International Federation of Journalists
Journalists and Media Staff Killed in 2003
An IFJ Report on Media Casualties in the Field of Journalism and Newsgathering
CONTENTS:
1. INTRODUCTION 2. COUNTRY BY COUNTRY ANALYSIS 3. CASES OF JOURNALISTS KILLED 4. CASES OF MEDIAWORKERS KILLED 5. CASES UNDER INVESTIGATION 6. INTERNATIONAL CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE SAFE CONDUCT OF JOURNALISM Introduction
The impact of war and conflict on the work of news media cast a long shadow over journalism in 2003. War in Iraq and continuing insurgencies in Colombia and the Philippines provided most casualties in a year marked by growing anger within media circles over targeting of journalists.
92 journalists and media staff were killed – 22 more than the previous year. The IFJ report sets out the details of casualties and underscores the need for international action to protect journalists, particularly in conflict zones.
In Iraq 16 journalists were killed and two media workers died, and that does not include two who are missing – Fred Nérac and Hussein Osman – both presumed dead in a firefight near Basra in March during the invasion.
The IFJ has called for independent investigations into seven confirmed deaths in Iraq – Terry Lloyd, who was travelling with Nérac and Osman, and who was shot twice, once by US troops; José Couso and Taras Protsiuk who were killed after a US tank attacked the Palestine Hotel where more than 150 media staff were staying in Baghdad; Tareq Ayyoub, who died when a US air launched missile hit the offices of Al-Jazeera in Baghdad; and Mazen Dana, the award-winning cameraman who was shot dead by US troops while on assignment in the city after the invasion was over.
These cases have become emblematic of the struggle for greater protection for journalists in conflict zones. The IFJ has called for changes in international law to ensure that targeting of journalists and negligence in the protection of journalists are made war crimes. The IFJ also wants independent inquiries whenever journalists are killed in conflict zones.1
But although Iraq stole many of the headlines during the year, killings in the Philippines and Colombia have been just as worrying with seven journalists killed in Colombia and one under investigation, along with three confirmed killings of journalists in the Philippines and a further four cases under investigation.
In both countries journalists have been targeted for trying to expose political corruption as in the cases of radio reporter Juan Emeterio Rivas and television journalist Guillermo Bravo Vega in Colombia and Apolinario Pobeda and Bonifacio Gregorio in the Philippines. In many cases the hand of the drugs mafia and crime gangs is at work. And in far too many instances the problem of impunity, and the failure of officials to properly investigate killings of media staff, remains a persistent obstacle to justice for journalists and media staff who are killed.
In Colombia the IFJ supported a safety training programme in September and met with the country’s Vice President Francisco Santos who committed his government to fresh work to improve safety of journalists and to develop an organisational framework for protection of journalists.
1 See Justice Denied on the Road to Baghdad, the IFJ report on treatment of journalists in the Iraq War, which sets out the details of these cases.
2 Wherever media are engaged in exposing governmental corruption, or official links with organised crime, journalists are most at risk.
The case of Zahra Kazemi in Iran, who was brutally tortured and killed in July while in police custody, is one example where international pressure can force a government to properly investigate a journalist’s death. The prompt calls for action by the Canadian authorities and a chorus of outrage from press freedom and journalists’ groups worldwide forced the authorities in Tehran to act in this case.
The problems in India also deserve mention. With five deaths and one case under investigation, journalism in this country with one of the most robust and diverse landscapes for press freedom is facing a crisis of safety for journalists.
Meanwhile, the continuing crisis for democracy and press freedom in the occupied Palestinian territories has once again delivered media victims with the killing of Palestinian cameraman Nazeeh Darwazeh and the shooting of freelance cameraman James Miller, both at the hands of Israeli soldiers. A fierce campaign for justice in the Miller case has highlighted once again the need for independent inquiries into such killings and reminds us of the constant threats facing those caught in the crossfire of the continuing Intifada.
The demand for justice for journalists is gathering strength. The IFJ has added to the debate with its own report on the Iraq war and this report adds further to the unease over casual attitudes to the loss of life among news gatherers.
Many of the 2003 cases illustrate just why governments need to be put under renewed pressure to deliver credible answers over how and why journalists are being killed. The case of investigative journalist Gyorgy Gongadze, brutally murdered in the Ukraine three years ago, has come to symbolise the need for a global campaign against impunity, further highlighted by the case of Russian journalist Alikhan Gulieyev this year and that of Ukraine newspaper journalist Volodimir Karachenzev who was apparently discovered hanged on the handle of a fridge.
The crisis for news safety has led during 2003 to the establishment of the International News Safety Institute, an industry-led initiative, supported by leading media companies and journalists’ unions.
The IFJ, along with other leading media professional groups, is backing this campaign, which offers, for the first time, a global movement to lobby governments for more protection for journalists – to match the added protection agreed by the United Nations Security Council this year for humanitarian workers in conflict zones – as well as providing a framework for safety training for media staff in all of the world’s most dangerous regions.
At last, the media industry is recognising that it must do more to reduce the risks to reporters and news teams, and particularly to freelances who are among the most vulnerable. Now the message must be driven home to governments that they, too, must do more to bring the killers to justice.
