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MATAR AL MENSAJERO LOS PERIODISTAS, EN EL PUNTO DE MIRA DE TODAS LAS PARTES EN EL CONFLICTO DE SIRIA Amnistía Internacional es un movimiento mundial, formado por más de 3 millones de simpatizantes, miembros y activistas en más de 150 países y territorios, que hacen campaña para acabar con los abusos graves contra los derechos humanos. Nuestra visión es la de un mundo en el que todas las personas disfrutan de todos los derechos humanos proclamados en la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos y en otras normas internacionales de derechos humanos. Somos independientes de todo gobierno, ideología política, interés económico y credo religioso. Nuestro trabajo se financia en gran medida con las contribuciones de nuestra membresía y con donativos. Publicado en 2013 por Amnistía Internacional Secretariado Internacional Peter Benenson House 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW Reino Unido © Amnesty International Publications 20 13 Edición en español a cargo de: EDITORIAL AMNISTÍA INTERNACIONAL (EDAI) Valderribas, 13 28007 Madrid España www.amnesty.org Índice: MDE 24/014/2013 Spanish Idioma original: inglés Impreso por Amnistía Internacional Secretariado Internacional, Reino Unido Reservados todos los derechos. Esta publicación tiene derechos de autor, si bien puede ser reproducida libremente por cualquier medio con fines educativos o para llevar a cabo acciones de protección y promoción de los derechos humanos, pero no para la venta. Los titulares de los derechos de autor solicitan que se les comuniquen los usos mencionados con el fin de evaluar su impacto. Para la reproducción de este texto en cualquier otra circunstancia, su uso en otras publicaciones, o su traducción o adaptación, deberá obtenerse el permiso previo por escrito de la editorial, que podrá exigir el pago de un canon. Si desean solicitar un permiso, o realizar una consulta, pónganse en contacto con [email protected] Fotografía de portada: Un activista fotografía la humareda que asciende desde Yuret al Shayah, en Homs, Siria, 24 de julio de 2012. © REUTERS/Shaam News Network/Handout amnesty.org ÍNDICE 1. Introducción.............................................................................................................2 2. Violaciones del derecho internacional humanitario y de los derechos humanos cometidas por las fuerzas estatales y progubernamentales ................................................................7 Escritores y periodistas locales....................................................................................7 Periodistas ciudadanos y activistas de los medios de comunicación ..............................14 Periodistas extranjeros .............................................................................................20 Detenciones y toma de rehenes..............................................................................21 El centro de medios de comunicación de Homs .......................................................26 3. Abusos cometidos por los grupos armados de oposición ..............................................30 Homicidios ilegítimos...............................................................................................31 Secuestros y toma de rehenes ...................................................................................33 La libertad de expresión y la ley en Siria ....................................................................39 El derecho internacional humanitario.........................................................................43 El derecho internacional de los derechos humanos......................................................46 El derecho penal internacional ..................................................................................48 A las autoridades sirias.............................................................................................49 A los grupos armados de oposición ............................................................................49 A la comunidad internacional....................................................................................50 Al Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU...........................................................................50 Notas finales ..............................................................................................................51 Matar al mensajero: 2 Los periodistas, en el punto de mira de todas las partes en el conflicto de Siria 1. INTRODUCCIÓN Escribir […] es delito, y si te atrapan te tratan como a cualquier otro delincuente. Miral Abdul Aziz Sheikha, periodista y escritor crítico con el gobierno, condenado in absentia a 18 años de prisión en mayo de 2012. Tengo derecho a la libertad de expresión; no pueden matarme por ello. Yara Saleh, presentadora