UNESCO recommends forming a national team to follow up on journalists’ issues

Baghdad - INA

UNESCO discussed ending impunity for murderers of journalists in Iraq, while recommending the formation of a national team to follow up on the cases of journalists who are exposed to problems. 

Director of the Communication and Information Program at UNESCO, Diaa Al-Saray, said in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “Today, UNESCO Iraq held a special workshop in conjunction with the central ceremony in Washington for the International Day to End Impunity for Killers of Journalists.”

He added, "This day was adopted by UNESCO almost 30 years ago to be essential for identifying indicators of the protection and safety of journalists, and the most important part of it is combating impunity for the killers of journalists.".

He pointed out, “A number of important topics were discussed with Iraqi journalists, the representative of the Supreme Judicial Council, the representative of the Ministry of Interior, and civil society organizations related to aspects of ending impunity for murderers of journalists who attack journalists for violations that affect workers in the press and media, in addition to developing a map for its adoption.” For the coming year, we will evaluate the level of achievement of the security agencies, the judicial authorities, and the Human Rights Commission regarding ending impunity, how to prosecute, how to secure journalists from digital, electronic, and information crimes, and how to reach the perpetrators who blackmail, kidnap, or assault them under many titles.”.

He continued, "A number of recommendations were agreed upon, including the formation of an Iraqi national team to follow up on the cases of journalists who are exposed to problems, attacks, harassment, and legal prosecution and have not received support, or flexibility from the judicial authorities. Therefore, we seek to reach a result through the national team that, It will be formed soon to measure media development indicators,” he said, calling on the media to commit to protecting the journalists who work in them.

He pointed out, "A direct invitation was sent to the Prime Minister's Office to issue a decree to form an Iraqi national committee to protect journalists and combat impunity so that it has the powers to carry out its work.".

In turn, Hussein Zamil, head of the Ayna Foundation for Media Development Indicators, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “The symposium aims to end impunity for the killers of journalists, as Iraq suffers from the lack of a body that follows up on the violations to which journalists are exposed.”.

He warned, "A call was sent to revive the former National Committee to Protect Journalists and End Impunity. Through the committee, we submitted to the government to restore the committee to work or to identify a body concerned with monitoring private violations against journalists or the killings to which journalists were previously exposed."