10.03.2023. UKRAINE. Russian forces shell Radio Nostalgie office in Nikopol. On 9 March 2023, Russian forces shelled the office of Nostalgie, a radio station in Nikopol, a city in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, which remains under the Ukrainian government’s control. According to Valery Tereshchenko, the radio’s director, a missile hit a wall on the ground floor of the office building and completely destroyed it (photo facebook). The top floor of the building, where the radio’s newsroom is located, was also seriously damaged, he said. Due to the missile strike, the radio station ceased broadcasting. According to the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, the radio was a key source of trustworthy information for inhabitants of Nikopol and the wider region. This included listeners located on the other bank of the Dnipro river, and which remains under Russian occupation. Valery Tereshchenko cannot say whether the Russian military targeted the building of the radio station deliberately. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns this strike and reminds all belligerents that media offices are civilian facilities that should never be attacked.

08.03.2023. UNITED NATIONS. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL – 52nd session – PEC statement item 2 general debate: PEC very worried by the further deterioration in Afghanistan and Myanmar  – The media are increasingly subject to surveillance, threats, violence, and arrests in both countries – PEC calls on UN Member States to urge Afghanistan and Myanmar to release all journalists arbitrarily detained, included Mortaza Behboudi, detained for 2 months in Kabul (photo pec: PEC UN Representative Ana Leurinda reading the PEC statement at the Human Rights Council) #FreeMortaza

Read the PEC oral statement on PRESS RELEASES

02.03.2023. INDIA. Another journalist attacked. Press Emblem Campaign condemns the recent physical attack on a journalist in Uttar Pradesh and demands stringent punishments to the perpetrators. Devendra Khare (photo), who is associated with the privately owned Hindi media outlet News1India, was shot at by miscreants in the evening hours of 26 February at Chandpur area of Jaunpur city. Injured Khare is now recovering from wounds in the hospital.

Read more on PRESS RELEASES

24.02.2023. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is sad to learn

the killing of Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons (photo, 24), and Pine Hills Elementary

School student T’yonna Major, 9, after shootings in Pine Hills, near Orlando, Florida. The death of

an Orlando TV reporter on Wednesday puts a spotlight on the threats faced by local journalists

merely for doing their jobs, also in USA. News photographer Jesse Walden was wounded. It

remains unclear whether the suspect knew he was firing at news media. Lyons was part of a news

crew reporting from the Pine Hills neighborhood on the fatal shooting of a woman in her 20s that

had happened earlier on Wednesday. The day ended with two others dead and two critically injured. Last year, two journalists

were killed in USA: Jeff German in Las Vegas, September 2 and Sierra Jenkins at Norfolk, March 19.

22.02.2023. GENEVA. PEC Meeting with the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva. On Wednesday 22 February 2023, Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) President Blaise Lempen, Vice-President Jean-Philippe Jutzi and PEC board member Luisa Ballin met the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Jürg Lauber and communication officer Paola Ceresetti to discuss the draft convention on the safety of journalists. «The war in Europe and the many victims among journalists in Ukraine made urgent the adoption of a convention to secure access to war zones and carry out independent investigations into war crimes” stressed PEC President Blaise Lempen (photo left to right: Jean-Philippe Jutzi, Amb. Jürg Lauber, Paola Ceresetti, Luisa Balin and Blaise Lempen)​​​​​​​

20.02.2023. UKRAINE. A year after the Russian attack: the safety of journalists under the new media law. The security situation for journalists has improved markedly during the year. However the work of journalists on the frontline has become more difficult due to tighter military restrictions. We have noted several cases in which the military has withdrawn military accreditation from journalists under dubious pretexts.

Read the report of the PEC Representative in Ukraine on PRESS  RELEASES (English and French)

17.02.2023. AFGHANISTAN. PEC joined other organizations and media to demand release of Afghan scribe Mortaza Behboudi

Press Emblem Campaign, the global media safety and rights body, demands an immediate release of Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi (photo), who was arrested on 7 January by the Taliban regime in Kabul. “Afghanistan continues to reflect the poor press freedom situation, where journalists are routinely facing threats, insults, detentions and
physical assaults. Over 600 active Afghan media outlets now cease to operate. Over one hundred Afghan journalists were temporarily detained by the authorities last year. The female journalists are facing the most challenging time there”, said PEC President Blaise Lempen. Sign the petittion: https://rsf.org/en/FreeMortaza

Read more on PRESS RELEASES
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14.02.2023. CAMBODIA. Press Emblem Campaign, the global media safety and rights body, expressed serious concern over the recent closure of a leading independent media outlet, available in Cambodia’s official language Khmer and English by the government and condemns all kinds of media restrictions in the south-east Asian country ahead of the scheduled national elections in July.

