of the cases did not make it to court, according to a report by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The dangers faced by journalists, including risks to their lives, are highlighted each year on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, which falls on 2 November.

This year, the International Day coincides with the biannual UNESCO Director-General’s Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which recorded a 38 per cent increase in the number of journalist killings compared to the previous study.

In his 2024 message for the Day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out that Gaza has seen the highest number of killings of journalists and media workers in any war in decades and called on governments to take urgent steps to protect journalists, investigate crimes against them and prosecute perpetrators.

Advertisement

The war in Gaza inevitably dominated the 2024 UN International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East on Friday, an event that has taken place annually for the past three decades, with the aim of enhancing dialogue and understanding between media practitioners and fostering their contributions in support of a peaceful settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In a statement to the seminar, read out by UN head of global communications, Melissa Fleming, Mr. Guterres noted that journalists in Gaza have been killed “at a level unseen in any conflict in modern times”, adding that the ongoing ban preventing international journalists from Gaza “suffocates the truth even further”.

Below is an excerpt of the comments made by Cheikh Niang, chair of the UN Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations; Guilherme Canela, chief of the section on freedom of expression and safety of journalists at UNESCO, and Mohammad Ali Alnsour, chief of the Middle East and north Africa section at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Cheikh Niang: One year has passed since the events of 7 October 2023, when Palestinian militants attacked Israel, followed by a devastating Israeli response in Gaza.

Advertisement

Since then, access to information has been severely curtailed. Journalists have been killed, newsrooms destroyed, foreign press blocked and communications cut. Israeli forces, as the occupying power, have systematically dismantled Palestinian media infrastructure, silencing voices through restrictions, threats, targeted killings and censorship.

In the past 380 days, over 130 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. These were voices reporting on possible war crimes, silenced before their stories could be fully told.

Journalists in Gaza continue to report on the humanitarian crisis, often at great personal risk, providing the world with an accurate picture of the unfolding tragedy. We honour their courage and recognise that their loss silences their stories and severely limits the public’s access to the truth.

Guilherme Canela: The UNESCO Director-General’s Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity has, for many years, been showing a decrease in the number of journalists killed in conflicts compared with the journalists killed in other situations.

Advertisement

This is not true for this report. Since the report we issued in 2017, it was completely changed because of the situation in Gaza. Journalists were killed because they were telling a story, a story that is relevant for each one of us and of each citizen.

It is very scary to see the level of mistrust that there is against media all over the world and against journalists. This mistrust is happening because of a narrative of political leaders, of religious leaders, of celebrities against journalists and against journalism as a foundational pillar of our democratic values and the protection of human rights.

Mohammad Ali Alnsour: The media has a very important role in starting the accountability process, starting with documenting the crimes and violations and then into investigation and then accountability and eventually to achieve peace. Unfortunately, this has not been the case in the occupied Palestinian territories for four decades now. The issue of access also is not limited to the media and journalists.

Under international humanitarian law, the occupier, Israel, has the obligation to protect civilians, including journalists. We are hearing from very senior politicians and leaders that it is okay to kill civilians in order to achieve insignificant military objectives during that process, which is a violation of proportionality, principle and also military need.

Advertisement

International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists

Every two years, the awareness-raising campaign for the commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists coincides with the findings of the report outlining the current state of global and regional impunity.

UNESCO is concerned that impunity damages whole societies by covering up serious human rights abuses, corruption and crime. To uphold the rule of law, governments, civil society, the media and everyone concerned are being asked to join in the global efforts to end impunity.

