Local journalists, those best positioned to tell the truth, face displacement and starvation. To date, nearly 200 journalists have been killed by the Israeli military. Many more have been injured and face constant threats to their lives for doing their jobs: bearing witness. This is a direct attack on press freedom and the right to information.

The entire text of the Open letter released on June 5 may be read here:

We, the undersigned, call for immediate, independent, and unrestricted international media access to Gaza and for full protection of journalists who continue to report under siege.

For 20 months, the Israeli authorities have refused to grant journalists outside of Gaza independent access to the Palestinian territory – a situation that is without precedent in modern warfare. Local journalists, those best positioned to tell the truth, face displacement and starvation. To date, nearly 200 journalists have been killed by the Israeli military. Many more have been injured and face constant threats to their lives for doing their jobs: bearing witness. This is a direct attack on press freedom and the right to information.

We understand the inherent risks in reporting from war zones. These are risks that many of our organisations have taken over decades in order to investigate, document developments as they occur, and understand the impacts of war.

At this pivotal moment, with renewed military action and efforts to resume the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, it is vital that Israel open Gaza’s borders for international journalists to be able to report freely and that Israel abides by its international obligations to protect journalists as civilians.

We call on world leaders, governments, and international institutions to act immediately to ensure this.

Signed by:

1. cd, Patient Ligodi, Founder (Democratic Republic of Congo)
2. Agence France-Presse, Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director (France)
3. Agência Pública, Natália Viana, Executive Director (Brazil)
4. Al Araby Al Jadeed, Hussam Kanafani, Director of Media Sector
5. Al Jazeera Center of Public Liberties & Human Rights, Sami Alhaj, Director (Qatar)
6. Al-Masdar Online, Ali al-Faqih, CEO (Yemen)
7. Alternative Press Syndicate (Lebanon)
8. Amazônia Real, Kátia Brasil, Director (Brazil)
9. Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), Rawan Daman, Director General

10. ARTICLE 19
11. Asia Pacific Report, David Robie, Editor (New Zealand)
12. Associated Press, Julie Pace, Executive Editor and Senior Vice President (USA)
13. Association of Foreign Press Correspondents, Nancy Prager-Kamel, Chair (USA)
14. Bahrain Press Association (Bahrain)
15. Bianet, Murat İnceoglu, Editor in Chief (Turkey)
16. BirGun Daily, Yasar Aydin, News Coordinator (Turkey)
17. Brecha, Betania Núñez, Journalistic Director (Uruguay)
18. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Deborah Turness, CEO, BBC News (UK)
19. Bulatlat, Ronalyn Olea, Editor-in-Chief (Philippines)
20. CamboJA, Nop Vy, Executive Director (Cambodia)
21. Casbah Tribune, Khaled Drareni, Editorial Director (Algeria)
22. Cedar Centre for Legal Studies (CCLS) (Lebanon)
23. Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG), Milka Tadić Mijović, Editor-in-Chief
24. Churchill Otieno, Executive Director, Eastern Africa Editors Society & President, Africa Editors Forum (Kenya)
25. CNN, Mike McCarthy, EVP & Managing Editor (USA)
26. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Jodie Ginsberg, CEO
27. Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) (Iraqi Kurdistan)
28. digital, Carlos F. Chamorro, Director (Nicaragua, in exile)
29. Connectas, Carlos Eduardo Huertas, Director (The Americas)
30. Daraj Media, Hazem al Amin, Editor-in-Chief, Alia Ibrahim, CEO and Diana Moukalled, Managing Editor (Lebanon)
31. Dawn newspaper, Zaffar Abbas, Editor (Pakistan)
32. De Último Minuto, Hector Romero, Director (Dominican Republic)
33. CR, Diego Delfino Machín, Director (Costa Rica)
34. Deník Referendum, Jakub Patocka, Editor in chief and publisher
35. Digital Radio-télévision DRTV, William Mouko Zinika Toung-Hou, Assistant Director of Information (Congo-Brazzaville)
36. Droub, Murtada Ahmed Mahmoud Koko, General Director (Sudan)
37. Efecto Cocuyo, Luz Mely Reyes, Director (Venezuela)
38. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) (Egypt)
39. El Ciudadano, Javier Pineda, Director (Chile)
40. El Diario de Hoy, Óscar Picardo Joao, Editorial Director (Salvador)
41. El Espectador, Fidel Cano Correa, Director (Colombia)
42. El Faro, Carlos Dada, Co-founder and Director (El Salvador)
43. El Mostrador, Héctor Cossio, Director (Chile)
44. El Sol de México, Martha Citlali Ramos, National Editorial Director (Mexico)
45. El Universal, David Aponte, Directeur général éditorial (Mexico)
46. elDiarioAR, Delfina Torres Cabreros, Journalistic Director (Argentina)