Aidan White, General Secretary
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Country by Country Analysis (Updated January 2004)
Country Journalists Media Staff Cases Under Killed Killed Investigation Brazil 3 1 Cambodia 1 China 1 Colombia 7 1 Costa Rica 1 Democratic Republic Congo 1 Guatemala 1 1 Honduras 1 India 4 2 Indonesia 3 Iran 1 Iraq 16 2 2 Ivory Coast 2 Japan 1 Kyrgyzstan 1 Nepal 3 Nigeria 6 Pakistan 1 1 Palestine 2 Philippines 3 4 Russia 9 1 2 Somalia 1 Thailand 1 Ukraine 1 2 United States of America 2 Total 70 4 18
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Regional Analysis
Region Journalists Killed Mediaworkers Total Killed Africa 9 1 10 Americas 18 18 Asia 25 25 Europe 14 2 16 Middle East & N. Africa 20 3 23 Total 86 6 92
5 Cases of Journalists Killed Source: IFJ, FENAJ, IAPA, IPI, EJC, CPJ, WAN, IFEX Country: BRAZIL Description: Nicanor Linhares CASENR: 1 Batista, radio host and owner of Rádio Name: Melyssa Vale do Jaguaribe, was murdered on Martins Correia 30 June, while recording his daily Nationality: Brazilian show Encontro Político. Batista had Profession: Editor angered local politicians and had also News organ: Oeste Notícias received death threats because of his Sector: Press critical commentaries. Date: 3 June 2003 Age: 23 Country: BRAZIL Source: IPI, IFEX, RSF, IAPA, CASENR: 3 CJFE, WAN Name: Luis Antonio da Costa Description: On 3 June, Martins Nationality: Brazilian Correia, aged 23, editor of the daily Profession: Journalist Oeste Notícias cultural supplement, News organ: Época was shot in the head at point-blank Sector: Press range. Still alive when found by police, Date: 23 July 2003 she died while being rushed to Source: IPI, FENAJ, CPJ, WAN hospital. Description: On 23 July, Luis Antonio The killer fled by commandeering a da Costa, a reporter for the magazine car and getting the driver to take him Época, was shot by a lone gunman in to the neighbouring state of Mato Sao Bernardo, in the suburbs of Sao Grosso do Sul. On the way, he Paulo. He had been reporting on reportedly told the driver, Fábio César demands by up to 6,000 protesters Padoves, that he had been paid to kill urging the government of President the journalist, and that the murder of a Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to provide judge, Antonio José Machado, in them with public housing. March was also a paid hit. Oeste Notícias had covered the judge's Country: CAMBODIA murder extensively, blaming it on a CASENR: 4 São Paulo criminal organisation known Name: Chuor Chetharith as Primero Comando da Capital Nationality: Cambodian (PCC), whose activities have often Profession: Deputy Editor-in-chief been the subject of reports in the News organ: Ta Prum newspaper. Sector: Radio Date: 18 October 2003 Country: BRAZIL Age: 37 CASENR: 2 Source: IFJ, IPI, RSF, IFEX, Name: Nicanor Linhares TJA, CPJ, WAN Batista Description: On 18 October, Chuor Nationality: Brazilian Chetharith, deputy editor-in-chief of Profession: Journalist Ta Prum radio station was shot dead News organ: Rádio Vale do by two men on a motorcycle in front of Jaguaribe the station's Phnom Penh studios as he Sector: Radio was getting out of his car. He was hit Date: 30 June 2003 in the neck. Prime Minister Hun Sen Age: 42 had warned the station four days
6 earlier to "better monitor its CASENR: 7 programmes" after it had criticised him Name: Juan Emeterio Rivas extensively. Nationality: Colombian Profession: Journalist Country: CHINA News organ: Calor Estéreo CASENR: 5 Sector: Radio Name: Wang Wen Date: 6 April 2003 Nationality: Chinese Age: 44 Profession: Photographer Source: IFJ, EJC, AP, IPI, News organ: Weinan Daily IFEX, IAPA, CPJ, WAN, RSF, FLIP Sector: Press Description: On 6 April, Juan Date: 9 September 2003 Emeterio Rivas, who worked for Calor Age: 36 Estéreo radio station, was shot to death Source: China Daily by unidentified gunmen as he walked Description: On 9 September, Wang out of a restaurant in the city of Wen, a journalist reported missing in Barrancabermeja, north of the capital, Weihe River floods days before was Bogotá. Rivas, who reported on cases found at an orchard in Huaxian of of municipal corruption, had received northwest China's Shaanxi Province. death threats from leftist rebels. Wen, a photographer with the Weinan Julio Cesar Ardila, the mayor of Daily, fell in the water when he was Barrancabermeja, was charged 11 July interviewing local officials in a boat in with ordering the murder of Rivas who the floods. often accused him of being corrupt and having links to outlawed paramilitary Country: COLOMBIA groups. Three other officials from city CASENR: 6 hall were detained for their alleged Name: Luis Eduardo Alfonso roles in the killing Parada Nationality: Colombian Country: COLOMBIA Profession: Journalist CASENR: 8 News organ: El Tiempo Name: Guillermo Bravo Vega Sector: Press Nationality: Colombian Date: 18 March 2003 Profession: Journalist Age: 33 News organ: Canal 2 Source: IFJ, IPI, FLIP, IFEX, Sector: TV CJFE, WiPC, IPYS, CPJ, WAN, RSF Date: 28 April 2003 Description: On 18 March, Luis Age: 65 Eduardo Alfonso Parada, a journalist Source: IFJ, IFEX, PFC, IAPA, for the daily newspaper El Tiempo, IPI, CPJ, WAN, RSF was killed by unknown gunmen while Description: On 28 April, Guillermo leaving his house for work. Alfonso Bravo Vega, producer and presenter of Parada was known for reporting cases the financial programme "Hechos y of corruption and questioning the Cifras" on the local television station administration's operation. At the time Canal 2, was gunned down by two of his murder, he had received threats assailants who stormed his residence and sought cover under the Colombian late on Monday 28 April in the government's protection programme southern city of Neiva, 155 miles (250 for journalists. km) south of the capital. Bravo, 65 had unveiled cases of municipal corruption Country: COLOMBIA in the local newspaper, relatives said.
7 community station Manantial Estereo, Country: COLOMBIA was shot in the back by rebels of the CASENR: 9 Revolutionary Armed Forces of Name: Jaime Rengifo Revero Colombia (FARC) when his car Nationality: Colombian reportedly failed to stop at a roadblock. Profession: Owner/Editor He and another reporter from the News organ: Guajiro station, Jaime Conrado, who was Quincenario/Olímpica wounded in the stomach, were Radio travelling from Puerto Caicedo Sector: Radio/Press (Putumayo state) to cover a meeting Date: 29 April 2003 the next day between President Alvaro Age: 48 Uribe and regional officials in Puerto Source: IFJ, IFEX, PFC, FLIP, Asis. IAPA, IPI, CPJ, WAN, RSF Description: On 29 April, Jaime Country: COLOMBIA Rengifo Revero was killed after being CASENR: 11 shot five times in the back by an Name: José Nel Muñoz attacker as he left a hotel in the Nationality: Colombian northern city of Maicao, 460 miles Profession: Journalist (740 km) north of Bogotá. He was the News organ: Latina Estéreo owner of Guajiro Editorial House, and Sector: Radio directed and presented the