The number of journalists killed in the period January to April 2023 has fallen compared to the same period last year, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said on Tuesday on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. Since January, 16 media workers have been killed, the lowest number in the past 15 years, according to the same criteria.

Le nombre de journalistes tués a baissé de janvier à avril 2023 en comparaison avec la même période de l’an dernier, a indiqué mardi la Presse Emblème Campagne (PEC) à l’occasion de la Journée mondiale de la liberté de la presse. Depuis janvier, 16 travailleurs des médias ont été tués, le chiffre le plus bas de ces 15 dernières années, selon les mêmes critères.

El número de periodistas asesinados ha disminuido de enero a abril de 2023 en comparación con el mismo período del año pasado, dijo este martes la Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC, por sus siglas en inglés) con motivo del Día Mundial de la libertad de Prensa. Desde enero, 16 trabajadores de los medios han sido asesinados, la cifra más baja en 15 años, según los mismos criterios.

Read the PEC statement on PRESS RELEASES (English, French and Spanish)

Bogdan Bitik was working as a fixer for Corrado Zunino (photo), Italian correspondent for La Repubblica, who was wounded. A Ukrainian journalist working with reporters for La Repubblica has been shot dead most likely by Russian snipers in southern Ukraine, while his Italian colleague was injured, the Italian newspaper said on Wednesday. Corrado Zunino and his fixer Bogdan Bitik were victims of an ambush near the bridge in Kherson on the outskirts of Kherson. Bitik unfortunately did not make it and died. Corrado was wounded in the shoulder. Zunino, who had extensively covered the conflict, told La Repubblica he had been wearing a bulletproof vest with “Press” written on it when the reporters were attacked. The Italian foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said his ministry and the Italian embassy in Kyiv were working with the Ukrainian authorities on returning Zunino to Italy. According to sources in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Bitik had no bulletproof vest and was wearing only a vest with a “Press” badge. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) reminds all belligerents that journalists are protected by the Geneva Conventions and that they should not be targeted. Bogdan Bitik is the first journalist to be killed on duty this year in Ukraine. An investigation has been opened.

18.04.2023. HAITI. On Saturday night, armed individuals assassinated the Haitian journalist Dumesky Kersaint (photo) in the Mahotiere 83 neighborhood in the municipality of Carrefour. This young reporter worked at Radio Tele INUREP where he was in charge of covering the demonstrations organized by different social groups. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC)  condemns the climate of tolerated and fueled violence, which led to the death of INUREP journalist Dumesky Kersaint. Kersaint, however, was not the target person. He was a collateral victim of the actions of armed civilians who were committing crimes in the same place where the journalist was. Since the worsening of the security crisis caused by the death of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, Haiti has become a country where gangs control interprovincial traffic and entire neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince. According to PEC and UNESCO data, 9 journalists were killed in Haiti in 2022.

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