47. ENASS, Salaheddine Lemaizi, Director (Morocco)
48. Équipe Média, Mohamed Mayara, General Coordinator (Western Sahara)
49. European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Ricardo Gutiérrez, General Secretary
50. European Broadcasting Union, Liz Corbin, Director of News
51. European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Ena Bavčić, EU Advocacy Officer (Germany)
52. Eyewitness Media Group, Patrick Mayoyo, Director Editorial Innovations
53. Financial Times, Roula Khalaf, Editor (UK)
54. Forbidden Stories, Laurent Richard, Founder (France)
55. Foreign Press Association, Deborah Bonetti, Director (London)
56. Foreign Press Association, the board (Israel and the Palestinian Territories)
57. Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Fisayo Soyombo, Founder and Editor (Nigeria)
58. France 24, Vanessa Burggraf, Director (France)
59. Free Press Unlimited, Ruth Kronenburg, Executive Director
60. Front Page Africa, Rodney Sieh, Editor in Chief and Editor (Liberia)
61. info, Randy Karl Louba, Director, (Gabon)
62. Geneva Health Files, Priti Patnaik, Founder
63. Geo News, Azhar Abbas, Managing Editor (Pakistan)
64. Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), Emilia Diaz-Struck, Executive Director
65. Global Reporting Centre, Sharon Nadeem, Producer and Head of Partnerships
66. com, Nouhou Baldé, Founder and administrator, (Guinea)
67. Haaretz, Aluf Benn, Editor in Chief (Israel)
68. 7amleh, The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, Nadim Nashif, Executive Director (Palestine/Israel)
69. Hildebrandt en sus trece, César Hildebrandt, Director, (Peru)
70. HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement, Mostafa Fouad, Executive Director
71. Independent Television News, Rachel Corp, Chief Executive (UK)
72. Inkyfada, Malek Khadhraoui, Director of publication (Tunisia)
73. International News Safety Institute (INSI), Elena Cosentino, Director (UK)
74. International Press Institute (IPI), Scott Griffen, Executive Director
75. iPolitics, Marco Vigliotti, Editor-in-Chief (Canada)
76. IWACU, Abbas Mbazumutima, Editor in Chief (Burundi)
77. Joliba, Birama Konaré, Director General (Mali)
78. ba, Semir Hambo, Editor in Chief (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
79. L’Alternative, Ferdinand Ayité, Publishing Director (Togo)
80. L’Événement, Moussa Aksar, Publishing Director (Niger)
81. L’Humanité, Maud Vergnol, Publishing Director (France)
82. La Voix de Djibouti, Mahamoud Djama, Publishing Director (Djibouti)
83. Le Jour, Haman Mana, Publication Director, (Cameroun)
84. Le Monde, Jérôme Fenoglio, Director (France)

85. Le Reporter, Aimé Kobo Nabaloum, Publishing Director (Burkina Faso)
86. Le Temps, Madeleine von Holzen, Editor-in-Chief ((Switzerland)
87. Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) (Lebanon)
88. Luat Khoa, Trinh Huu Long, Editor-in-Chief (Vietnam)
89. Mada Masr, Lina Atallah, CEO (Egypt)
90. Magnum Photos, Giulietta Palumbo, Global editor director (France)
91. Mail & Guardian, Luke Feltham, Acting Editor-in-Chief (South Africa)
92. Malaysiakini, RK Anand, Executive Editor (Malaysia)
93. Mediapart, Carine Fouteau, Publishing Director (France)
94. MediaTown, Ashraf Mashrawi, Director (Palestine)
95. Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Erin Madeley, Chief Executive (Australia)
96. Mekong Review, Kirsten Han, Managing Editor (Singapore)
97. MENA Rights Group (Switzerland)
98. Mizzima Media, Soe Myint, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief (Myanmar)
99. Mullithivu Press Club – Kanapathipillai Kumanan, Photojournalist and Convener (Sri Lanka)
100. Muwatin Media Network, Mohammed Al-Fazari, CEO & Editor in Chief (UK)
101. Monte Carlo Doualiya (MCD), Souad Al-Tayeb, Director (France)
102. National Public Radio (NPR) Edith Chapin, SVP & Editor in Chief (USA)
103. New Bloom Magazine, Brian Hioe, Founding Editor (Taïwan)
104. Nord Sud Quotidien, Raoul Hounsounou, Publishing Director (Benin)
105. OC Media, Mariam Nikuradze, Co-founder and Co-director (Georgia)
106. Organización Editorial Mexicana, Martha C. Ramos Sosa, Directora General Editorial (Mexico)
107. Ouestaf, Hamadou Tidiane Sy, Director (Sengal)
108. People Daily, Emeka Mayaka Gekara, Managing Editor (Kenya)
109. Photon Media, Shirley Ka Lai Leung, CEO (Hong Kong)
110. Plan V, Juan Carlos Calderón, Director (Equador)
111. Prachatai, Mutita Chuachang, Executive Editor (Thailand)
112. Premium Times, Musikilu Mojeed, Editor-in-Chief/Chief Operating Officer (Nigeria)
113. Pressafrik, Ibrahima Lissa Faye, Publishing Director (Senegal)
114. Prospect Magazine, Alan Rusbridger, Editor (UK)
115. Public Media Alliance, Kristian Porter, CEO (UK)
116. Pulitzer Center, Marina Walker Guevara, Executive Editor (USA)
117. Radio Bullets and war reporter, Barbara Schiavulli Director (Italy)
118. Rádio Ecclesia, Gaudêncio Yakuleingue, Directeur (Angola)
119. Radio Universidad de Chile, Patricio López, Director, (Chile)
120. Radio France Internationale (RFI), Jean-Marc Four, Director (France)
121. Radio France, Céline Pigalle, Director of Information (France)
122. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Thibaut Bruttin, Director General
123. RETE #NOBAVAGLIO, Marino Bisso, coordinator (Italy)