programme, Date: 5 October 2003 “Periodistas en Acción” on the Age: 25 Olímpica radio station. He also was Source: IFJ, IFEX, IPI, WAN, editor of the newspaper Guajiro FLIP Quincenario. Description: Radio announcer José Revero was well known by his Nel Muñoz was reportedly killed on 5 colleagues and publicly for denouncing October 2003, two kilometres from the crime in the Maicao area. settlement of Puerto Libertad in Revero had worked as a journalist for Putumayo department, in southern more than 20 years. According to local Colombia. Muñoz's body was retrieved police the motives of his assassination by his wife and five journalists from were directly linked to his professional the area, who said that there were activities and they are continuing their indications that he had been tortured investigations. and shot three times. Muñoz had been working for Latina Country: COLOMBIA Estéreo radio station in Puerto Asís for CASENR: 10 more than a year, hosting music and Name: Juan Carlos community information programmes. Benavidez He also occasionally covered news Nationality: Colombian about the armed conflict and political Profession: Journalist issues. News organ: Manantial Estereo Sector: Radio Country: COLOMBIA Date: 22 August 2003 CASENR: 12 Age: 28 Name: William Soto Cheng Source: IFJ, EJC, IFEX, IPI, Nationality: Colombian FLIP, CPJ, WAN, AMARC-ALC Profession: Journalist Description: On 22 August, Juan Carlos Benavidez, a reporter with the
8 News organ: Telemar Summa. Her colleague, Henry Bastos, Sector: TV who was in the car at the time, said it Date: 18 December 2003 was not a robbery attempt. Rodríguez Age: 46 specialised in financial reporting and Source: IFJ, IFEX, FLIP, IAPA wrote for a number of publications. Description: On 18 December, Soto On 25 December, the Penal Court in Cheng was killed when he arrived to the District of San José arrested work at the local television station, Uruguayan businessman, Eugenio Telemar, in Puerto de Buenaventura, in Millot for his role in what police the Cauca Valley, located in the south- described as a contract killing. eastern part of the country. Two men However, on 12 January 2004 Millot on a motorcycle approached him and was released on bail. shot him in the head. Soto Cheng had been receiving threats by telephone Country: GUATEMALA since the end of October, which had CASENR: 14 led him to think about leaving Name: Hector Ramirez Buenaventura. The journalist, who had Nationality: Guatemalan more than 15 years of experience, Profession: Journalist broadcast a television opinion News organ: Noti-7 programme as well as the Litoral Sector: Radio Pacífico (Pacific Coast) and Deportes Date: 24 July 2003 en Acción (Sports in Action) Age: 60 programmes on the local station. Source: IPI, IFEX, IAPA, During the October 26 elections, Soto AMARC-ALC, SNPN, PFC, CPJ, said that members of the police and RSF, WAN military were accomplices in a series Description: On 24 July, Hector of irregularities in the tally of votes. Ramirez, a journalist was shot dead When several criminal charges were during a rally supporting the issued against him, he retracted his presidential campaign of former comments and apologised. military dictator Efrain Rios Montt. A mob of about 100 people with hoods Country: COSTA RICA chased a group of journalists "when a CASENR: 13 shot was heard," said Juan Lemus, a Name: Ivannia Mora spokesman for the city fire fighters. Rodríguez The bullet hit reporter Ramirez, 60, of Nationality: Costa Rican the Noti-7 news programme, Lemus Profession: Journalist said. Ramirez, a respected 30-year News organ: Summa veteran of the Guatemalan news Sector: Press media, managed to make it to a nearby Date: 23 December 2003 house to ask for help “but by then Age: 33 nothing could be done”. Source: IFEX, IAPA, IPI Description: On 23 December Country: HONDURAS reporter Ivannia Mora Rodriguez was CASENR: 15 shot dead in the town of Curridabat, 10 Name: Germán Antonio kms east of the capital, by two Rivas individuals on a motorcycle who Nationality: Honduran intercepted her vehicle. She died on the Profession: Managing Director way to the Calderón Guardia hospital. News organ: Corporación Maya Rodríguez worked for the magazine Visión – Channel 7
9 Sector: TV Name: Parvaz Mohammed Date: 26 November 2003 Sultan Age: 48 Nationality: Indian Source: IPI, IFEX, WAN, RSF, Profession: Editor-in-chief /Owner PFC, IAPA, News organ: News and Feature Description: Germán Antonio Rivas Alliance (NAFA) / was gunned down in the car park of his Quami Awaaz television station in Santa Rosa de Sector: Press Copán on 26 November. Rivas was Date: 31 January 2003 parking his car in front of the offices of Age: 36 Corporación Maya Visión-Channel 7 Source: IFJ, IFEX, IPI, CPJ, when an unidentified individual WAN, RSF approached him and shot him in the Description: On 31 January, Parvaz head. Rivas was the managing director. Mohammed Sultan, owner and editor- Last February, Rivas survived an in-chief of the local news agency News assassination attempt while returning and Feature Alliance (NAFA) was home from work It is the first murder killed by two gunmen He was of a Honduran journalist in more than wounded in the neck and died of his 20 years. injuries a short time later. The police suspect that the two killers were armed Country: INDIA separatists. Sultan also worked for the CASENR: 16 Indian newspaper Quami Awaaz. Name: Vikram Singh Bisht Nationality: Indian Country: INDIA Profession: Cameraman CASENR: 18 News organ: Asian News Name: Vidyadhar Tiwari International Nationality: Indian Sector: Press Profession: Journalist Date: 9 January 2003 News organ: Chautha Khambha Age: 28 Sector: Press Source: IFJ, IPI, RSF, CPJ, Date: 13 March 2003 IFEX Source: IFJ Description: Vikram Singh Bisht, a Description: Unidentified criminals cameraman with the Asian News shot dead Vidyadhar Tiwari, in International agency who was Mainpura, Patna, on 13 March. Tiwari wounded and permanently paralysed in was working with Chautha Khambha, a 2001 attack on the Indian parliament, a Hindi weekly. Preliminary inquiry died of internal bleeding on 9 January indicated that the criminals were 2003 after falling out of his wheelchair. Five gunmen attacked waiting for Tiwari to come out of his parliament on 13 December 2001, house, the police said. killing eight policemen and a gardener before being shot dead by security Country: INDIA forces. Bisht, who was covering the CASENR: 19 attack, was hit in the spine and treated Name: Parmanand Goel at the All India Institute of Medical Nationality: Indian Sciences until November 2002. Profession: Journalist News organ: Punjab Kesari Country: INDIA Sector: Press CASENR: 17 Date: 18 September 2003
