European Union Risks Faced by Journalists
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European Union Risks faced by journalists May 2008 Investigation by: Olivier Basille, Jean-François Julliard, Glyn Roberts and Elsa Vidal With the help of Silvia Benedetti and Marta Molina Reporters Without Borders 47, rue Vivienne - 75002 Paris Tél : (33) 1 44 83 84 84 - Fax : (33) 1 45 23 11 51 E-mail : [email protected] Web : www.rsf.org There is genuine press freedom within the Journalists have also been targets of violence European Union. No state has ordered the in the past few years in Sweden, Bulgaria, murder or imprisonment of a journalist and Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic and state censorship is a thing of the past. Media Cyprus. express a diversity of opinion and a pluralism of ideas is generally assured. But the situation It is impossible to provide an exhaustive list of is not perfect for all that.There is a need for these cases, but there have been hundreds of vigilance in the light of media concentration, cases of serious threats, assaults and direct which is excessive in some countries and the intimidation throughout Europe. recurring question of boosting protection of sources well illustrates the flaws which persist FRANCE: in European laws. Journalists can still be for- Ever more no-go areas ced to reveal their sources, either through in the suburbs investigation or being placed in custody in some cases.The European Parliament has on In France, journalists are often manhandled, several occasions proposed that legislation in assaulted,threatened and beaten while trying individual states be brought in line with that to do their job. Until a few years ago it was of countries most favourable to free expres- in Corsica that most media staff fell victim to sion. violence. Overnight on 4-5 September 2003, the empty car of Christine Clerc, special One less-often aired concern about press correspondent for the daily Le Figaro, was freedom in Europe, relates to threats and riddled with bullets in Tolla, southern actual attacks on journalists: murder attempts Corsica a few days after she wrote a column by non-governmental groups, assaults and headlined “Put out the fire and clear off!” in harassment of families. These extremely which she condemned a car bombing against serious incidents do still happen within the the police in the same city.At that time a list European Union. of journalists seen as undesirable in the island were circulated within the nationalist Reporters Without Borders has for the first movements. Verbal harassments, insults and time investigated these most disturbing inci- threats were common. More recently jour- dents in the heart of Europe. In Denmark, it is nalists were jostled during demonstrations in Islamic fundamentalists who make death Bastia against the privatisation of the ferry threats against journalists and cartoonists in operator SNCM. Two cameramen working the name of religion. In Spain, the terrorist for France Televisions and Olivier Laban- organisation ETA continues to issue serious Mattei, a photographer with Agence France- threats against journalists, many of whom are Presse (AFP), were brutally beaten at the end forced to work under police protection or to of September 2005. Jean-Marc Plantade, flee the Basque country. In France, journalists financial editor of the Parisien newspaper, run risks reporting in the suburbs of the big received telephone death threats against cities. Thefts of equipment and sometimes himself and his family after publishing an arti- violent assaults are frequent. Several cities are cle headlined “Scandal at the SNCM” on 17 viewed as high risk by media which have to October 2005 in which he exposed alleged take elaborate precautions before sending out fraud by staff handling money on board the a reporting team. In Italy, journalists who company’s ships. expose the criminal activities of the mafia run the risk of ruthless reprisals. Murder French journalists also came in for brutal attempts, assaults and threats are frequent in assaults from stewards working for the Sicily and Calabria. In Northern Ireland, delin- extreme-right Front National at the start of quents, often from loyalist paramilitary the 2000s. A crew from Canal + television groups, have no hesitation in making death was beaten up by stewards during a press threats against journalists who investigate conference given by its leader Jean-Marie Le their activities.A bullet was recently sent to a Pen in Saint-Cloud on 26 April 2002. Four TV station along with the name and address days later,it was the turn of Jean-LucThomas, of a journalist. correspondent in Nice for I-television and Europe Risks faced by journalists 1 Canal+ to be held for one and a half hours at the