(IPI/IFEX) – The following is an IPI press release: Vienna, 6 June 2005 IPI Outraged by Lebanese Journalist’s Murder, Says Impunity Continues in Many Cases of Murdered Journalists The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, strongly condemns the assassination of Samir Qassir, a prominent columnist for the […]
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is an IPI press release:
Vienna, 6 June 2005
IPI Outraged by Lebanese Journalist’s Murder, Says Impunity Continues in Many Cases of Murdered Journalists
The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, strongly condemns the assassination of Samir Qassir, a prominent columnist for the leading Lebanese daily newspaper an-Nahar.
Qassir was killed instantly on the morning of 2 June when a bomb, hidden under the driver’s seat of his car, was detonated shortly after he got into the vehicle. The explosion went off outside Qassir’s home in the Christian district of Ashrafiyeh in Beirut. According to BBC reports, an unidentified passer-by was also killed by the blast and another was injured.
An outspoken critic of the pro-Syrian Lebanese regime, Qassir had written numerous articles about what he referred to as Lebanon’s “police state.” His columns in recent months had openly denounced President Émile Lahoud and Lebanon’s pro-Syrian security chiefs. A founding member of the Democratic Left movement, Qassir publicly supported demonstrations against Syria’s presence in Lebanon following the assassination of former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, in February 2005.
Throughout his career Qassir had often faced harassment in retaliation for his critical writing. In 2001, his passport was seized by Syrian-backed security services who threatened to arrest him. He had also received numerous death threats.
At least 33 other journalists have been killed already in 2005, including 10 in the Middle East, but there is little evidence to suggest that authorities around the world are taking decisive action to identify and prosecute those responsible.
Speaking about these deaths, IPI Director Johann Fritz said, “The alarming pattern of impunity surrounding these brutal crimes continues to be a cause of great concern. The failure of governments around the world to support immediate and thorough investigation into these killings is unacceptable.”
“We call on the Lebanese authorities to ensure that those responsible for Qassir’s death do not go unpunished and to ensure that journalists and members of civil society are protected as they exercise their rights to freely express their thoughts and opinions.”
