SRFOE Reaffirms Urgent Call to Combat Violence and Impunity in Crimes Against Journalists

November 2, 2024

Washington, D.C. – On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (SRFOE) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) reaffirms its urgent call for States to strengthen their efforts to prevent, investigate, and punish crimes against journalists in the region.

According to monitoring by the Office of the Special Rapporteur during its 26 years of work, at least 537 journalists have been killed in the Americas between 1998 and 2024, highlighting the persistence of systematic violence against media workers and communicators. This situation of extreme vulnerability is further aggravated when crimes remain unpunished, potentially leading to the recurrence of similar acts.

The Inter-American Commission and its Special Rapporteur have pointed out that violence against journalists represents one of the most extreme violations of freedom of expression, not only because it threatens the life and integrity of victims but also due to multiple adverse effects: it violates the individual right to express and disseminate information, contributes to the self-censorship of other communicators, and deprives society of access to information of public interest. According to the IACHR's Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression, “The murder, kidnapping, intimidation of and/or threats to social communicators, as well as the material destruction of communications media violate the fundamental rights of individuals and strongly restrict freedom of expression. It is the duty of the state to prevent and investigate such occurrences, to punish their perpetrators and to ensure that victims receive due compensation.”

In this context, the Special Rapporteur invites the press, civil society organizations, and the public to participate in the commemoration ceremony to be held on November 11 at the Garden of Poets at the Organization of American States (OAS), around the memorial honoring journalists killed in the Americas. This year’s update will include 19 commemorative pieces representing journalists killed between November 2023 and October 2024 from five OAS Member States.

This memorial, inaugurated in 2023, aims to keep their memory alive and honor their work. Additionally, the commemoration ceremony will serve as a platform to reaffirm the regional commitment to the protection of journalists and freedom of the press, as well as to reiterate the urgent call to investigate, prosecute, and punish these crimes. It also seeks to raise awareness within the international community about the major challenges journalists face in their work.

On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the Office of the Special Rapporteur emphatically calls on States to strengthen their efforts in prevention, protection, and justice procurement in these cases. Without decisive action to combat impunity, ensure journalists' safety, and guarantee the full exercise of freedom of expression, democracies will continue to face the silencing of voices essential to public debate and society's right to be informed.

The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (RELE) is an office established by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to promote the hemispheric defense of the right to freedom of thought and expression, recognizing its fundamental role in consolidating and developing democratic systems.

No. R276/24

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