India, Mexico most dangerous countries for media in 2020

Diplomatic Correspondent | Published: Dec 11,2020


India and Mexico have been the most dangerous countries for media work this year, the Press Emblem Campaign said in its annual report in Geneva on Thursday.

The number of journalists killed increased by 10 per cent compared with last year.

In total, since January, 83 media workers have been killed in 30 countries around the world, up from 75 in 2019.

India leads with 13 assassinations, ahead of Mexico where 11 journalists were killed.

Among the most dangerous countries are Pakistan, where eight were killed, Afghanistan where five died, Iraq with 5 deaths, the Philippines with 4 deaths and Honduras with 4 deaths.

Three assassinations were recorded in Nigeria as well as in Syria and Venezuela with two each in Brazil, Guatemala, Liberia and Somalia.

Finally, one victim has been identified in the following countries: Argentina, Bangladesh, Barbados, Cambodia, Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Indonesia, Mozambique, Paraguay, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Turkey, and Yemen.

Elias Mia, a 52 year old journalist of local Daily Bijoy was hacked to death in Geodhara area of Bandar in Narayanganj district on October 12 after he had reportedly exposed a criminal nexus engaged in utility gas line distribution and related trade.

Of the 83 journalists murdered, only 16 were in conflict zones — Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.

The report mentioned that the pandemic helped to freeze some conflicts and also limit the movement of journalists to dangerous areas.

‘Fewer journalists have died in areas of armed conflict this year, but too many of them have been targeted for their work in peaceful countries,’ commented PEC general secretary Blaise Lempen.

While Mexico has been among the most dangerous countries for several years, the increase in the number of deaths in India is particularly worrying, with 10 more deaths in a year, according to the PEC.

The PEC strongly condemned these attacks and called for justice asking the governments to bring to book those responsible for these crimes.

In the past ten years, from 2011 to 2020, 1180 journalists were killed, or 118 per year, 2.26 per week, according to figures from the PEC.

More than 520 journalists have also died from COVID-19 since March.

Over the year, nearly 600 journalists died as a result of the violence and the pandemic, a very heavy price, the worst since the Second World War.

The PEC said its figures are higher than those of other organisations because the PEC lists all the killed media workers, whether or not their deaths were related to their professional activity.