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RWB says 110 journalists killed in 2015, 67 while on the job

PARIS, Dec 29 (KUNA) -- International press freedom body Reporters Without Borders (RWB) said on Tuesday that 110 journalists were killed in 2015 "in connection with their work or for unclear reasons" with more than half this number killed while on assignment.
In an annual review, RWB said that 67 journalists "were targeted because of their work or were killed while reporting" in the past 12 months.
This brings to 787 the number of press men and women killed because of the work they were doing in the past ten years.
In addition to the press professionals, 27 "citizen journalists" and seven media workers were also killed in 2015.
"This disturbing situation is largely attributable to deliberate violence against journalists and is indicative of the failure of the initiatives so far taken to protect media personnel," Reporters Without Borders commented in a statement.
For the first time in many years, a European country - France - was one of the deadliest countries for press deaths last year, after eight journalists were assassinated by so-called ISIL-linked gunmen in Paris last January.
Iraq was where the highest death toll for journalists was reported in 2015, with eleven deaths, followed by Syria, with 10 losses of life.
RWB also noted that the trend for where journalists were being killed had changed in 2015.
"The January attack on "Charlie Hebdo" (in France) contributed to a reversal of last year's trend, when two thirds of the deaths of occurred in war zones. This year, two thirds of the deaths were in countries at peace." The press freedom body called for the international community to act to protect journalists and pursue those who enjoy impunity after attacks on press professionals.
"The creation of a specific mechanism for enforcing international law on the protection of journalists is absolutely essential," RWB secretary-general Christophe Deloire said in the statement. (end) jk.tg