Read more on PRESS RELEASES
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09.02.2023. INDIA. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the global media safety and rights body, expresses shock over the killing of journalist Shashikant Warishe (photo) in Maharashtra and demands a fair probe to identify the culprit for punishing under the law. Warishe, who used to work for Marathi-language daily Mahanagari Times, was mowed down on Monday at Rajapur area by a four-wheeler following which he was rushed to a nearby hospital. The brave journalist succumbed to injuries on 7 February.

Read more on PRESS RELEASES
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08.02.2023. CAMEROON. Second journalist killed in two weeks. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) is deeply concerned about the safety of journalists in Cameroon following the killing of a second journalist in the country in two weeks. Jean-Jacques Ola Bebe (photo), a radio presenter, was found dead on 2 February near his home in the Mimboman district of the capital Yaoundé, apparently shot dead by unknown assailants. His killing came 11 days after Arsene Salomon Mbami Zogo, popularly known as Martinez Zogo, a prominent journalist and manager of privately-owned Amplitude FM, was found dead five days after he had been abducted outside a gendarmerie station in Yaoundé. Both Ola Bebe and Martinez Zogo were outspoken voices against corruption, using their platforms on radio to denounce cases of alleged misappropriation of public funds. Ola Bebe was at the forefront in calling for justice and accountability for the murder of Zogo, his close associate. A Cameroonian businessman was arrested on Monday in connection with the murder of Zogo. PEC calls on the authorities to ensure that Ola Bebe’s killing is independently and impartially investigated and that those found to be responsible for these killings, at all levels, are held to account.

02.02.2023. UKRAINE. Reporting team with Czech broadcaster ČT24 escapes shelling near Bakhmut

On January 26, a three-member ČT24 team was covering the war near the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut when the journalists noticed a drone flying above them. Minutes later, artillery shells exploded nearby and the team fled the scene, according to media reports. No one was injured in the attack. The team, composed of reporter Andreas Papadopulos, ČT24 camera operator Jan Bradáč, and Anastasia Zhuk, a Ukrainian journalist (photo twitter), all wore vests and helmets marked as “Press,” and their car was marked as well. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC)  condemns this strike, reminds all belligerents that members of the press should not be targeted and calls upon Ukrainian and Russian authorities to investigate the shelling.​​​​​​​

23.01.2023. CAMEROUN. La PEC condamne l’assassinat odieux du journaliste camerounais Martinez Zogo (photo), directeur de la chaîne de radio Amplitude FM. La PEC demande que les responsables, exécutants et commanditaires, soient identifiés et traduits en justice le plus rapidement possible, afin que ce crime prémédité ne reste pas impuni. Les membres de la PEC présentent  à la famille, aux collègues et médias camerounais leurs condoléances. Martinez Zongo a été retrouvé mort, le dimanche 22 janvier, dans la périphérie de Yaoundé, cinq jours après son enlèvement. Son corps portait des marques de tortures. Directeur de la radio privée Amplitude FM et animateur de l’émission “Embouteillages”, Martinez Zogo traitait régulièrement d’affaires de corruption impliquant des personnalités au Cameroun. La PEC exige des autorités de Yaoundé qu’elles protègent les journalistes dans un climat de violences inquiétant.
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16.01.2023. BANGLADESH – FIRST JOURNALIST KILLED IN 2023.  New year brings sad news as a young Bangladeshi journalist was killed in the first half of 2023. Ashiqul Islam (27, photo), who worked for Dainik Paryabekhoan from  Brahmanbaria locality was hacked to death on 9 January by a group of miscreants. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemned the killing and demanded a fair probe to book the culprits under the law. Ashiqul Islam is the first journalist killed in 2023 worldwide.