10 Source: IFJ, IFEX, IPI, CPJ, into a ravine near Jambi Baru village in WAN Sultan Daulaut sub district, South Description: On 18 September, Aceh district on 26 November. The Parmanand Goel, a reporter for Punjab Indosiar crew had gone with the Kesari was killed by 3 unidentified Indonesian military to Aceh earlier in individuals outside his home in the week to cover Army Chief General Kaithal, Haryana, north of Delhi. Goel Ryamizard Ryacudu’s recent Idul Fitri was also the district president of visit to the war-torn province. Haryana Union of Journalists. The Haryana Government has Country: INDONESIA transferred the investigation of the CASENR: 22 murder of Goel, a Kaithal-based Name: Ersa Siregar journalist, to the State Vigilance Nationality: Indonesian Bureau. The demand for a Central Profession: Journalist Bureau of Investigation inquiry has not News organ: RCTI yet been met. The government has Sector: TV constituted a special investigation cell Date: 29 December 2003 to look into the case. Age: 52 Source: IFJ, IFEX, IPI, CPJ, Country: INDONESIA RSF, AJI CASENR: 20 On 29 December, Ersa Siregar, a Name: Mohammad Jamal reporter for the privately owned TV Nationality: Indonesian station, Rajawali Citra Televisi Profession: Journalist (RCTI), was shot and killed during a News organ: TVRI clash between government forces and Sector: TV GAM (Free Aceh Movement) rebels in Date: 17 June 2003 Aceh province, after six months in Age: 30 captivity. Various attempts at Source: IFJ, IFEX, RSF, PMW, negotiating a release of the hostages CPJ, WAN failed. Siregar, along with his Description: On 17 June, the body of cameraman Fery Santoro, were Mohamad Jamal, a cameraman for the kidnapped on 29 June by the GAM. state-owned TVRI television station The RCTI crew had been reporting on was found in a river in Banda, Aceh. the military offensive in Aceh. On 5 Jamal was reported as having been November, security minister Susilo missing since 20 May this year. Bambang Yudhoyono ordered the military to start an operation to locate Country: INDONESIA the hostages. Despite efforts by the IFJ CASENR: 21 to involve the International Committee Name: Arie Woelan for the Red Cross RCTI cameraman Nationality: Indonesian Fery Santoro remains in the hands of Profession: Journalist the GAM rebels. News organ: Indosiar Sector: Press Country: IRAN Date: 26 November 2003 CASENR: 23 Source: Laksamana.net Name: Zahra Kazemi Description: Arie Woelan from the Nationality: Iranian/Canadian Indosiar private television network Profession: Freelance Photographer was killed when an old armoured News organ: Camera Press/Recto vehicle he was travelling in plunged Verso
11 Sector: Press Hussein Osman are still missing, Date: 13 July 2003 presumed dead. A fourth member of Age: 54 the team, cameraman Daniel Source: IFJ, EJC, IFEX, AI, Demoustier, who was injured in the WiPC, TNG-CWA, RSF, CJFE, incident, was able to get back to US CASCFEN, CPJ, IPI, WAN and British lines. Description: Zahra Kazemi, a Additional: The Lloyd case has Canadian citizen born in Iran, was angered ITN management who have taking photographs of a prison in demanded an explanation from the Tehran when she was arrested and Pentagon over why US forces fired on reportedly beaten into a civilian Iraqi minibus taking Lloyd to unconsciousness. She died on 13 July hospital. In their own internal after lapsing into a coma from a brain investigation they also believe a US haemorrhage sustained whilst in police helicopter shot at the back of the custody. retreating minibus. A US bullet hit Kazemi was a freelance contributor to Lloyd in the head while in the minibus. Recto Verso, a Montreal-based He had earlier been struck in the magazine, and the London-based photo stomach by an Iraqi bullet after an agency Camera Press. An official exchange of fire when the ITN team investigation into her death was came between US and Iraqi troops. initiated only after an international The findings of the ITN inquiry have outcry over the circumstances. been handed over to US and British military investigators with a demand Country: IRAQ for a “comprehensive explanation of CASENR: 24 the course of events and reasons the Name: Terry Lloyd minibus came under US fire." Nationality: British The IFJ in its report Justice Denied on Profession: Journalist the Road to Baghdad has demanded an News organ: ITV News independent inquiry into the incident Sector: Press and the death. Date: 22 March 2003 Age: 50 Country: IRAQ Source: IFJ, NUJ (A), AJI, CASENR: 25 TNG-CWA, CJFE, IFEX, EJC, IPI, Name: Paul Moran CPJ, PMW, APFW, WAN, RSF Nationality: Australian Description: ITV news correspondent Profession: Freelance Cameraman Terry Lloyd and his team working for News organ: ABC Australia Britain’s ITN network were caught in Sector: Press the crossfire of fighting between US Date: 22 March 2003 Coalition forces and Iraqi military Age: 39 south of Basra on 22 March. It had Source: IFJ, EJC, AJI, IFEX, been thought that he died later of PMW, CJFE, IPI, WAN, CPJ, RSF wounds received in that attack. Description: On 22 March, freelance However, six months after the incident cameraman Paul Moran, 39, died new evidence revealed that a civilian instantly in a suicide bomb attack at a minibus taking the wounded reporter to checkpoint in Sayed Sadiq in Kurdish- hospital was fired upon by an controlled northern Iraq near the American helicopter gunship. Iranian border. He was the last of a Two other members of the team, string of journalists travelling through cameraman Fred Nérac and translator the checkpoint, which had been taken
12 by Kurdish opposition fighters 24 Nationality: American hours earlier. Profession: Editor-at- large/Columnist Country: IRAQ News organ: Atlantic CASENR: 26 Monthly/Washington Name: Gaby Rado Post Nationality: Hungarian/British Sector: Press Profession: Journalist Date: 4 April 2003 News organ: Channel 4 Age: 46 Sector: TV Source: IFJ, EJC, IFEX, AJI, Date: 30 March 2003 CJFE, IPI, PMW, WAN, CPJ, RSF Age: 48 Description: On 4 April, Michael Source: IFJ, EJC, IFEX, PMW, Kelly, the Atlantic Monthly editor-at- CJFE, IPI, WAN large and Washington Post columnist, Description: Gaby Rado, an award- was killed in a Humvee accident while winning foreign affairs correspondent travelling with the Army's 3rd Infantry with Channel 4 News, was found dead Division. Kelly was the first journalist outside a hotel in northern Iraq. His killed while participating in the body was discovered in the car park of Pentagon's embedding programme. the Abu Sanaa hotel in Sulaimaniya, in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq. It is thought he fell from the roof. Country: IRAQ CASENR: 29
Name: Julio Anguita Parrado Country: IRAQ Nationality: Spanish CASENR: 27 Profession: Journalist Name: Kaveh Golestan News organ: El Mundo Nationality: Iranian Sector: Press Profession: Freelance Cameraman Date: 7 April 2003 News organ: BBC Age: 32 Sector: Press Source: IFJ, FAPE, AJI, PMW, Date: 2 April 2003 CJFE, CC.OO, IFEX, EJC, IPI, CPJ, Age: 52 WAN, RSF Source: IFJ, EJC, IFEX, AJI, Description: On 7 April, Parrado, a CJFE, IPI, PMW, WAN, CPJ, RSF correspondent for the Spanish daily El Description: On 2 April, Kaveh Mundo, died in an Iraqi missile attack Golestan, an Iranian freelance while accompanying the U.S. Army's cameraman on assignment for the BBC 3rd Infantry Division south of the was killed in northern Iraq after capital, Baghdad. Both Parrado and stepping on a landmine. Golestan Christian Liebig, a German journalist accidentally detonated the mine when for Focus magazine who was also he exited his car near the town of Kifri. killed in the incident, were embedded Golestan had been on assignment with with the division. BBC producer Stuart Hughes from London for two months. Hughes lost a Country: IRAQ foot in the blasts. CASENR: 30 Name: Christian Liebig