Front National departmental offices © AFP where he was insulted and made to hand over his footage.The journalist laid a com- plaint for abduction, false imprisonment and hostage-taking, but the case was dropped on the grounds that he had suffered only “slight” harm. Today journalists are exposed to physical reprisals when they cover unrest in the French journalists during rioting at Villiers-le-Bel, in November 2007 suburbs.As far back as 2003,Vincent Kelner, of public channel France 2, was brutally pun- ched and kicked by two men while reporting Luc Bronner, working for the newspaper Le at Créteil, inVal-de-Marne at the scene of a Monde, was beaten by a group of youths, who shooting in which a young man had been kil- advised him to “clear off” after he told them led. The journalist, who suffered concussion, he was a journalist inVilliers-Le-Bel,Val d'Oise laid a complaint and his company joined the in November 2007.The following day a crew case.Police arrested a suspect.A few months working for France 3 had its equipment stolen later, in March 2004, sound engineer Jérôme and cameraman Noé Salemn was hit in the Florenville, cameraman Jean-Yves Charpin, face, neck, knee and kidneys and was dragged and journalist Hervé Bouchaud, working for several metres before letting go of his the programme “90 Minutes” on privately- camera. Two journalists on LaTeleLibre.fr owned Canal+ television were assaulted by were also injured in attacks. members of a Koranic school where they were reporting in Grisy-Suisnes, in Seine-et- Bertrand Schneider, agency head for Le Marne. The journalists had for six months Parisien in the Essonne, explains that the writ- been investigating the missionary Muslim ten press is less visible and therefore less Tabligh movement.While his colleagues were exposed to risk. That has not prevented him only slightly hurt, Florenville, who was bea- from taking care that the newspaper’s offices ten with a pick handle,was taken to hospital are not identifiable as such from the street. with multiple fractures to his nose and eye There are no signs and no logo.“We are cau- socket.The journalists and Canal + made offi- tious. We know that there are some particu- cial complaints. larly aggressive groups of youths whom we want to avoid. In the daytime, I can go without But the situation has taken an even more dis- any problems to the Tarterets [Corbeil- turbing turn since the November 2005 riots. Essonnes district] or to the Pyramides [Evry], Scores of photographers, cameramen and but at night I am much more careful.” reporters have been physically assaulted. A team from France 2 television was attacked Journalist Cécile Chevallier, was assaulted on by dozens of youths in Aulnay-sous-Bois, in 21 March 2006 while working for the Seine- the Parisian region overnight on 2-3 et-Marne edition of Le Parisien during protests November 2005.They had to abandon their against the First Employment Contract (CPE), vehicle, which was then overturned and tor- making it easier to fire workers under the age ched. Journalist with France 3 television, of 26. She was attacked as she was taking pho- Mady Diawara, was struck in the face by a tos in front of a secondary school in Savigny- stone while reporting on the end of le-Temple where youths were setting fire to Ramadan in Montfermeil, Seine-Saint-Denis dustbins.“I hid my camera well under my coat, on 4 November.The following day, a Korean took two or three photos and then left. But journalist with national public KBS television, several guys jumped on me and beat me.They Mihye Kim, was assaulted by five yours in took the keys to my car and my handbag. Aubervilliers, after completing interviews During this time, other youths, who appeared with residents near a warehouse which had to be pupils, with backpacks on their backs, been torched the previous evening. took my photo with their mobile phones. Europe Risks faced by journalists 2 They called me a ‘filthy journalist bitch’ before residents recommend that ‘you don’t stop at driving off in my car,” she said. Chevallier red traffic lights at night’.“These are not very reported the incident but none of her assai- serious incidents, but they mount up and that lants was caught. “I went back to Savigny-le- gets to you”, she told Reporters Without Temple a week later. I was frightened but I Borders. refused to accept that there were any no-go areas for me,” she said.The incident has chan- She has been back once to the ZAC at ged how she works: “I never imagined some- Villiers-le-Bel since. She did it but with “fear in thing like that could happen to me. Now I the stomach”. She also believes the situation often have a knot of fear in my stomach.The is getting worse.“During the 2007 riots, there other day, I had to cover a fire at theTartarets.