The famous international organization for freedom of media “REPORTERS SANS FRONTIERS” has released the 2004-report on media situation in the world. The report, which is called The deadliest year for a decade: 53 journalist killed, reads that at least 53 journalists were killed in 2004 while doing their job or for expressing their opinions, the highest annual toll since 1995. (7-JAN-2005)
Fifteen medias assistants (fixers, drivers, translators, technicians, security staff and others) were also killed in 2004. 907 journalists were arrested 1,146 were attacked or threatened and at least 622 media censored.
Situation with media in the world is not satisfactory
On 1 January 2005 107 journalists and 70 cyber-dissidents were in prison around the world. For the second year running, Iraq was the world´s most dangerous country for journalists. Nineteen reporters and 12 media assistants were killed there during the year.
Exposing corruption and reporting on organised crime was the next main reason for journalists being killed. Journalists were murdered in Asia – especially in The Philippines (6) and Bangladesh (4) – just for investigating of a such matters.
Situation in former Soviet republics and in Central Asia became heavy. In the Russian Federation, the government´s total control of nationwide TV stations was shown by flagrantly biased TV coverage of the school hostage tragedy in Beslan (North Ossetia). Many Russian and foreign journalists are prevented from working and censorship concerning the Chechen Republic has spread to neighbouring republics.
The October presidential elections in Ukraine saw many attacks on press freedom and pro-opposition journalists and some foreign media were censored. The heavy prison sentence imposed on a journalist and human rights activist in Uzbekistan for “homosexuality” was an example of that regime´s brutal repression of the independent media.
Such independence has been almost non-existent in Azerbaijan since the October 2003 presidential election. Journalists there no longer work in adequate conditions and during the year a pro-opposition journalist was jailed for five years in Azerbaijan, reads the report.