Nationality: German Country: IRAQ Profession: Journalist CASENR: 28 News organ: Focus Name: Michael Kelly
13 Sector: Press Additional: On 12 August, U.S. Date: 7 April 2003 Central Command (Centcom) issued a Age: 35 news release summarizing the results Source: IFJ, IFEX, DJV, AJI, of its investigation into the incident. EJC, IPI, CJFE, PMW, CPJ, WAN, The report concluded that the tank unit RSF that opened fire on the hotel did so "in Description: On 7 April, Liebig, a a proportionate and justifiably reporter for the German weekly measured response." It called the magazine Focus, died in an Iraqi shelling "fully in accordance with the missile attack while accompanying the Rules of Engagement." US Army's 3rd Infantry Division south The IFJ in its report Justice Denied on of the capital, Baghdad. Both Liebig the Road to Baghdad has demanded an and Julio Anguita Parrado, a Spanish independent inquiry into the incident journalist also killed in the incident, and the death. were embedded with the division. According to Focus editor-in-chief Country: IRAQ Helmut Markwort, the two men had CASENR: 32 decided not to travel with the unit to Name: José Couso Baghdad, believing they would be Nationality: Spanish safer at the base. Two US soldiers Profession: Cameraman were also killed during the attack, and News organ: Telecinco 15 were injured. Liebig, 35, had Sector: TV worked for Focus since 1999. Date: 8 April 2003 Age: 37 Country: IRAQ Source: IFJ, NUJ (A), AJI, CASENR: 31 WiPC, IFEX, CCOO, TNG-CWA, Name: Taras Protsiuk PMW, FAPE, APFW, EJC, CJFE, Nationality: Ukrainian CPJ, WAN, IPI, IAPA, RSF Profession: Cameraman Description: On 8 April, José Couso, News organ: Reuters a cameraman for the Spanish television Sector: Press channel Telecinco died after a US tank Date: 8 April 2003 fired on the Palestine Hotel in Age: 35 Baghdad, which is used as a base by Source: IFJ, EJC, IAPA, WiPC, the foreign media. Taras Protsiuk, a AJI, TNG-CWA, RSF, APFW, PMW, Ukrainian cameraman for Reuters, was CJFE, IFEX, CPJ, IPI, WAN also killed in the attack. Description: On 8 April, Taras Additional: On 12 August, U.S. Protsiuk, a Ukrainian cameraman Central Command (Centcom) issued a working for Reuters died after a US news release summarizing the results tank fired on the Palestine Hotel in of its investigation into the incident. Baghdad, which was used as a base by The report concluded that the tank unit the foreign media. He had worked for that opened fire on the hotel did so "in Reuters since 1993, covering conflicts a proportionate and justifiably in Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya, and measured response." It called the Afghanistan. He was married with an shelling "fully in accordance with the 8-year-old son. José Couso, a Rules of Engagement." cameraman for the Spanish television The IFJ in its report Justice Denied on station Telecinco, also died in the the Road to Baghdad has demanded an attack. independent inquiry into the incident and the death.
14 Name: Veronica Cabrera Country: IRAQ Nationality: Argentinean CASENR: 33 Profession: Freelance Name: Tareq Ayyoub Camerawoman Nationality: Jordanian News organ: America TV Profession: Journalist Sector: TV News organ: Al-Jazeera Date: 15 April 2003 Sector: TV Age: 29 Date: 8 April 2003 Source: IFJ, IFEX, EJC, Age: 35 RFE/RL, IPI, WAN Source: IFJ, EJC, AJI, WiPC, Description: Veronica Cabrera, a CJFE, IFEX, IPI, PMW, APFW, CPJ, freelance camerawoman, died on 15 WAN, RSF April from injuries sustained in a car Description: On 8 April, Tareq crash the previous day. She was Ayyoub, a business correspondent for travelling in the same convoy of press the Arab network Al-Jazeera was vehicles as Mario Podestá some 120 killed when the network's office on the kilometres from Baghdad when the bank of the Tigris River was struck by accident happened. She was the first a Coalition bomb. He later died. female journalist to be killed while Ayyoub was married with one baby covering the war. She was married girl. with a 3-year-old daughter. The IFJ in its report Justice Denied on the Road to Baghdad has demanded an Country: IRAQ independent inquiry into the incident CASENR: 36 and the death. Name: Elizabeth Neuffer Nationality: American Country: IRAQ Profession: Journalist CASENR: 34 News organ: The Boston Globe Name: Mario Podestá Sector: Press Nationality: Argentinean Date: 9 May 2003 Profession: Freelance Journalist Age: 46 News organ: America TV Source: IFJ, IFEX, IPI Sector: TV Description: Elizabeth Neuffer, the Date: 14 April 2003 bureau chief and foreign correspondent Age: 52 for The Boston Globe, died in a car Source: IFJ, IFEX, RFE/RL, accident in Iraq while on assignment EJC, IPI, WAN covering the aftermath of the war. Description: On 14 April, Mario Neuffer, 46, died on 9 May after the Podestá an Argentine freelance war car in which she was a passenger correspondent for the Argentine apparently struck a guardrail near the television station America TV was town of Samarra, about halfway killed in a car crash near Baghdad. between Tikrit and Baghdad. She was Podestá was travelling in a convoy of returning to Baghdad from Tikrit, press vehicles on the highway between where she was reporting on efforts to Amman and Baghdad when the rid Iraq of the influence of the Baath accident happened. Party. Neuffer's translator, Waleed Khalifa Hassan Al-Dulami, also died Country: IRAQ CASENR: 35
15 in the accident. The driver, Saad Al- the perimeter of the prison. They were Azzayi, survived. refused permission to enter or film inside the prison, but were told they Country: IRAQ could film the overview of the prison CASENR: 37 from a nearby bridge. Name: Richard Wild Dana was shot in broad daylight and Nationality: British was traveling with a group of Profession: Freelance Cameraman journalists in clearly marked vehicles. Sector: Press Additional: Dana was an award- Date: 5 July 2003 winning journalist who had worked for Age: 24 14 years with Reuters in Hebron, Source: IFJ, EJC, IFEX, IPI, surviving bullet wounds and beatings CPJ, WAN inflicted by Israeli authorities who Description: On 5 July, Richard sought to block his reporting of attacks Wild, a British freelance cameraman, on Palestinians. He was married with died after an unidentified assailant shot four children. him in the head at close range in a The IFJ in its report Justice Denied on crowded street near Baghdad’s Natural the Road to Baghdad has demanded an History Museum. independent inquiry into the incident and the death.
