Journalists at Risk in Bahrain, Iraq, Syria and Yemen!
Local Editor
In a new report, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights [GCHR] aims to highlight cases of ongoing killings, attacks and threats against journalists and other media workers in four countries, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, and makes recommendations to enhance their protection using international mechanisms including the United Nations system.
The report, "Risking Their Lives: Ongoing Attacks Against Journalists in Bahrain, Iraq, Syria and Yemen", says journalists in the four countries carry out their activities and advocate for human rights at great and imminent risk to their lives and have been killed, forcibly disappeared, subjected to threats and harassment, arbitrarily detained, tortured, had travel bans imposed on them and had fabricated charges brought against them. The cases presented in this report are illustrative and many more journalists, photographers, cartoonists and other media workers have been targeted in all countries.
"Our mandate is to protect and support human rights defenders in a region that does not recognize those who expose human rights violations, and journalists are often at the forefront of this important work in countries where civil society has been destroyed or restricted," said Khalid Ibrahim, GCHR Co-Director.
Journalists have been caught in the crossfire of conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Yemen and have been directly targeted for their activities in defense of human rights in all countries including Bahrain by governments, armed extremists and militant groups. These attacks have remained with impunity leaving journalists working in all countries at grave risk while losing hope with the international community. With regard to journalists who have been murdered in these countries, not a single case has yet been brought to justice.
As recognized by the UN Security Council in its resolution 2222 [2015], "Impunity for crimes committed against journalists, media professionals and associated personnel in armed conflict remains a significant challenge to their protection and that ensuring accountability for crimes committed against them is a key element in preventing future attacks."
In addition to making recommendations to the governments of the four countries named in the report to allow journalists to work freely and end their persecution, GCHR's report urges all UN human rights bodies, including the Human Rights Council and UN member states to:
● Ensure that all parties to the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen end all violations committed against civilians, including journalists;
● Take immediate action to protect journalists working in Bahrain, Iraq, Syria and Yemen;
● Appoint a Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the protection of journalists; and
● Refer cases of journalists killed and attacked in Syria and Iraq, which are not parties to the Rome Statute, to the International Criminal Court.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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