Getting Away With Murder

CPJs 2014 Global Im unity Inde! s otlights "ountries where #ournalists are slain and the $illers go %ree

By Elisabeth Witchel/CPJ Impunity Campaign Consultant

Published April 16, 2014 NEW YORK Syria has joined the list of countries where journalists murders are most likely to go unpunished while !ra" Somalia and the #hilippines once again were the worst offenders the $ommittee to #rotect %ournalists has found in its newly updated !mpunity !nde&' $on(ictions in four countries represented a glimmer of good news' Syrias entrance to the Index at number five highlights the rising number of targeted killings there, a recent threat to journalists operating in the country. With unprecedented numbers of abductions and high rates of fatalities in combat and crossfire, Syria was already the worlds most dangerous country for journalists. resh violence and a failure to prosecute old cases kept Ira!, Somalia, and the "hilippines in the three worst slots on the Index. Ira!, with #$$ percent impunity in #$$ cases, is at number one, a spot it has held since the surveys inception in )**+. Ira!s journalists, targeted in record%breaking numbers since the &$$' (.S.%led invasion, saw a respite in &$#&, the first year no journalists were killed in relation to their work. )owever, a resurgence of militant groups across the country propelled a spike to #$ journalist killings last year*nine of themmurders. +onsistent with the four previous years, Somalia ranks second worst worldwide. our new murders in &$#' added to the already alarming numbers of journalists killed in retaliation for their work. ,lusive armed insurgent groups have terrori-ed the media beyond the reach of

Somalias fragile law and order institutions, but authorities have also failed to ade!uately investigate attacks by other sources, according to +".research. or this years edition of the Impunity Index, which calculates the number of unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of a countrys population, +". examined journalist murders in every nation in the world for the years &$$/ through &$#'. +ases are considered unsolved when no convictions have been obtained. 0nly those nations with five or more unsolved cases are included on the index. 1his year, #' countries met the Index criteria, compared with #& last year. In a positive development, convictions took place in four countries on the Index*yet in only one case were those who ordered the crime apprehended or tried, reflecting a global pattern. 1he "hilippines sentenced the broadcast journalist 2erardo 0rtegas shooter to life in prison. With the murders of 3# journalists still awaiting justice, this development has not changed the countrys Index ranking, which has remained firm at number three since &$#$. "akistans near% perfect record of impunity was shattered when courts con(icted six suspects 4though two of them are at large5 for the &$## murder of Wali 6han 7abar. 8ussian courts sentenced a 8ussian businessman to seven years for inciting the &$$$ murder of Igor 9omnikov, and 7ra-ils courts convicted perpetrators of three murders*including, in one case, the mastermind. In the rest of these crimes, the masterminds remain at large.

%ournalists protest the one,year anni(ersary of the murder of journalist Regina -art.ne/ #0re/' 1nti,press attacks are so common that -e&ican authorities passed a 2ill authori/ing federal authorities to prosecute crimes against journalists' 31#45eli& -ar"ue/6

:awmakers in ;exico, seventh on the list, approved legislation in <pril &$#' to support enactment of a constitutional amendment giving federal authorities jurisdiction to prosecute crimes against journalists. 1hough the law is viewed as an important step toward improving press freedom, no significant progress has been made yet in ;exicos #= unsolved cases. +olombias ranking improved significantly, due to a drop in journalist killings in recent years, though no one has been con(icted of killing a journalist since &$$>. While +olombia has taken measures to provide security to journalists under threat, journalists have also been compelled in many cases to self%censor, or flee their homes. While no apparent progress was made in any cases in Sri :anka and <fghanistan, +". did not record any new murders in those countries from &$$> to &$#'. ?igeria stayed on the Index for the second year in a row with five unsolved cases. 1wo new murders took place in India in &$#', bringing to seven the total number of unprosecuted murders. 2rowing international concern over the absence of justice in media attacks prompted strong