Country: IRAQ CASENR: 38 Country: IRAQ Name: Mazen Dana CASENR: 39 Nationality: Palestinian Name: Ahmet Shawkat Profession: Cameraman Nationality: Iraqi News organ: Reuters Profession: Journalist Sector: Press News organ: Bilah Ittijah Date: 17 August 2003 Sector: Press Age: 43 Date: 28 October 2003 Source: IFJ, EJC, IFEX, IPI, Source: IPI, EJC, CPJ, WAN CPJ, WAN, RSF Description: On 28 October, Ahmed Description: On 17 August, Mazen Shawkat, editor of the Iraqi weekly Dana, a Palestinian-born Reuters Bilah Ittijah was shot and killed by a cameraman was struck in the chest gunman in Mosul. The gunman and an while filming near Abu Ghraib Prison accomplice had followed the journalist outside Baghdad. Dana had been to his office roof that afternoon. reporting near the prison after a mortar Shawkat's daughter, Roaa, told attack had killed six Iraqis there the Associated Press that her father had previous night. Eyewitnesses quoted received threatening letters several by international media said that several weeks earlier, warning him to close his journalists had been near the prison at newspaper. Local police are the time of the incident and that a investigating the murder. soldier in the tank fired on Dana as he filmed it approaching him from about Country: IVORY COAST 30 meters. CASENR: 40 US officials have said that the troops Name: Kloueu Gonzreu mistook Dana's camera for a rocket- Nationality: Ivorian propelled grenade launcher. Profession: Journalist The Reuters team identified News organ: Agence Ivoirienne de themselves to the US soldiers guarding Presse
16 Sector: Press Country: JAPAN Date: 11 January 2003 CASENR: 42 Age: 51 Name: Satoru Someya Source: IPI, UNJCI, CPJ, RSF Nationality: Japanese Description: Kloueu Gonzreu, 51, a Profession: Freelance Journalist correspondent for the state-run news Sector: Press agency, Agence Ivoirienne de Presse, Date: 12 September 2003 was found dead by a team from the Age: 38 Red Cross near Toulepleu, a town in Source: IPI, EJC, JNPWU, CPJ, the western part of the country, where WAN, RSF Liberian mercenaries employed by the Description: The body of Satoru Ivorian government reportedly Someya, a freelance journalist was kidnapped the journalist on 11 January. found in Tokyo Bay on 12 September. Gonzreu, who also worked for the Someya, 38, had written about the local Red Cross, disappeared less than seedy side of the Kabukicho two weeks after Notre Pays, a pro- entertainment district in Tokyo told government publication, had listed him friends he feared for his life and was among suspected rebels in its 30 threatened by people to whom he owed January edition. Three other bodies money. were recovered, including that of Someya wrote for weekly and monthly Gonzreu’s 19-year-old son, Thierry, magazines for more than 10 years and two other Red Cross workers. under his real name and the pen name Kuragaki Kashiwabara. He earned a Country: IVORY COAST name for himself as an expert on drug- CASENR: 41 and gun-running operations, and many Name: Jean Hélène of his stories focused on activities in Nationality: French Kabukicho. He had told the editor of a Profession: Journalist Tokyo weekly magazine in June that News organ: Radio France he might not be able to show his face Internationale in Kabukicho again. Sector: Broadcasting Someya wrote "Kabukicho Date: 21 October 2003 Underground," a book about organized Age: 50 crime and adult entertainment Source: IFJ, EJC, RFI, MFWA, businesses in Kabukicho that was UJAO, IFEX, IPI, WAN, RSF published in July. Description: On 21 October, Jean A judicial autopsy found that Someya Hélène, veteran correspondent for RFI, was stabbed eight times in the back was killed by a police officer outside and had a fractured skull. His body had police headquarters in Abidjan while been bound with a chain and weighed awaiting the release of opposition party down with diving weights. activists, who had been detained the previous week on suspicion of plotting Country: NEPAL assassination attempts. Hélène first CASENR: 43 reported about the militants' Name: Amar Lama disappearance a number of days prior Nationality: Nepalese to his death. Profession: Managing Editor The policeman was reportedly arrested News organ: Tajakhabar and an inquiry into the journalist’s Sector: Press death is underway.
17 Date: 27 July 2003 Date: 27 September 2003 Source: IFJ, RSF, IPI, IFEX, Source: IFJ, IFEX, RSF, CEHURDES, WAN CEHURDES, IPI, WAN Description: Amar Lama, managing Description: On 27 September, editor of the weekly newspaper Binod Sajana Chaudhary was killed in Tajakhabar, was killed by four western Nepal. Initial reports unidentified gunmen. The incident suggested that security forces occurred on 27 July in Naya Bazar, summarily executed him. At the time Kritipur town (approximately 10 of his death, Chaudhary was a kilometres south of Kathmandu). Lama contributor to the weekly Nepalgunj had recently assumed the position of Express in the western district of managing editor for the newspaper. He Kailali. He used to write for the Maoist was abducted from the newspaper's weekly Janadesh, which no longer office that same day when he went to exists. Chaudhary was reported shot drop off an article for the 28 July dead at point-blank range along with a edition of his column "Janamat". Maoist activist. The daily Nepal Unidentified individuals posing as Samacharpatra quoted Maoist rebel police officers indicated to Lama that sources as alleging that he was shot by they wanted to speak to him outside members of the security forces in the office. civilian dress after showing his identity card. He had been on his way on Country: NEPAL Kegaun in search of information at the CASENR: 44 time. The Maoist sources said he was Name: Gyanendra Khadka not armed. Local security sources told Nationality: Nepalese the press that Chaudhary and the Profession: Journalist Maoist activist were killed in an armed News organ: National News Agency clash. Sector: Press Date: 7 September 2003 Country: NIGERIA Age: 35 CASENR: 46 Source: IFJ, EJC, IFEX, RSF, Name: Doyin Sokoya CEHURDES, IPI, CPJ, WAN Nationality: Nigerian Description: On 7 September, Profession: Journalist Maoists murdered Gyanendra Khadka, News organ: a reporter of the National News Agency Sector: Press (NSS), by slitting his throat. He was Date: 14 December 2003 abducted by a group of four Maoists Source: IFJ, NUJ (B) when he was teaching students at a On 14 December, a group of six school in Jyamire of the district. members of the Nigerian Union of journalists were killed when their bus Country: NEPAL travelling with an Ogun State CASENR: 45 Government convoy collided with Name: Binod Sajana another bus near Gwagwalada in the Chaudhary Federal Capital Territory. The accident Nationality: Nepalese took place as they were returning from Profession: Journalist a convention of the Peoples News organ: Nepalgunj Express Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja. Sector: Press Doyin Sokoya, Deji Onajobi, Sola Bakare, Semiu Oyetunji, Wole Adebari and Adesina Durosomo, were killed on