UN News

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/themes/zox-news/comments.php on line 49

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

READ today’s newspaper headlines,14/07/2026

Published

on

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

Oil prices jump 9% to $82.90 on worsening US-Iran conflict

Military hands over 44 rescued Oriire abductees to Makinde

Fed Govt halts plans to raise WAEC, NECO registration fees

Dangote dumps naira, begins petrol sales in dollars

Advertisement

I borrowed N400m to secure PFIPC appointment – ‘Fake’ DG Adeyemi

Nigeria beat Burundi in Billie Jean King Cup opener

NSC hails Junior D’Tigers after AfroBasket qualification

Naira depreciates to N1,420/$ in parallel market

Advertisement

Falcons storm Casablanca camp ahead of WAFCON

We’ll resume Iran port blockade Tuesday – US military

EU, UK hit Russia with joint sanctions over cyber attacks

Brazil court bars Bolsonaro son from visiting father until after election

Advertisement

Iran FM mocks Trump over tolls for Strait of Hormuz passage

US missions in UAE suspend consular appointments over ‘security situation’
——————–
*DID YOU KNOW?*

* Pelé’s record as the FIFA World Cup all-time youngest goalscorer (17 years, 239 days) remains untouched.

* Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester is the most expensive book ever purchased, bought by Bill Gates at an auction for a staggering $30.8 million.
——————–

Advertisement

Buhari gave his all to Nigeria — Tinubu

Shettima: I wept at Buhari’s bedside in his last moment

Senate probes ₦34tr Import duty waivers, threatens sanctions for 14 MDAs

ADC heads to S’Court over congresses

Advertisement

Appeal Court to INEC: don’t recognise ADC congresses by Mark-led NWC

A’Court upholds death sentence for Kwara cleric over lover’s murder

Fake agency scandal: ICPC begins probe as DG alleges threat to life

Ex-minister Nnaji arraigned, gets N20m bail over alleged forgery, money laundering

Advertisement

Lagos court orders extradition of Nigerian drug convict to UK

Army smashes arms trafficking ring in Kaduna, seizes weapons

NAF inspects C-130H aircraft undergoing maintenance in Portugal

Oyo abduction: Presidency slams Makinde over demand for UN probe

Advertisement

FG granted N34tn import duty waivers in 2025 – Customs

FG grants N6bn tax waivers to drug manufacturers

FG targets 70,000 youths for market-driven skills training under IDEAS-TVET programme

FG develops coordinated reintegration framework for ex-terrorists

Advertisement

Customs auction 20,500 litres of petrol in Lagos

Bauchi varsity gets NUC approval for new academic programmes

FUTA teaching hospital faces office, clinical space shortages – CMD

Oluremi Tinubu assures W’Bank of school feeding before 2027

Advertisement

Chartered Institute of Administration inducts 290 members

DisCos kick against NERC’s CapEx account order

Dangote fixes petrol price at $0.779 per litre in new pricing template

Namibian firm buys 52 Shell, Engen filling stations

Advertisement

Bogo Beverages unveils N20bn factory targeting Nigeria’s growing market

MeCure seeks N50bn funding as profit jumps 177%

Atiku, ADC defend primaries as court voids Mark-led congresses

Atiku, Obi excited as FG suspends planned increase in WAEC, NECO registration fees

Advertisement

‘DJ Chicken does not deserve to be in prison’ – Sowore offers to help

Adeleke demands visa ban for APC chieftains, party faults gov

2027: Kano gov retains deputy as running mate

S’Africa attacks: Okpebholo offers 41 Edo returnees N1m each

Advertisement

Oyebanji retains Governing Councils of Ekiti tertiary institutions

Kaduna gov reconstitutes five boards, appoints new aides

Ekiti approves N16.75bn for road, streetlight projects

Lagos begins recruitment of doctors, nurses, others

Advertisement

Lagos expands rail network to 11 lines, establishes training centre

Lagos begins Hajj form sales, sets ₦7m deposit for pilgrims

Yobe expands health insurance, specialist hospitals to improve access

Kebbi enrols 50,000 vulnerable residents in health insurance scheme

Advertisement

Borno distributes 5m nets to curb malaria

Oyo police rescue abducted farmer after joint security operation

123 Kano drivers face trial for number plate violations

Downpour cripples Lagos, flood submerges cars, strands motorists

Advertisement

Lagos arrests mother over child’s alleged drainage waste disposal

MACBAN denies role in killing of 16 Benue villagers

Anambra arrests 47-year-old birth attendant over illegal surgeries

Oriire abduction: Children were beaten, teachers chained — Alamu, Principal

Advertisement

Gunmen abduct Oyo headmaster, demand N30m ransom

——————–

*TODAY IN HISTORY*

* On this day in 2016, a terrorist attack in Nice, France killed 85 and injured more than 300 people. The attack took place during Bastille Day Celebrations, when a 19-tonne truck was driven into the crowd. The attacker was eventually shot by the police.