attention from the (nited ?ations last year. (?,S+0 kicked off the implementation of the (.?. "lan of <ction for the Safety of .ournalists and the Issue of Impunity, a framework adopted in &$#&. In ?ovember, the (.?. 2eneral <ssembly adopted a resolution on safety of journalists. 1he resolution calls for states to act to pursue justice and recogni-es ?ovember & as the International 9ay to ,nd Impunity. <mong the other findings in +".s Impunity Index@ 78 percent of (ictims are local reporters' 9he majority co(ered politics corruption and war in their home countries' 1 climate of impunity engenders (iolence' !n eight countries that appear repeatedly on the !nde& year after year new murders took place in )*:;' 9hreats often precede killings' !n at least four out of e(ery :* journalist murders the (ictims reported recei(ing threats 2efore they were killed' Killers of journalists aim to send a chilling message to the entire news media' 1lmost a third of murdered journalists were either taken capti(e or tortured 2efore their death' :* of the :; countries on the !mpunity !nde& ha(e 2een listed each year since $#% 2egan the annual analysis in )**+ underscoring the challenges in re(ersing entrenched impunity' #olitical groups including armed factions are the suspected perpetrators in more than <* percent of murder cases' =o(ernment and military officials are considered the leading suspects in )8 percent of the cases' !n fewer than fi(e percent of cases are the masterminds e(er apprehended and prosecuted' or a detailed explanation of +".As methodology, click here.

&he Inde!
)ere are the #' countries where at least five journalists have been murdered without a single perpetrator being convicted. 1he index covers murders that took place in the years &$$/%&$#'.

1 I'A(
With #$$ journalists murdered in the last decade and #$$ percent impunity, Ira! is the worst offender on the Impunity Index, a spot it has held since &$$B, when +". first compiled the index. ?ine new murders in late &$#' amid a resurgence of militant groups broke a two% year !uiescence in fatal anti%press violence. 1hree of the victims, plus two media workers, were killed in a single attack when armed militants bombed and stormed Salaheddin 1C station in 1ikrit on 9ecember &'. <l%Daeda affiliate Islamic State of Ira! and Sham 4ISIS5 claimed responsibility for the attack, according to news reports accusing it of warring against the Sunni people. Impunity Index Rating@ '.$=E unsolved journalist murders per million inhabitants Last year@ 8anked #st with a rating of &.B#B

2 )omalia

9he press faces increasing risks while reporting in Somalia' >ere journalists wait during an assignment outside the presidential palace' 3Reuters45eisal Omar6

Somalias rating worsened for the sixth year in a row. 1hough anti%press violence ebbed slightly from its record high in &$#&, journalists continue to be targeted at chilling levels, as four new murders took place in &$#'. 1hey include broadcast journalist -ohamed !2rahim Raage. ?icknamed F)onest,G ;ohamed was shot by gunmen in ;ogadishu outside his home. )e had fled Somali in &$$> but had recently returned. Somali "resident )assan Sheikh ;ohamud pledged to address the horrific situation for journalists in Somalia with a special task force, but little has come of it. 0ut of )? cases of journalists assassinated in Somalia since &$$3, only one resulted in a conviction, as authorities executed a suspect in the &$#& murder of >assan Yusuf 12suge. 7ut lack of due processin the case led many to view the development with concern. Impunity Index Rating@ &.3/> unsolved journalist murders per million inhabitants Last year@ 8anked &nd with a rating of &.'>=

* &he Phili

ines

:ast years con(iction of a gunman who shot broadcast investigative journalist 2erardo 0rtega in &$## was a welcome development but did little to change the rampant impunity in the "hilippines, which has held the third worst spot on the index since &$#$. ;ore than 3$ journalist murders that took place from &$$/ through &$#' remain unsolved, belying the claim made in ?ovember &$#' by the office of "resident 7enigno <!uino III that Fthere is no more impunityG in the "hilippines. 1he victims include '& journalists massacred in <mpatuan 1own, ;aguindanao, in &$$> and freelance photographer -ario Sy, one of three journalists gunned down last year. Sy was shot in front of his wife and daughter following publication of a series of photos on drug trafficking. Impunity Index Rating@ $.3&E unsolved journalist murders per million inhabitants Last year@ 8anked 'rd with a rating of $.3B$

