‘Arab, Most Unsafe For Journalists’

About 64 journalists lost their lives last year world wide according to agency reports.

In a statement it posted on its site yesterday, WAN-IFRA  observed that there was obvious decline as against 99 deaths recorded in 2010 and 70 in 2009.

It noted that the Arab region remains the most unsafe for journalists with the recent spate of violence and uprising in the Middle-East area.

From the figures it published, Pakistan tooped with 10 deaths followed by Mexico,Iraq, and Yemen which trailed behind with six deaths each. Libya followed with five deaths.

Others include Somalia and Brazil with three deaths, while Afghanistan had two deaths together with Peru, Phillipines and India.

Paraguay, Russia, Seirra Leonne, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Uganda, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, Vietnam had one each.

Fortunately, Nigeria did not make the list even though three deaths were recorded in 2010.

Several press freedom organisations tracked the killings as the numbers vary on the criteria used by them to compile their records.

Chairman and Executive Officer of the body, Christopher Reiss remarked,” When journalists are attacked and killed merely for doing thier jobs, the entire society suffers. The right of all the citizens to the free flow of information is diminished by these acts. These murders must be prosecuted thoroughly and perpetrators brought to justice”.

WAN-IFRA is a Paris based organisation with branches in Germany, Singapore, India, Spain, and Sweden, and is a global organisation of worlds newspapers and publishers.

Since 1998 the body has actively monitored the cases of media employees who pay the ultimate prize in their efforts to bring news to the public.