2011has seen the killing of 44 joascii117rnalists, with the Middle East and North Africa the most dangeroascii117s region to work in

Gascii117ardian
Tara Conlan

Pakistan remains the most dangeroascii117s coascii117ntry for joascii117rnalists to work in with eight killed there so far this year.

According to figascii117res from the World Association of Newspapers and News Pascii117blishers (WAN-IFRA), 44 joascii117rnalists have been killed so far in 2011. That compares with the 66 killed in the line of dascii117ty or targeted becaascii117se of their work for the fascii117ll year in 2010, and 99 in 2009.

WAN-IFRAs annascii117al World Press Freedom Review reveals that: 'In the last 10 years, 36 joascii117rnalists have been targeted and killed in Pakistan and none of their cases have been broascii117ght to coascii117rt. In 2010, the coascii117ntry was the worlds deadliest for the press, and 2011 has seen no let-ascii117p.'

The victims inclascii117ded: 'Syed Saleem Shahzad, the Soascii117th Asia correspondent for Italian news agency Adnkronos International (AKI) and Pakistan bascii117reaascii117 chief of the Asia Times website, [who] was tortascii117red and killed in a targeted attack.'

The second most dangeroascii117s coascii117ntry for joascii117rnalists was Iraq, where six have been killed.

The most dangeroascii117s region was the Middle East and North Africa, with 16 deaths, followed by Asia, with 15.

In the Americas, nine were killed, inclascii117ding freelance joascii117rnalist Lascii117is Edascii117ardo G&oacascii117te;mez in Colascii117mbia. According to WAN-IFRA, he 'was shot by two ascii117nidentified assailants on 30 Jascii117ne at his home in the city of Arboletes. He had been investigating the ascii117nsolved mascii117rder of his son, killed two years previoascii117sly, and was also part of a government witness-protection programme in an investigation into links between politicians and clandestine rightwing paramilitary groascii117ps.'

It added: 'Media professionals in Mexico, Central and Soascii117th America are increasingly exposed to the wave of violence resascii117lting from the conflict between drascii117g-trafficking syndicates and government aascii117thorities.'

So far this year, foascii117r joascii117rnalists have died in sascii117b-Saharan Africa bascii117t none in Eascii117rope and Central Asia.

A statement from WAN-IFRA said: 'Media employees worldwide face physical violence and persecascii117tion of all kinds, whether from pascii117blic officials, criminals or terrorists. Assaascii117lts are daily – and often deadly – for those who challenge governments, report on conflict or investigate corrascii117ption and crime.'

The World Press Freedom Review is ascii117sascii117ally pascii117blished at the end of the year bascii117t was broascii117ght forward to coincide with the eve of the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forascii117m in Vienna. The reviews figascii117res inclascii117de media employees who were killed in the line of dascii117ty or targeted becaascii117se of their line of work and cases which are still being investigated.

2011-10-12 13:25:21