de un noticiario de la cadena progubernamental de televisión Al Ijbariya, secuestrada y torturada por un grupo armado de oposición afín al Ejército Sirio Libre en agosto de 2012. Siria es el país más mortal del mundo para los periodistas.1 Tanto las fuerzas partidarias del gobierno como las contrarias a él han convertido a los profesionales de los medios de comunicación y a los “periodistas ciudadanos”2 en objeto específico de los mismos abusos que tan valientemente intentan ellos documentar en el amargo conflicto armado sirio, a saber: homicidios ilegítimos, tortura, desapariciones forzadas, secuestros e intimidación. Se sabe que, a decenas de periodistas, su valentía les ha costado la vida.3 Se cree que son más de 70.000 las personas muertas en Siria en los dos años transcurridos desde que las manifestaciones pacíficas en demanda de reformas tomaron la calle en marzo de 2011.4 Según la ONU, más de 1,3 millones más han salido del país, huyendo de la intensificación de la matanza, y alrededor de otros 4 millones se han visto desplazadas internamente.5 La población civil, incluidos los periodistas, es la que está pagando el precio más alto en un conflicto que se ha convertido en una guerra civil cada vez más sangrienta y que no parece tener fin. Los periodistas ciudadanos de Siria han desempeñado un papel decisivo a la hora de garantizar que la información sobre los homicidios y abusos llega al mundo exterior. Han emitido una sucesión constante de vídeos y otras imágenes que ponen de manifiesto las graves violaciones de derechos humanos cometidas por las fuerzas del gobierno y las shabiha, milicias afines al gobierno que actúan junto con ellas, así como los abusos de los grupos armados de oposición. La repentina explosión de información de fuentes anteriormente desconocidas ha planteado muchas dificultades de verificación a las organizaciones de derechos humanos y los medios de comunicación internacionales. Sin embargo, sin los periodistas ciudadanos que informan desde sus barrios, a menudo con gran riesgo para su seguridad, es probable que el mundo exterior nunca hubiera tenido noticia de muchos de los abusos cometidos, incluidos crímenes de lesa humanidad y crímenes de guerra. Índice: MDE 24/014/2013 Amnistía Internacional, mayo de 2013 3 Matar al mensajero: Los periodistas, en el punto de mira de todas las partes en el conflicto de Siria Desde el primer momento, el gobierno sirio ha utilizado varios métodos para ocultar su represión violenta de las protestas. En los primeros días del levantamiento, las fuerzas de seguridad disparaban contra las multitudes participantes en manifestaciones pacíficas y cortejos fúnebres, a la vez que el gobierno culpaba de ello a misteriosas bandas armadas, a las que acusaba de intentar difamar a las fuerzas de seguridad. Sin embargo, los testigos hablaban de estrecha colaboración entre los francotiradores y otras fuerzas del gobierno. Entonces el gobierno intentó reprimir el flujo de información procedente de los periodistas ciudadanos practicando detenciones masivas de personas a las que acusaba de difundir “información falsa o exagerada al extranjero”. También negaba el acceso de los medios de comunicación internacionales a las ciudades y pueblos directamente afectados por las protestas y el posterior conflicto.6 Se expulsó a algunos periodistas extranjeros.7 A otros que pretendían entrar en Siria se les denegó el visado o se les permitió la entrada con tan fuertes restricciones que les impedían informar de manera independiente o se lo obstaculizaban gravemente.8 Los periodistas internacionales designados para informar del conflicto iban entonces a las fronteras del país para hablar con los refugiados sirios que entraban en Turquía, Líbano y Jordania de los abusos de que habían sido testigos. Cuando las protestas y su represión violenta degeneraron en un auténtico conflicto armado, que enfrentaba al gobierno y sus fuerzas armadas y de seguridad con una oposición compuesta de un dispar conjunto de grupos armados, los periodistas internacionales comenzaron a dirigirse a los grupos armados para que les facilitaran el acceso a las zonas donde las tropas del gobierno estaban bombardeando a la población civil. Algunos perdieron la vida en el intento. Tal fue el caso de la famosa corresponsal de guerra estadounidense Marie Colvin, de 56 años, reportera de la publicación británica Sunday Times, a quien mataron junto con el reportero gráfico francés Remi Ochlik, de 28 años, el 22 de febrero de 2012, cuando las fuerzas del gobierno bombardearon el centro provisional de medios de comunicación de Homs, donde habían buscado refugio (véase el capítulo 2). La gran mayoría de las personas que han muerto informando de la guerra –al menos 46 desde marzo de 2011 hasta finales de abril de 2013, según la UNESCO–9 eran
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