4 )ri +an$a
1hough Sri :ankas civil war ended nearly five years ago, the government of ;ahinda 8ajapaksa has shown no political will to address its record of perfect impunity in the nine

murders of journalists that have taken place under his leadership, first as prime minister and then as president. 2overnment and military officials are suspected to be behind several of the murders, including the &$$> assassination of prominent editor @asantha Wikramatunga, known for his critical reporting, and the nearly #$%year%old shooting of1iyathurai Nadesan, penname ?ellai 2. ?adesan, an award%winning journalist who was threatened before his death in response to his reporting about the army. Impunity in Sri :anka is a major factor behind high numbers of journalists going into e&ile, according to +". research. Impunity Index Rating@ $.//' unsolved journalist murders per million inhabitants Last year@ 8anked /th with a rating of $./'#

, )yria

1n image taken 2y the Shaam News Network a Aamascus,2ased citi/en news organi/ation shows 2uildings damaged 2y hea(y shelling' 31#4Shaam News Network6

,mbattled Syria joined the Index for the first time this year. ;ore than =$ media fatalities by crossfire and dangerous assignment and unprecedented numbers of a2ductions have marked Syria as the most dangerous country in the world for the media, and now deliberate murder adds a chilling new threat to the mix. <t least seven journalists have been fatally targeted in Syria since &$#&, all with complete impunity. 1he perpetrators come from all sides*non% Syrian Islamist militant groups, rebels targeting pro%government media, and "resident 7ashar al%<ssads forces. Cictims include reporters for citi-en media outlets like 12del Karim al, O"da, a contributor to Shaam News Network, a 9amascus%based citi-en news organi-ation that has posted tens of thousands of videos documenting the unrest since the uprising began in ;arch &$##. <l%0!da died when security forces burned his home in retaliation for his coverage of the unrest. Impunity Index Rating@ $.'#' unsolved journalist murders per million inhabitants Last year@ Syria was not on the &$#' Index

- A%ghanistan
1fghanistan retains its si&th,place ranking on the inde&' No perpetrators ha(e 2een held responsi2le in any of the fi(e targeted killings that took place in the decade co(ered 2y this years !nde&' -ore than se(en years passed without a journalist 2eing murdered in 1fghanistan although (iolence increased in )*:<'

1fghanistan is one of the few countries where fatalities among foreign journalists are higher than for local journalists'

Impunity Index RatingB *':8+ unsol(ed journalist murders per million inha2itants Last yearB Ranked 8th with a rating of *':<) . Me!i"o %ustice continued to e(ade -e&ican journalists who face unrelenting (iolence for reporting on crime and corruption' Si&teen journalists were murdered with complete impunity during the decade and another in )*:<' 9he only relief came last 1pril with the appro(al of legislation that implements a constitutional amendment gi(ing federal authorities in -e&ico 2roader jurisdiction to prosecute crimes against journalists' 9he legislation esta2lishes accounta2ility at senior le(els of the national go(ernment e(ading the more corrupt and less effecti(e state law enforcement officials' Cut critics say the special prosecutorDs office designated to handle such in(estigations has 2een slow to e&ercise its new powers' 1 2otched prosecution in the case of Regina -art.ne/ #0re/ and the dismissal of charges against one of the gunmen implicated in the :77? assassination attempt against Zeta maga/ine editor %' %esEs Clancornelas further fueled concerns that the administration of #resident Enri"ue #eFa Nieto is not up to the task of 2reaking -e&icos cycle of impunity and (iolence' Impunity Index RatingB *':;) unsol(ed journalist murders per million inha2itants Last yearB Ranked ?th with a rating of *':;: / Colombia $olom2ia mo(ed from fifth to eighth place on $#%s !nde&' 9his progress has less to do with justiceGno one has 2een con(icted of killing a journalist since )**7 when three former pu2lic officials were sentenced for plotting the )**; murder of $olom2ian radio commentator %os0 Emeterio Ri(asG than with an o(erall decline in fatal anti,press (iolence' #ro2lems such as o(er2urdened prosecutors a lack of information sharing mishandling of e(idence and malfeasance 2y judicial officials can delay criminal in(estigations for years lea(ing many families in despair as cases reach their )*,year statute of limitations' 5ailure to prosecute is pro(ing a threat to the countrys fragile impro(ement in security' 9he )*:; murder of Hdison 1l2erto -olina 2roke a three,year hiatus in journalist murders' -olina was shot dead as he headed home from the radio station where he worked' 1 week 2efore he was killed -olina who often took go(ernment officials to task for corruption on his radio program recei(ed a plastic 2ag filled with 2lack dirt and unidentified 2ones' Impunity Index RatingB *':)8 unsol(ed journalist murders per million

inha2itants Last yearB Ranked Ith with a rating of *':?:

0 Pa$istan

#akistani journalists protest the killing of their colleague in %anuary )*:)' 31#4-ohammad Sajjad6

#akistan showed a modest impro(ement on the !nde& this year 2uoyed 2y the recent con(ictions of si& men for the assassination of Wali Khan Ca2ar' >owe(er with two con(icts still at large and no official identification of the mastermind justice is far from complete' 1 hard,won watershedGat least fi(e people linked to the case were also murdered including witnesses informants and in(estigatorsGthe case has opened the door to possi2le prosecutions in other unsol(ed murders' #rime -inister Nawa/ Sharif told a $#% mission that (isited in -arch )*:< that he would consider implementing a wide range of measures 2ased on lessons learned in Ca2ars case including mo(ing trial (enues to safer locations and appointing special prosecutors to ensure justice in more than )* journalist murders $#% has recorded o(er the last decade' !n the meantime perpetrators of (iolent attacks against journalists who range from 2anned militant groups like the 9ali2an to political groups use unchecked (iolence against journalists to censor and control co(erage' Impunity Index RatingB *':); unsol(ed journalist murders per million inha2itants Last year: Ranked +th with a rating of *':;* 10 'ussia Aespite a mild impro(ement in its !nde& ranking and a key con(iction impunity still afflicts the media landscape in Russia where no perpetrators in :< murders o(er the !nde& period ha(e 2een put 2ehind 2ars' @ast year the con(iction and sentencing of a Russian 2usinessman the si&th suspect in the case to 2e prosecuted for inciting the )*** murder of !gor Aomniko( was a welcome ad(ancement though other masterminds 2ehind the crime

ha(e yet to 2e 2rought to justice' !n a less positi(e de(elopment the retrial of se(eral suspects in the )**8 murder of Novaya Gazeta journalist 1nna #olitko(skaya proceeded in fits and starts while the prosecution made no progress in netting whoe(er commissioned the murder' 9wo journalists died last year due to fatal assaults' Aagestan,2ased editor 1khmedna2i 1khmedna2iye( was shot from a car and crusading en(ironmental journalist -ikhail Ceketo( succum2ed to injuries he sustained in )**+ when thugs 2eat him into a coma' Not a single person was arrested for the assault against Ceketo( despite a personal promise 2y Jladimir #utin to 2ring the attackers to justice' Impunity Index RatingB *'*7+ unsol(ed journalist murders per million inha2itants Last yearB Ranked 7th with a rating of *'*77 11 1ra2il !n recent years Cra/ils standing on the !nde& has (olleyed up and down as sporadic 2ut significant progress in prosecuting journalists killers weighed against new killings' @ast year con(ictions were won in three cases' !n a ground2reaking mo(e courts sentenced the mastermind 2ehind the )**) murder of Aomingos SK(io CrandLo @ima %Enior owner pu2lisher and columnist for a daily paper known for co(erage of organi/ed crime making this one of the few cases worldwide to meet with complete justice' Cut new (iolent acts against the press undermine this progress' !n )*:; three journalists were murdered in retaliation for their work' Cra/ils go(ernment has pledged to address its high rate of impunity and em2raced new measures such as proposed legislation that gi(es federal police jurisdiction to in(estigate crimes against journalists when there is e(idence of lapses or incompetence at the state le(el' >ow fully these will 2e adopted and implemented o(er the ne&t year will 2e a litmus test for the go(ernments political will to up the fight for justice 2eyond rhetoric' Impunity Index RatingB *'*<I unsol(ed journalist murders per million inha2itants Last yearB Ranked :*th with a rating of *'*<8