Advertisement

* On this day in 1957, first female parliamentarian in the Arab world was elected to office. Egyptian Rawya Ateya became the first woman to be elected to the National Assembly.

——————–

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. – Carl Sagan

Good morning

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

PFIPC scandal: ‘I borrowed N400 million to secure the appointment’ – Adeyemi Adeniyi

Published

on

By

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

The self-acclaimed Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, Adeyemi Adeniyi, says he borrowed the N400 million to secured the job at the presidency.

Adeniyi made this revelation on Monday during zoom interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television.

He said his creditors have reported him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

He described the way some actors in government taking the matter as ‘unfortunate and embarrassing’, asking how only him could manoeuvre the entire Federal Government system.

Advertisement

“I borrowed this money, the N400 million, to pay for this appointment. In fact, those that I borrowed the money from have reported me to the EFCC to refund it,” he said.

When asked to react to the report that there is a United States lobbying firm helping him to seek an asylum, Adeniyi said, “I read it the way you read it.”

Continue Reading

News

May 18 primaries has come to a close, I appeal to all my people to support all APC candidates -Ize-Iyamu

Published

on

By

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has beckoned on all his loyalists to support All Progressives Congress APC candidates after the party formally endorsed all Edo State candidates.

This was contained in a statement he personally signed encouraging his loyalists in Edo South to throw their weights behind all APC candidates.

Hear him:

“Following wide-ranging consultations with our leaders, party members, supporters, women, youths, and well-wishers across Edo South, Nigeria, and the diaspora, I address you today(Monday ) with profound gratitude, humility, and an unwavering commitment to the unity and progress of our great party.

Advertisement

“The APC Edo South Senatorial Primary held on May 18, 2026 has come to a close. Our party has completed its democratic process, and a candidate has emerged. I accept the decision of our party in good faith and appeal to all our members, followers and friends to do same.

“The All Progressives Congress is greater than any individual ambition. It is a platform built on service, sacrifice, discipline, and our shared commitment to a better future for our people. Political contests may test our preferences, but they must never diminish our common purpose.

To every supporter, coordinator, volunteer, grassroots mobiliser, and everyone who stood with us throughout this journey, I offer my heartfelt appreciation. Your loyalty, sacrifices, encouragement, and prayers have been a constant source of strength. I remain deeply grateful for your confidence and steadfast support.

I wish to specially thank our brothers and sisters in the diaspora across party lines for the overwhelming support they gave my senatorial bid and assure them of my continous commitment to the development and progress of our district. I urge every one of you to remain peaceful, reject division, and continue to uphold the values that have always defined our people.

Advertisement

Now is the time to reconcile, close ranks, and focus on the greater task before us. Our collective responsibility to serve the people of Edo South is far greater than any individual aspiration. As we move forward, I remain committed to working with our leaders, stakeholders, and party faithfuls to strengthen the APC, secure victory in the general election, and advance the development and well-being of Edo South Senatorial District.

The contest is behind us. The future is before us. Let us move forward with one resolve, and one commitment- to build a stronger APC and a more prosperous Edo South.

Thank you for your prayers, your loyalty, and your unwavering support throughout this journey.
History will not remember the contest we fought; it will remember the future we built together. Let us unite. Let us serve. Let us win for the APC, for Edo South and for the people of Edo State.

God bless the All Progressives Congress. God bless Edo South Senatorial District. God bless Edo State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Oba gha to kpere, ise

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Naija Blitz News