18 assignment. Their deaths prompted Country: NIGERIA official calls for new insurance CASENR: 51 arrangements for reporters travelling Name: Adesina Durosomo with state governors. Nationality: Nigerian Profession: Journalist Country: NIGERIA News organ: CASENR: 47 Sector: Press Name: Deji Onajobi Date: 14 December 2003 Nationality: Nigerian Source: IFJ, NUJ (B) Profession: Journalist SEE ABOVE News organ: Sector: Press Country: PAKISTAN Date: 14 December 2003 CASENR: 52 Source: IFJ, NUJ (B) Name: Ameer Bux Barohi SEE ABOVE Nationality: Pakistani Profession: Journalist Country: NIGERIA News organ: Kawish CASENR: 48 Sector: Press Name: Sola Bakare Date: 3 October 2003 Nationality: Nigerian Age: 27 Profession: Journalist Source: IFJ, IPI, CPJ, PPF, News organ: WAN Sector: Press Description: On 3 October 2003, Date: 14 December 2003 three unidentified individuals killed a Source: IFJ, NUJ (B) journalist in the town of Shikarpur. SEE ABOVE According to reports, Ameer Bux Barohi, a correspondent for the Sindhi- Country: NIGERIA language newspaper Kawish, was CASENR: 49 returning from police headquarters in a Name: Semiu Oyetunji jeep when his assailants fired upon Nationality: Nigerian him. The attackers fled after shooting Profession: Journalist the journalist. News organ: Ameer Bux Barohi was shot five times, Sector: Press twice in the shoulders, and rushed to Date: 14 December 2003 the Shikarpur Civil Hospital by police, Source: IFJ, NUJ (B) where he died from his injuries. SEE ABOVE Country: PALESTINE Country: NIGERIA CASENR: 53 CASENR: 50 Name: Nazeeh Darwazeh Name: Wole Adebari Nationality: Palestinian Nationality: Nigerian Profession: Cameraman Profession: Journalist News organ: APTN News organ: Sector: Press Sector: Press Date: 19 April 2003 Date: 14 December 2003 Age: 43 Source: IFJ, NUJ (B) Source: IFJ, IFEX, IPI, CPJ, SEE ABOVE WAN, PJS, RSF Description: On 19 April, Palestinian
cameraman, Nazeeh Darwazeh, was
19 shot by Israeli Forces in the northern including "Beneath the Veil", a film West Bank city of Nablus. The 43- about life under the Taliban. year-old working for the American news agency APTN (Association Press Country: PHILIPPINES Television News) and a local CASENR: 55 Palestinian television station was hit by Name: Noel Villarante a bullet, which pierced his right eye, Nationality: Filipino while filming clashes between Profession: Journalist Palestinian stone throwers and Israeli News organ: DZJV/Laguna Score soldiers. Sector: Radio/Press Date: 19 August 2003 Country: PALESTINE Age: 32 CASENR: 54 Source: IFJ, EJC, IFEX, CMFR, Name: James Miller IPI, CPJ, RSF, WAN Nationality: British Description: On 19 August, Profession: Freelance Cameraman Villarante, of local radio station DZJV, Date: 3 May 2003 was shot dead in Santa Cruz (Laguna Age: 34 province, 70 kilometres southeast of Source: IFJ, EJC, NUJ (A), Manila). One gunman first opened fire IFEX, IPI, CPJ, WAN, RSF on him outside his home, but Description: On 3 May, freelance Villarante managed to flee inside. cameraman James Miller and a four- When family members tried to take person crew were filming the him to hospital, a second gunman demolition of houses for a HBO began shooting to prevent them from documentary in the Gaza town of leaving. The gunman then killed the Rafah, when Miller was shot by Israeli journalist at point-blank range and troops. Israeli army spokesmen said he continued shooting him as he lay on was hit as troops fired in defence. the ground wounded. Miller, his producer Saira Shah, and Villarante, aged 32, also wrote for the translator Abdul Rahman Abdullah local newspaper Laguna Score. He had attempted to identify themselves to the often criticised regional authorities for Israeli troops in the area. Abdullah corruption. His wife Jocelyn told radio waved a white flag while Miller used a station DZRH that he had also flashlight to illuminate their marked denounced illegal gambling. A few jackets and the flag. As they days before he was killed, she approached the soldiers, the journalists overheard him telling at least two shouted in English and Arabic that members of the regional council, they were members of the media. The Rolando Bagnes and Susano Tapia, on troops then fired three shots in their the phone: "it's nothing personal, it's direction, Zeyara said, followed by a just work." burst of gunfire. Miller was hit once in the neck. Country: PHILIPPINES The crew have been carrying out their CASENR: 56 own private investigations into the Name: Rico Ramirez incident. A formal inquiry is underway Nationality: Filipino by the Israeli authorities. Profession: Journalist Additional: Miller was an award- News organ: DZSF winning journalist with international Sector: Radio acclaim for his documentary work, Date: 20 August 2003
20 Source: IFJ, IPI, IFEX, CPJ, had constantly accompanied him. An CMFR, RSF, WAN investigation by the mayor of Davao Description: On 20 August, Ramirez, did not name those responsible for the who worked for DZSF radio station, attack. was shot dead in the back by two gunmen. The killers were standing Country: RUSSIA about 100 metres from the railway CASENR: 58 station. Stationmaster Max Tutor, who Name: Vladimir Sukhomlin witnessed the incident, said police still Nationality: Russian have not found any clues. However, Profession: Journalist/Editor Ramirez's recent criticism of local Sector: Internet organised crime and drug traffickers Date: 4 January 2003 suggests these circles may be behind Age: 23 the murder. Source: The Moscow Times Description: Vladimir Sukhomlin, a Country: PHILIPPINES software designer and military website CASENR: 57 editor was assassinated on 4 January. Name: Juan Porras Pala On the night of 4 January, Sukhomlin, Nationality: Filipino who had gone to meet a potential client Profession: Journalist at a cinema on Leninsky Prospekt in News organ: DZGO southwest Moscow, was dragged into a Sector: Radio Lada car by two police officers on the Date: 6 September 2003 pretext of checking his documents. As Source: IFJ, EJC, IFEX, IPI, he was being driven away, he called CPJ, CMFR, RSF, WAN the police and the call was recorded. Description: Juan Porras Pala was Sukhomlin's body was found in shot dead on 6 September by two Solntsevo, a district on the far outskirts gunmen as he left a friend's home in of Moscow. Two police inspectors, Davao, on the southern Philippines who were arrested, said they had a island of Mindanao. contract to kill him. Porras Pala presented a daily Sukhomlin’s best-known project was programme on local radio station Military Historical Forum portal at DXGO that harshly criticised some www.vif2.ru - one of Russia's largest local politicians and communist rebels. sources of news and analysis on He was a former Davao town military-related subjects. "He was an councillor and ran as an independent authority in the world of the Internet for deputy mayor in May 2001. and among those involved in military Gunmen had tried to kill him as he issues," said Ruslan Pukhov, director rode to work in a taxi on 29 April this of the Center for Analysis of Strategies year with three bodyguards, who fired and Technologies. back, forcing the attackers to flee. He was wounded and said he suspected Country: RUSSIA the police of being responsible. CASENR: 59 At least four masked men with M-16 Name: Yuliana Nakhodkina rifles and Uzi submachine guns had Nationality: Russia fired at his car on 14 June 2001. He Profession: Journalist was hit by three bullets, one in the News organ: Rossiya State TV neck, but managed to broadcast his Sector: TV programme the next day from his Date: 03 May 2003 hospital bed. Since then, bodyguards Source: IFEX, CPJ, AP