12 3igeria

1 2ullet hole in the home of Nigerian journalist Cayo Ohu who was shot dead in Septem2er )**7' 315#4#ius Mtomi Ekpei6

1 steady rise in unsol(ed murders in recent years landed Nigeria on $#%Ds !mpunity !nde& for the second year in a row' Since )**7 fi(e Nigerian journalists ha(e 2een targeted and killed while no perpetrators ha(e 2een 2rought to 2ook' 9he administration of #resident =oodluck %onathan has shown no resol(e to impro(e its rate of justice in media killings instead downplaying $#%s !nde& findings' 1 presidential spokesman told one daily newspaper that the sur(ey Npromotes sensationalism rather than the truthN and is Nnot a true reflection of journalists in the country'N >e 2lamed journalist deaths on the crossfire of Coko >aram acti(ities in the North' -ilitant groups like Coko >aram are indeed responsi2le for many journalist fatalities in Nigeria 2ut not all' News editor Cayo Ohu was shot at his front door 2y si& unknown assailants in retaliation colleagues 2elie(e for his reporting on local politics' Nigeria is second only to Somalia in terms of 1fricaDs worst record on unpunished journalist murders' Impunity Index RatingB *'*;* unsol(ed journalist murders per million inha2itants Last yearB Ranked ::th with a rating of *'*;: 1* India 9he worlds largest democracys repeated failure to ad(ance justice in the killings of its journalists has kept it on $#%s !nde& since the sur(ey started in )**+' 1t least se(en journalists all working for local print pu2lications and reporting on corruption politics or crime ha(e 2een slain in connection to their work in the last decade with state responses rarely going 2eyond a perfunctory police in(estigation' 9wo journalists were murdered with impunity in )*:;' 9hey include Narendra Aa2holkar shot 2y two gunmen on motorcycles as he took an early morning walk in 1ugust' Aa2holkar had recei(ed threats in the days 2efore his murder and often pu2lished articles on sensiti(e issues including student suicides farmer

suicides slums and !ndiaDs -aoist mo(ement' Impunity Index RatingB *'**8 unsol(ed journalist murders per million inha2itants Last yearB Ranked :)th with a rating of *'**I Methodology $#%Ds !mpunity !nde& calculates the num2er of unsol(ed journalist murders as a percentage of each countryDs population' 5or this inde& $#% e&amined journalist murders that occurred 2etween %anuary : )**< and Aecem2er ;: )*:; and that remain unsol(ed' Only those nations with fi(e or more unsol(ed cases are included on this inde&' $#% defines murder as a deli2erate attack against a specific journalist in relation to the (ictimDs work' -urders make up nearly ?* percent of work, related deaths among journalists according to $#% research' 9his inde& does not include cases of journalists killed in com2at or while carrying out dangerous assignments such as co(erage of street protests' $ases are considered unsol(ed when no con(ictions ha(e 2een o2tained' #opulation data from the World CankDs )*:) World Ae(elopment !ndicators were used in calculating each countryDs rating'
)tatisti"al &able

Ran : ) ; < I 8 ? + 7 :* :: :) :;

!ation

"nsol#ed Cases :** )8 I: 7 ? I :8 8 )) :< 7 I ?

Ira4 )omalia Phili ines )ri +an$a )yria A%ghanistan Me!i"o Colombia Pa$istan 'ussia 1ra2il 3igeria India

Population Rating $in millions% ;)'8 ;'*8? :*') 78'? )*'; ))'< )7'+ :)*'+ <?'? :?7') :<;'I :7+'? :8+'+ : );? )'I<7 *'I)? *'<<; *';:; *':8+ *':;) *':)8 *':); *'*7+ *'*<I *'*;* *'**8

CPJ's !pu"ity "de# is $o!piled as part o% the or&a"izatio"'s Global Ca!pai&" A&ai"st !pu"ity, 'hi$h is supported by the Adessiu! (ou"datio", the Joh" )* a"d Ja!es +* ,"i&ht (ou"datio", a"d the -pe" )o$iety (ou"datio"s*
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