International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against
Journalists
Wednesday 2 November 2016
UN human rights expert urges states to strengthen
journalist security
GENEVA (1 November 2016) – Speaking ahead of the third
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the United
Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, David Kaye, urges states
to bring their understanding of what security of journalists involves into line
with international human rights standards and to take active steps to ensure
this security.
“Attacks against journalists and threats to their
security take various forms: attacks against their physical integrity; interference
with the confidentiality of their sources; and harassment through surveillance,
just to mention a few.
Protection against these kinds of attacks is fundamental
not only for journalists to be able to perform their work, but also for
society’s access to information and for government accountability.
States have a positive obligation to ensure the security
of journalists. All too often, however, governments express support for
journalist security while taking measures that chip away at protection and thus
at the information brought to light by secure reporting.
Especially worrisome are increased threats against the
digital security of journalists through measures such as mass or targeted
surveillance, blocking of online media sites, and practices or laws limiting or
prohibiting encryption.
The international legal framework protects the digital
and physical security of journalists. The UN Human Rights Council adopted
earlier this year a resolution on the safety of journalists, addressing both
their physical and digital security. I have also addressed the issues of source
protection and encryption in two of my previous reports*.
Journalists who lack digital security find themselves and
their sources subject to great physical threat, and yet physical attacks
continue to be met with impunity. We see national leaders using rhetoric that
encourages a lack of respect for the life and work of journalists.
According to the latest figures by the independent
Committee to Protect Journalists, 52 journalists and media workers have been
killed so far this year. In most of these cases, states do not take even the
basic steps to begin to bring perpetrators to justice.
I urge all States to take steps to reverse this situation
and make accountability – in law, policy and practice – a fundamental aspect of
their support for journalism and the public’s access to information.”
(*) See the Special Rapporteur’s 2015 reports A/70/361
and A/HRC/29/32:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomOpinion/Pages/Annual.aspx
ENDS
Mr. David Kaye (USA) was appointed as Special Rapporteur
on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and
expression in August 2014 by the United Nations Human Rights Council. As
Special Rapporteur, Mr. Kaye is part of what is known as the Special Procedures
of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of
independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the
Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address
either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the
world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN
staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any
government or organization and serve in their individual capacity. Learn more,
log on to:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomOpinion/Pages/OpinionIndex.aspx
For more information and media requests please contact
Mr. Stefano Sensi (+41 22 917 9237 / ssensi@ohchr.org), Ms. Azin Tadjdini (+41
22 917 9400 / atadjdini@ohchr.org) or write to freedex@ohchr.org.
You can access this media statement at:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20811&LangID=E)
For media inquiries related to other UN independent
experts:
Xabier Celaya, OHCHR Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 /
xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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