124. Reuters, Alessandra Galloni, Editor-in-chief
125. Rory Peck Trust, Jon Williams, Executive Director (UK)
126. Sikha Mekomit (Israel)
127. SMEX (Lebanon)
128. SMN24MEDIA, Kamal Siriwardana, Director News (Sri Lanka)
129. Society of Professional Journalists, Caroline Hendrie, Executive Director (USA)
130. Stabroek News, Anand Persaud, Director (Guyana)
131. Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, SCM (Syria)
132. Taz – die tageszeitung, Barbara Junge, Editor in Chief (Germany)
133. Tempo Digital, Wahyu Dhyatmika, Chief Executive Officer (Indonesia)
134. The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA), Aymann Ismail, President, (USA)
135. The Globe and Mail & President, World Editors Forum (WAN-IFRA), David Walmsley, Editor-in-Chief, (Canada)
136. The Independent, Geordie Greig, Editor-in-Chief (UK)
137. The Intercept Brasil, Andrew Fishman, President & Co-Founder (Brazil)
138. The Legal Agenda (Lebanon)
139. The Magnet, Larry Moonze, Editor (Zambia)
140. The Nairobi Law Monthly, Mbugua Ng’ang’a, Editor-in-Chief (Kenya)
141. The New Arab, Hussam Kanafani, Director of Media Sector
142. The Point, Pap Saine, Publishing Director, (Gambia)
143. The Reckoning Project, Janine di Giovanni, CEO
144. The Samir Kassir Foundation, Ayman Mhanna, Executive Director (Lebanon)
145. The Shift, Caroline Muscat, Founder (Malta)
146. The Wire, Seema Chishti, Editor (India)
147. The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), Vincent Peyrègne, CEO, Andrew Heslop, Executive Director Press Freedom
148. TV Slovenia, Ksenija Horvat, Director (Slovenia)
149. info, Lyas Hallas, Publication Director (Algeria)
150. news, Lkhagvatseren Batbayar, Editor-in-Chief (Mongolia)
151. Vikalpa – Sampath Samarakoon, Editor (Sri Lanka)
152. VRT NWS, Griet De Craen, Journalistic Director (Belgium)
153. Wattan Media Network, Muamar Orabi, Director General (Palestine)
154. Woz – die Wochenzeitung, Florian Keller, Daniela Janser, Kaspar Surber, Editorial Board (Switzerland)
155. +972 Magazine, Ghousoon Bisharat, Editor-in-chief (Israel/Palestine)

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“She has continued her reporting in various posts despite awaiting trial for a case opened in 2010, when local government officials in Karnataka state sought to criminalize her reporting published in Tehelka, a prominent investigative magazine where she worked at the time. Her report cast doubt on a police investigation into 2008 bomb blasts in Bengaluru, alleging that the police had fabricated witness statements to arrest a local Muslim cleric.

She still faces three charges under the penal code, including criminal intimidation, intent to commit a criminal act, and criminal conspiracy, and one count under UAPA pertaining to threatening witnesses. As of June 2023, Shahina is out on bail pending trial. If convicted, she faces a maximum of three years in prison and a fine.

