Journalism has always been a professional fraught with risk. The task of uncovering truth and revealing important stories to the public naturally draws the ire of governments and others in positions of power.
With conflict and international tensions abound, reporters around the world have faced increasing dangers in carrying out their jobs for years. And in 2020 things did not get any better.
Since the start of the year, no fewer than twenty one journalists were killed after being specifically targeted for their work. This number represents a troubling trend–more than a doubling of the number killed from the previous year.
This disturbing pattern isn’t limited to a specific country. Indeed, the variety of cases and their circumstances shows the extent and complexity of the danger posed to media personnel.
Any discussion of the danger to the media has begun with Afghanistan, the nation with the highest number of journalists killed. In a way, Afghanistan is a microcosm of the global threat to reporters. In the last two years alone eighteen journalists have been murdered in Afghanistan and five over the past eight months. The most recent incident to catch international headlines was the killing of an Afghan news anchor and activist who was shot dead by unidentified assailants in early December. According to reports, Malalai Maiwand, a young reporter in her 20s, was killed along with her driver Mohammad Tahir in the eastern city of Jalalabad as they travelled to work. Both were employed by the private news platform Enekaas TV based in the city. The Maiwand killing was the second such incident in the country in a month.
The targeting of journalists in Afghanistan is becoming increasingly sophisticated as well. In November, Elyas Dayee was killed after perpetrators attached a small magnetic device to his car while he was in transit to a press club in Lashkargah. The most recent death of a journalist in the country highlights just how prolonged and persistent threats to media personnel have been. Rahmatullah Nikzad, fifty at the time of his death, was a contributor to Associated Press and Al-Jazeera. Before his death, he has received numerous threats on his life over the years and made frequent requests for protection to local and national authorities. On 21 December, he was shot several times by unidentified gunmen as he left his house to attend mosque services.
Nearly none of the perpetrators in these murders are ever identified. However, the professionalism and targeted nature of journalist killings in Afghanistan has led many observers to conclude that these are orchestrated acts carried out by fundamentalist groups. Surprisingly, there is speculation that Afghan intelligence services have been involved in these high-profile killings. The aim is simply to eradicate opposition media. Reuters recently quoted an unnamed Western diplomat stating that “internal intelligence memos reveal that the Taliban are systematically eliminating mid-career, ambitious government officials and other prominent individuals who are clearly against their hardline stance.”
Afghanistan is not alone when it comes to abuse of media personnel. In Iran, the regime has triggered backlash for decades over its targeting of journalists that oppose the government, even setting world records for their persecution of the press. Recently, the government drew international attention for the trial of Ruhollah Zam, a prominent Iranian journalist who was arrested for his high-profile role in the 2017–18 Iranian protests. Zam was detained in Iraq and forcibly taken back to Iran where he was tried for a series of vague charges many claimed were trumped up or completely fabricated. On 12 December Zam was executed after the last appeals to reverse his conviction were shut down. Zam’s death was only the latest in a long history of the violent repression of journalists in Iran. “The execution of Rouhollah Zam shows the extent to which Iran has weaponized the cruel and inhumane use of the death penalty as a tool of repression,” said Tara Sepehri Far, Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Fair trial and due process are essential for defendants in all cases, but in death penalty cases their absence renders any proceedings a travesty of justice,” concluded Far.
Iran and Afghanistan may be unique in the extent of their media repression. But the problem of violence against journalists is a global one. The Impunity Index of the internationally acclaimed Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) shows that the murder of media personnel has become almost endemic in countries from Mexico to Russia, from Brazil to Bangladesh. It is not just the killing, but the legal persecution of journalists that continues to rise. Since the beginning of 2020, a record 274 journalists were imprisoned worldwide.
These frightening numbers should be a wakeup call to supporters of free speech around the world. A well-functioning and active press is absolutely essential to maintaining freedom and the civil liberties of our societies. World leaders must not ignore these ominous signs. The rising threats to media personnel must be met with action. Sanctioning those who target journalists, relentlessly seeking out and punishing perpetrators, and providing higher levels of protection to media workers are some of the most vital steps that can be taken to combat this trend.