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13.01.2023. GENEVA. On the occasion of the Roundtable at the Swiss Press Club: “What press freedom in conflict zones?” Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) calls for the creation of a UN working group for the adoption of a Convention on the safety of journalists – A l’occasion de la Table ronde organisée au Club suisse de la presse: «Quelle liberté de la presse en zone de conflit ?» la PEC lance un appel à créer un groupe de travail au sein de l’ONU pour l’adoption d’une Convention sur la sécurité des journalistes (photo pec: from left to right: Anne-Cécile Robert, president Union de la presse francophone, Caroline Vuillemin, director Fondation Hirondelle, Sébastien Faure, journalist RTS, Blaise Lempen, PEC President)

Read the PEC call on PRESS RELEASES – lire l’appel de la PEC sur Press Releases

12.01.2023. IRAN. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) strongly condemns the recent executions of political opponents in Iran and calls for the release of all journalists in detention.  So far, the death penalty has been carried out for four young demonstrators while dozens of other people arrested during the demonstrations received the death sentence. The journalist and secretary general of the ‘Democratic Front of Iran’, Heshmatollah Tabarzadi (photo) is accused of “corruption on earth”, a crime for which the death penalty is foreseen in Iran. His lawyer Mohammad Moghimi made it known, citing a hearing yesterday where Tabarzadi, arrested in recent days, is accused of 20 different crimes. The 63-year-old journalist, a former political prisoner who had denounced Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the past, had already been jailed in September during the first days of anti-government protests that erupted in reaction to the death of Mahsa Amini. According to the Tehran Journalists Association, out of 70 reporters who have been arrested during demonstrations since September, 30 are still in prison. Among them, some received harsh sentences such as sports journalist Ehsan Pirbornash, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison, and photojournalist Yalda Moaiery, known worldwide for a photo taken during a demonstration in 2017, who was sentenced to 6 years.

06.01.2023. Genève. Invitation à un débat organisé par le Club suisse de la presse sur la protection des journalistes : «Quelle liberté de la presse en zone de conflit ?» Jeudi 12 janvier 2023 à 15h00 – Au Domaine de Penthes Chemin de l’impératrice 18 – 1292 Pregny-Chambésy. Avec la participation de:
Anne-Cécile Robert Présidente internationale l’Union de la Presse francophone, directrice des éditions et relations internationales du Monde diplomatique – Caroline Vuillemin Directrice générale de la Fondation Hirondelle – Sébastien Faure Envoyé spécial en Ukraine, producteur de “mise au point”, RTS – “Blaise Lempen Président de Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), ancien correspondant auprès de l’ONU. Modérateur :  Pierre Ruetschi Directeur exécutif du Club suisse de la presse.

Il n’y a pas de véritable liberté de la presse en zone de conflit. La guerre par essence n’aime pas les journalistes et le journalisme. Les parties au conflit cherchent à contrôler les médias au nom de l’intérêt national quand ils ne sont pas traités en ennemis. Les accès sont limités, des menaces sont exercées et parfois le journaliste est pris pour cible. Comment s’assurer que la presse puisse continuer d’informer ? La guerre en Ukraine a encore assombri le bilan 2022 de la liberté de la presse. Comment, dans ces conditions, faire son métier de journaliste ? Comment assurer un minimum de transparence de l’information face à des gouvernements et des groupes armés qui souvent ne tolèrent qu’une seule “vérité” la leur ? Quel rôle peut/doit jouer l’ONU ? Ce sont quelques-unes des questions auxquelles vont tenter de répondre nos quatre intervenants qui ont une vaste expérience et connaissance de la pratique du journalisme en zone de conflit.

Pour plus d’informations et pour s’inscrire : https://pressclub.ch/quelle-liberte-de-la-presse-en-zone-de-conflit/

01.01.2023. UKRAINE. ONE MORE FOREIGN JOURNALIST INJURED. A Japanese journalist is among people injured in a missile attack on Kyiv apparently by Russia on Saturday 31 December. according to news reports. The online version of the Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun said that the injured journalist is Wataru Sekita (photo, helped by Ukrainian soldiers), 36, a member of its visual reporting section. He received treatment at a hospital for his injury in the leg, according to the newspaper. He is believed to be the first Japanese journalist injured in Ukraine due to the ongoing Russian aggression. Explosions were heard near a Kyiv hotel housing NHK correspondents. According to local media, the airstrikes damaged several buildings, including a hotel and a school. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) condemns all attacks and airstrikes on civilian housing and infrastructure.

01.01.2023. ONE MORE JOURNALIST KILLED IN 2022. Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) mourns the death of journalist Rejean Hebert (photo), killed in Saint-Simon, New Brunswick (Canada) on Wednesday 28 December. A man was arrested by the police for the crime, according to local media. He is the 116th journalist killed in 2022, according to PEC figures. Hebert was the news director for CKRO, a radio station in Gloucester County, N.B., and produced daily news bulletins for 10 other French-language community radio stations in the province.