13 journalists killed worldwide in August

GENEVA - An international media organization on Monday reported that 13 journalists were killed in August, the highest tally of victims in media from the beginning of the year and since October 2007. The Georgia-Russia conflict, the situation in the Philippines and others, have brought the total of media victims since the beginning of the year to 61, said the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC). The group said that from January to August 2007 the figures stood at 84 journalists killed (117 for the whole year). One of the reasons for the reduction in the 2008 tally is an improvement in the situation in Iraq, the PEC said. The situation, however, worsened in other parts of the world, including Somalia where three journalists were kidnapped on August 23, in the Kashmir region of India and in Senegal where newspaper offices have been ransacked and journalists physically attacked. The PEC expressed outrage and condemned the death of Magomed Yevloyev founder of the independent Ingush news website Ingushetia.ru in Nazran on Sunday. Also in August, three journalists were killed in the Georgian-Russian conflict (the fourth death is not confirmed), two in the Philippines, one of the most dangerous places for journalists. Two were killed in Thailand and two in Pakistan, one in the Dominican Republic, one in Nigeria, one in Russia (Ingushetia) and one executed in Iran. Iraq remains the deadliest country for media coverage with 10 media workers killed since the beginning of the year, Pakistan 6, Mexico 5, the Philippines 4, Georgia 3, Russia 3, Thailand 2, India 2, Colombia 2, Venezuela 2, Afghanistan 2, Somalia 2. One journalist was killed since the beginning of the year in the following countries: Iran, Nigeria, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, Gaza, Bolivia, Uganda, Honduras, Brazil, Niger, Nepal, Guatemala, Burundi, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Cambodia and Zimbabwe. The PEC called on governments around the world of the need to have added protection to journalists in conflict zones and other dangerous situations by entering in a serious exercise to develop a new convention. The recent decision by the Israeli army to drop the case of a Reuters cameraman who was killed during filming of an Israeli incursion into Gaza in April is proof that current legal provisions for the protection of journalists are lacking, the PEC said. The PEC has launched in December 2007 a global consultation process with governments to start deliberations on a new convention to protect journalists in zones of conflict and other dangerous situations. The Geneva based NGO welcomed the reaction of several governments who have responded in writing to the PEC initiative. - GMANews.TV