CPJ releases annual report on killed journalists
New York, December 30, 2013—Syria
remained the most deadly place for journalists on the job in 2013, while
Iraq and Egypt each saw a spike in fatal violence, the Committee to
Protect Journalists found in a new report. At least 70 journalists
were killed for their work during the
year, compared with 74 in 2012. The Middle East accounted for two-thirds
of the deaths in 2013.
The long-standing conflict in Syria claimed the lives of
at least 29 journalists in 2013. That brings the number of journalists
killed covering the conflict to at least 63, including some who died over
the border in Lebanon or Turkey. Yet the huge number of deaths in Syria
does not tell the complete story of the danger there, given an
unprecedented number of kidnappings. About 60 journalists were abducted
at least briefly during the year, according to CPJ research, and about 30
are currently missing.
In Iraq, violence returned to levels not seen since 2011,
with 10 journalists killed. Egypt experienced a dramatic increase in
deaths in 2013, with six journalists killed for their work.
"The Middle East has become a killing field for
journalists. While the number of journalists killed for their work has
declined in some places, the civil war in Syria and a renewal of
sectarian attacks in Iraq have taken an agonizing toll," said CPJ
Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. "The international community must
prevail on all governments and armed groups to respect the civilian
status of reporters and to prosecute the killers of journalists."
Despite continuing dangers to journalists in Pakistan and
Somalia, the number of confirmed work-related deaths in those countries
declined in 2013 to five and four, respectively.
Brazil and Russia-host countries of next year's World Cup
and Olympics-saw three and two journalists killed, respectively.
Most journalists who die for their work are local people
covering local stories, according to CPJ research. In 2013, nine out of
10 journalists killed were local, in line with the historical trend.
CPJ's database of journalists killed for their work in 2013 includes
capsule reports on each victim and a statistical analysis. CPJ also
maintains a database of all journalists killed since 1992. The database is
continually updated.
CPJ is an independent, non-profit organization that works
to safeguard press freedom worldwide.
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