Guterres: Those Responsible for the Killing of Journalists Are Not Prosecuted Worldwide

Bayan News – António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, expressed concern on Monday (November 2) over violence against journalists, stating that those responsible for killing journalists worldwide often remain unpunished.

The Secretary-General made these remarks in observance of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, noting that in nine out of every ten journalist murders globally, perpetrators not only go unpunished but are rarely pursued legally.

Guterres wrote on the X platform that impunity fosters an increase in violence against journalists and media workers.

The senior UN official called on nations to take immediate action to protect journalists and investigate violence against them. He stressed that those responsible for killing journalists and committing crimes against them must be held legally accountable.

The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists comes at a time when journalists and media organizations in Afghanistan are facing extremely difficult conditions.

128 Journalists Killed in Afghanistan

Meanwhile, the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AFJC) released a statement indicating that over the past two decades, 128 journalists and media workers, including 28 female journalists, have been killed due to conflict-related incidents or organized crime.

According to this center, investigations show that, due to a prevailing culture of impunity, law and justice have not been applied in over 90 percent of these cases.

Additionally, the organization reported at least 447 cases of rights violations against journalists and media workers over the last three years under Taliban rule, including three killings, dozens of threats, incidents of violence, and over 220 arrests.

The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee also noted that restrictions on journalists and media in Afghanistan have increased significantly under Taliban rule.

With the Taliban’s return to power, freedom of expression and freedom of the press in Afghanistan, after twenty years, have been significantly curtailed, forcing many media outlets to cease operations due to these restrictions and economic challenges.

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