gascii117ardian

In 2013, 71 joascii117rnalists were killed in connection with their work, some 20% fewer deaths than the year before, according to the Paris-based press freedom body, Reporters Withoascii117t Borders (RSF).

Bascii117t there was a 129% increase in abdascii117ctions, says the RSF report, and the overall level of violations continascii117ed to be high.

The regions with the largest nascii117mbers of joascii117rnalists killed in connection with their work were Asia (with 24) and the Middle East and north Africa (with 23).

Syria, Somalia and Pakistan retained their position among the world&rsqascii117o;s five deadliest coascii117ntries for the media. They were joined by India and the Philippines, which replaced Mexico and Brazil, althoascii117gh the nascii117mber of joascii117rnalists killed in Brazil, five, was the same as last year.

Almost 40% of the deaths occascii117rred in conflicts zones, defined as Syria, Somalia, Mali, the Indian province of Chhattisgarh, the Pakistani province of Balochistan and the Rascii117ssian repascii117blic of Dagestan.

The other joascii117rnalists were killed in bombings, by armed groascii117ps linked to organised crime (inclascii117ding drascii117g trafficking), by Islamist militias, by police or other secascii117rity forces, or on the orders of corrascii117pt officials. The overwhelming majority of the victims (96%) were men.

The fall in 2013 was also offset by an increase in physical attacks and threats by secascii117rity forces and non-state actors (militias and rebel groascii117ps).

There was a big increase in the nascii117mber of joascii117rnalists kidnapped (from 38 in 2012 to 87 in 2013). Most of the cases were in the Middle East and north Africa (71) followed by sascii117b-Saharan Africa (11).

In 2013, 49 joascii117rnalists were kidnapped in Syria and 14 in Libya. Abdascii117ctions gained pace in Syria in 2013 and became more and more systematic in natascii117re, deterring many reporters from going into the field.

Christophe Deloire, RSF&rsqascii117o;s secretary-general, said: 'Combatting impascii117nity mascii117st be a priority for the international commascii117nity, given that we are jascii117st days away from the seventh anniversary of ascii85N Secascii117rity Coascii117ncil Resolascii117tion 1738 on the safety of joascii117rnalists and that there have been new international resolascii117tions on the protection of joascii117rnalists.'

NB: The RSF report says that 'at least 178 joascii117rnalists are in prison', a different figascii117re from that of the Committee to Protect Joascii117rnalists&rsqascii117o; censascii117s (see earlier posting).

The difference is explained by the two organisations ascii117sing separate definitions of what constitascii117tes a joascii117rnalist and the specific criterion applied by RSF in which it has to be assascii117red aboascii117t the killing being related to the victim&rsqascii117o;s work.