World Press Freedom Day in Gaza and Iraq and worldwide

Shafaq News/ On May 3, UNESCO commemorates World Press Freedom Day. This year, the occasion came at a difficult period for journalists worldwide, with the ongoing conflicts having tragically claimed the lives of many journalists and media personnel.

UN Statement

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, recently emphasized the core values of journalism - trust, truth, and integrity - and the formidable obstacles journalists confront in upholding these principles.

Türk considered 2023 a stark reminder of the perils journalists face in pursuit of truth. With 71 journalists and media workers lost their lives, yet only a meager 13% of the murder cases have seen thorough investigations.

“When we lose a journalist, we lose our eyes and ears to the outside world. We lose a voice for the voiceless. We lose, in fact, a human rights defender.” He said.

The UN official pointed out that World Press Freedom Day this year has significant resonance.

“We are marking it this year in an era of acute global turmoil and the profound fragmentation and polarisation of humanity. Conflict is boiling over in many places - from Myanmar, to Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza and several other parts of the world - causing intolerable human suffering.”

“We need independent, ethical and quality journalism perhaps now more than ever. On the climate crisis – and on all crises - journalists serve as the ultimate allies in human rights. Because in their pursuit of facts, evidence and accountability, we have one of our best hopes to build societies based on truth and trust.”

Worldwide

In 2024, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that 25 journalists and media workers have lost their lives. Of these, at least 20 were in Palestine, with two deaths in Colombia, and one each in Pakistan, Sudan, and Myanmar."

In 2023, over three-quarters of the 99 journalists and media workers killed globally lost their lives in the Israel-Gaza conflict, with the majority being Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza. CPJ reported.

As of December 1, 2023, CPJ reported 320 journalists and media workers imprisoned worldwide. The countries with the highest numbers of imprisoned journalists are China 44, Myanmar 43, Belarus 28, Russia 22, and Vietnam 19.

Gaza

In the first seven months of the Gaza war, over 100 journalists and media workers, primarily Palestinian, have lost their lives, as reported by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Gaza's media office records the toll at over 140 deaths, equating to an average of five journalists killed weekly since October 7.

Iraq

Amid Iraqi authorities affirmations, concerns about press freedom in Iraq have been raised.

The Iraqi Journalists Rights Defense Association revealed increased cases of detention, arrest, legal pursuit, and harassment aimed at hindering media coverage from May 2023 to May 2024.

"This escalation raises severe concerns about the country's deteriorating freedom of journalistic work."

According to a report from the Association, there has been a notable rise in judicial rulings, arrest warrants, summons, and absentia verdicts against journalists based on laws inherited from the previous dictatorial era."

The violations, as documented by the Association, "reflect systematic and aggressive methods used by authorities, sometimes by political entities and influential figures, to legally harass journalists, such as instructing security forces to chase journalists on the streets and prevent them from filming, as happened in Basra under orders from the governorate's police chief.”

The annual report from the Association noted that "among the new violations witnessed in Iraq regarding press freedom, authorities have violated all legal and constitutional frameworks by blocking access to several news websites, social media groups, or pages in a secretive and covert manner, without any explanation from any governmental entity."

The report further documented a total of 333 violations during the covered period, including detentions, arrests, injuries, raids or armed attacks on journalists' homes and media offices, physical assaults, obstruction or hindrance of work, and legal lawsuits.

These violations, according to the Association's report, included 53 cases of detention and arrest, 6 injuries, 12 armed attacks, 232 cases of obstruction, assault, or harassment, along with 22 legal lawsuits against journalists, and eight other miscellaneous cases.

During the monitoring conducted by the Association in recent months, April 2023 witnessed the highest number of violations, with 57 cases, followed by August, with 47 cases, of the total violations throughout the year.

Baghdad topped the cities with the most violations against journalists, with 66 cases, followed by Erbil, with 64 cases, and then Basra, with 54 cases.

Based on these findings, the Association has issued recommendations to the Parliament and international organizations concerned with human rights, freedom of expression, and press freedom.

On World Press Freedom Day, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani reiterated his commitment to upholding the freedom of journalists to conduct their work without fear of intimidation or coercion.

"We reaffirm our support for all media professionals and stand by them, ensuring they can carry out their work without any constraints or coercion, based on our constitution that guarantees public freedoms," Al-Sudani stated on Tuesday. He emphasized that professional journalism is pivotal in supporting the government's executive functions, serving citizens, and contributing to the nation's progress.

Acting Speaker of Parliament Mohsen al-Mandlawi echoed this sentiment, expressing Parliament's full support for media freedom and the protection of journalists. He called for "robust legislation to prohibit any coercive measures against journalists and ensure their safety, aiming to foster a free and impartial press capable of promoting justice, peace, combating corruption, extremist ideologies, and contributing significantly to nation-building and democratic progress.