IFJ deplores press freedom setback

BRUSSELS, May 2 (KUNA) - The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Tuesday deplored that press freedom has taken another step backwards and that freedom of expression is not the driver for other human rights that it should be.
"From Peru to Iran, from Sudan to Afghanistan, governments are taking drastic measures to impede freedom of expression and prevent the public's right to know, including internet restrictions, beating, jailing and intimidating journalists, controlling media content and introducing drastic media laws and other laws to curb the free flow of information," said IFJ President Dominique Pradalie in a statement to mark the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day.
On 3 May 1993, the UN General Assembly proclaimed an international day for press freedom. This day is meant to remind world governments that they need to respect their commitment to press freedom.
The IFJ statement noted that 68 media staff were killed in 2022 and added that "very few of these cases have been investigated because impunity for killing media workers has been the rule over the years." The IFJ also pointed out to ongoing media crackdowns, which have led to large numbers of journalists being jailed, with at least 375 journalists and media workers behind bars in 2022.
Digital surveillance and the widespread use of spying software have been used on hundreds of journalists in order to kill stories, putting many journalists at risk of seeing their sources and whereabouts and other personal data being publicly disclosed, said the Brussels-based IFJ.
In a separate statement, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said "while the preservation of free, independent and pluralistic media is vital for resilient and healthy democracies, press freedom is at stake in most parts of the world today. " "Journalists, media workers and all those who bring independent quality information to the public, shed light on the gross human rights violations and atrocities and hold those in power to account increasingly face discredit, threats and attacks, including through disinformation," he said.
"Media workers worldwide, including in Europe, continue to pay a high price for exercising their profession," stated the EU foreign policy chief.
He added that the EU will remain committed to engage with governments, the media and civil society, both in international fora as well as at the local level, to take initiative and strengthen press freedom around the world.
Further, in another statement, Council of Europe's Secretary General Marija Pejvinovic Buric urged European governments to make the protection of journalism and the safety of journalists and other media actors a political priority: "As journalists and other media actors are increasingly subject to undue pressure, intimidation, violence and other forms of interference with their work in many European countries, it has become urgent to devise national action plans for the safety of journalists," said Buric.
The Strasbourg-based Council of Europe is a human rights watchdog for Europe. (end) nk.aa