(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a 21 September 2001 WAN press release: Paris, 21 September 2001 For immediate release Press Freedom Groups Condemn Terrorism Against Media A global coalition of free press organisations has condemned terrorism against the media in the Basque Country of Spain, where the killing of journalists and other attacks by radical […]
(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a 21 September 2001 WAN press release:
Paris, 21 September 2001
For immediate release
Press Freedom Groups Condemn Terrorism Against Media
A global coalition of free press organisations has condemned terrorism against the media in the Basque Country of Spain, where the killing of journalists and other attacks by radical separatists have been increasing at an alarming rate.
The Coordinating Committee of Press Freedom Organisations, meeting in Paris on Friday (21 September), endorsed a resolution presented by the World Association of Newspapers which condemned “without reservation” the “outrageous and cowardly” attacks on the media by Basque terrorists.
The resolution endorsed by the Committee, which represents nine global and regional free press organisations, had been approved by more than 200 publishers, journalists and free press advocates from 25 countries who participated in a Terrorism Against the Media Conference in Bilbao, Spain,
last week.
The resolution expressed “total solidarity with journalists and media in the Basque country in their dangerous and courageous work” and called on all political parties to denounce all forms of violence against the media.
The terrorist organisation ETA has made media and their staff a priority target for violent attacks in the Basque region of Spain. In its latest campaign of violence, ETA has killed three media professionals and attempted to murder several others. ETA is also responsible for numerous attacks on media offices and threats intended to intimidate journalists.
In other resolutions, members of the Coordinating Committee of Press Freedom Organisations also:
— Said the South Korean government’s crackdown on alleged financial wrongdoing by major media companies “is likely to have profound implications for press freedom.” It called on the government to re-affirm the principles of press freedom, stop intimidating the country’s news media and release, on bail, those facing prosecution.
— Deplored the increasing acts of violence against journalists by paramilitaries, guerrillas and drug lords in Colombia, where dozens of journalists have been killed in the past 10 years and few have been brought to justice. The Committee called on the government to take all necessary action to pursue, prosecute and punish those responsible.
— “Strongly condemned” the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington and emphasised their conviction that any countermeasures must not infringe on press freedom.
— Expressed “deep concern” at the deterioration of the independence of the judiciaries in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. The resolution also criticised Canadian laws which restrict coverage of the judicial process and recent cases in the US where legal authorities violated journalists’ rights to protect their sources.
— Gave “full support” to editors and journalists, including foreign correspondents, working in Zimbabwe, where independent journalists have been targeted by the government and its supporters.
Meeting twice yearly, the Coordinating Committee is made up of the following press freedom organisations: Committee to Protect Journalists; Commonwealth Press Union; Inter American Press Association; International Association of Broadcasting; International Federation of the Periodical Press; International Press Institute; North American Broadcasters Association; WAN; and the World Press Freedom Committee.
The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 17,000 newspapers; its membership includes 67 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 93 countries, 17 news agencies and eight regional and world-wide press groups.