A Muslim by birth, Shahina has also been subjected to perpetual harassment by Indian right-wing groups seeking to silence her reporting on religious minorities and vulnerable caste groups. She has further lived with persistent online harassment and obscene threats, and in 2020, several right-wing publications falsely implicated her in that Bengaluru bombing.

Based in Kochi, in the southern state of Kerala, Shahina has worked as a reporter, production associate, and news anchor with well-known news outlets including Asianet News, Janayugom, Open, and The Federal. She also has also contributed to The Washington Post.”

The CPJ has said in its note announcing Shahina’s win that this also highlights “India’s increasingly repressive environment for press freedom, with the targeting of journalists under draconian security laws, and toxic online campaigns particularly aimed at vilifying women journalists and ethnic or religious minorities.”

Other awardees for this year include Nika Gvaramia from Georgia (founder and director of independent broadcaster, Mtavari Arkhi), María Teresa Montaño from Mexico (investigative reporter and founder and editor of The Observer, a fact-checking and investigative website) and Ferdinand Ayité from Togo (head of L’Alternative, one of Togo’s top investigative outlets).

This year’s Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award from CPJ, which goes to “an individual who has shown extraordinary and sustained achievement in the cause of press freedom”, has been awarded to Alberto Ibargüen, who recently announced he is stepping down as president of the Knight Foundation after 18 years at its helm. “Under his leadership, the foundation invested over $2.3 billion in journalism, arts, economic development, and research. Ibargüen is the former publisher of the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald. During his tenure, the Miami Herald won three Pulitzer Prizes and El Nuevo Herald won Spain’s Ortegay Gasset Prize for excellence in journalism. He served on the board of CPJ from 1993 to 2005,” CPJ has said.

Related:

Two journalists each killed in MP & Telangana, a free press under threat: Report

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The methodology used by CPJ in compiling its comprehensive report, is very stringent and only when it is confirmed through data gathered that the individual was killed while engaged in journalistic capacity, it is determined to be a case of journalist’s murder.  The report highlighted the fact that “between 2004 and 2013 370 journalists had been killed in retaliation for their work”. Impunity of crimes against journalists was given international recognition in 2013 when the United Nations (UN) vide a resolution proclaimed November 2 as “International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists”.

The Global Impunity Index
The first Global Impunity Index was launched in 2008 and in 2014, its seventh index was released. The Index calculates murders for which no convictions have taken place. Each index identifies murders that have taken place in the previous decade and includes countries only with 5 or more unsolved cases during that decade.

India in the Index
India has appeared in the Index ever since the inception of the Index and has retained its place in the Index, albeit the position keeps changing. As per the Index, in the last decade, in seven cases of journalists’ murders the culprits have received complete impunity.

The complete report can be read here.

Every two years, UNESCO asks from states a status update on judicial inquiries conducted in cases of journalists’ killings, as well as the actions taken to hold perpetrators accountable. India is one of the many countries which hasn’t provided such information to the UNESCO, it being a voluntary exercise.

As per CPJ, between 1992 and 2019, 37 journalists have been slain in India and out of them 32 are cases where the culprits have gotten complete impunity; if limited to the last decade, this number stands at 18. Basically, 18 journalists who have died in India in the past decade have not received justice. The latest one of such casesis of Chandan Tiwaria local reporter with Hindi daily Aj in Jharkhand’s Chatra district who had reported on a Maoist leader’s indulgence in corruption and was murdered by 4 Maoists in October 2018. Although the FIR includes their names, no chargesheet had been filed until December 2018. The most prominent cases in the past few years is the murder of Gauri Lankesh who was the Editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada-language weekly tabloid known for its criticism of right-wing extremism and the establishment. She was shot at by three unidentified assailants outside her home in September 2017. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) identified 18 accused in the case and the case is still awaiting justice in the Court.

In a special report of 2016, CPJ also reported that between 1992 and July 2016,in India more than half journalists who were killed were regularly reporting on corruption. Even if one takes into account the fact that the judiciary is burdened and it takes years before accused are convicted, the data from 1992 to 2002 may be considered and in that decade only 1 journalist’s murder was served with justice while 9 journalists’ murder were not.The trend of the last decade can be seen in the following bar graph:

The above graph is a representation of data gathered by CPJ in the last decade of journalists murdered and in whose case justice has not been served. Evidently, since 2015, the trend has been rising in India and the same is a matter of worry.

Freedom of press is embedded and entrenched in our freedom of speech and expressions and has been identified so by our country’s Supreme Court in various judgments time and again. Impunity in cases of journalists’ murders “is an open invitation for further violence,” said the United Nations high Commissioner for Human Rights.

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