21 Description: On 3 May, four Source: IFEX, CPJ, AP journalists were killed when a large Description: SEE ABOVE firefighting helicopter they were traveling in crashed in the Chita Country: RUSSIA Region, some 3,000 miles east of the CASENR: 63 capital, Moscow. Name: Alikhan Guliyev Rossiya state television journalist Nationality: Russian Yuliana Nakhodkina and cameraman Profession: Journalist Konstantin Kozar, journalist Galina News organ: TVT Kovalskaya and photographer Ruslan Sector: Radio Yamalov, of the Moscow weekly Date: 18 July 2003 Yezhenedelny Zhurnal, also died. Source: IFJ, IFEX, IPI, WAN Flying conditions were poor, with Description: On 18 July, Alikhan strong winds and low visibility due to Guliyev, who worked for Russia's TVT smoke from forest fires that had begun channel, was gunned down at the in the region in late April. The entrance to his Moscow apartment journalists were travelling in a Mi-26 building. Last year, Guliyev had filed a helicopter operated by the Emergency complaint against Khamzad Situations Ministry to cover the story Gutseriyev, a candidate in race for the when the helicopter crashed. Seven presidency of the southern Russian crewmen and a forest official also died. republic of Ingushetia. Subsequent to a Russian Supreme Court ruling, Country: RUSSIA Gutseriyev was disqualified shortly CASENR: 60 before the April 2002 vote. Name: Konstantin Kozar Nationality: Russia Country: RUSSIA Profession: Cameraman CASENR: 64 News organ: Rossiya State TV Name: Natalia Astafyeva Sector: TV Nationality: Russian Date: 3 May 2003 Profession: Journalist Source: IFEX, CPJ, AP News organ: Channel One Description: SEE ABOVE Sector: Radio Date: 4 October 2003 Country: RUSSIA Source: CPJ CASENR: 61 Description: Channel One journalist Name: Galina Kovalskaya Natalia Astafyeva, cameraman Sergei Nationality: Russia Isakov, and driver Yuri Selyanov died Profession: Journalist on 4 October when their car collided News organ: Rossiya State TV with a truck on the Tyumen-Khanty Date: 3 May 2003 Mansiik highway. Source: IFEX, CPJ, AP They were returning from Description: SEE ABOVE Nizhnevartovsk, where they were shooting a piece on the daily life of Country: RUSSIA local ethnic groups in the Khanty CASENR: 62 Mansiisk Autonomous District. Name: Ruslan Yamalov Nationality: Russia Country: RUSSIA Profession: Journalist CASENR: 65 News organ: Yezhenedelny Zhurnal Name: Sergei Isakov Date: 3 May 2003
22 Nationality: Russian Sector: Radio Profession: Cameraman Date: 24 January 2003 News organ: Channel One Source: SOJON Sector: Radio Description: Abdullahi Madkeer, a Date: 4 October 2003 journalist with DMC Radio, was shot Source: CPJ in the stomach by members of the Description: SEE ABOVE Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA) militia while covering the reopening of Country: RUSSIA Baidoa Airport in the southwest of the CASENR: 66 country, according to the Somali Name: Aleksey Sidorov Journalists' Network (SOJON) and the Nationality: Russian Action Alert Group, a press freedom Profession: Journalist organization. He was taken to a News organ: Togliattinskoe hospital and died that day after doctors Obozrenie refused to operate on him because he Sector: Press was HIV positive. The shooting Date: 9 October 2003 occurred while militia belonging to the Source: IFJ, IFEX, IPI, EJC, RRA faction of Shaykh Adan Madobe RFE/RL, CPJ, WAN fired on the airport crowd to drive Description: Aleksey Sidorov, the them back from an aircraft with a editor-in-chief of independent cargo of the narcotic khat. The airport newspaper Togliattinskoe Obozrenie had just reopened after months of war ("Togliatti Review") was murdered on between rival RRA factions in the October 9. Sidorov was knifed to death region. by near his home in the city of Madkeer's station, DMC Radio, has Togliatti, in the Volga region. since been forced to close after local Prior to Sidorov's death, the newspaper fighters from RRA factions was investigating criminal groups requisitioned the stations' offices. connected to the largest car manufacturer in Russia, AutoVAZ. In Country: UKRAINE particular, Sidorov was preparing CASENR: 68 articles on theft by representatives of Name: Volodimir the so-called Volga criminal group, Karachenzev whose ten members are now awaiting Nationality: Ukrainian the verdict of a Togliatti court. Profession: Journalist On 17 October, police arrested two News organ: Kuryer men in connection with the killing. Sector: Press According to Russian authorities Date: 14 December Sidorov got caught up in a fight with Source: IMI, IPI two strangers over vodka. However, Description: On 14 December Sidorov's colleagues have rejected this Volodimir Karachevtsev, a journalist story and insist that his death was a for Kuryer, died in Melitopol, contract hit. Zaporizhzhya Region, under suspicious circumstances. He was Country: SOMALIA apparently discovered hanged on the CASENR: 67 handle of a fridge. Forensic experts Name: Abdullahi Madkeer found his death was the result of Nationality: Somali mechanical asphyxia caused by Profession: Journalist hanging. Police believe this was an News organ: DMC accident, but have not ruled out
23 murder. Ihor Jenin, Karachevtsev's editor-in-chief at Kuryer, has also not Total Journalists Killed 70 ruled out the possibility of murder. In the past, Karachevtsev received several death threats after writing articles about corruption among local government officials and businessmen. Karachevtsev's wife also claims that his death was not an accident or a suicide.
Country: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CASENR: 69 Name: Ed Murphy Nationality: American Profession: Journalist News organ: The News Journal Sector: Press Date: 14 March 2003 Age: 46 Source: APSE Description: Ed Murphy, a sports writer for a Delaware newspaper, The News Journal, was killed when he was struck by the propeller of a small airplane as he was leaving Richmond where he had covered a basketball game. The plane was flown by a photographer for the newspaper.
Country: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CASENR: 70 Name: James V Walker Nationality: American Profession: Journalist News organ: Jackson Clarion Ledger Sector: Press Date: 9 April 2003 Age: 26 Source: Jackson Clarion Ledger Description: On 9 April, James V Walker, a reporter for the Jackson Clarion Ledger was killed in a traffic accident near Jackson, Mississippi. He was on route to interview the parents of a young soldier killed in Iraq.
24 Cases of Mediaworkers Killed Description: On 6 July, sound recordist Jeremy Little died in an Country: DEMOCRATIC American hospital in Germany from REPUBLIC OF THE injuries sustained to his lower body on CONGO 1 July in a rocket attack in Falluja, a CASENR: 1 town outside of Baghdad, Iraq. Little Name: Akité Kisembo Nationality: Congolese was working for the United States TV Profession: Interpreter network NBC and was embedded with News organ: Agence France Presse US Third Infantry Division when a Date: 3 July 2003 military vehicle in which he was Source: IFEX, JED, AFP travelling was fired upon. Description: On 3 July, Akité Kisembo, a local interpreter for the Country: RUSSIA special envoy of AFP to Bunia, was CASENR: 4 abducted and executed by rebels. Name: Yuri Selyanov All evidence points to Thomas Nationality: Russian Lubanga, head of the UPC (Union des Profession: Driver patriots Congolais) rebels, as the News organ: Channel One perpetrator of the crime. Lubanga Sector: Radio admitted to killing Kisembo in an Date: 4 October 2003 interview. Source: CPJ Description: Channel One journalist Country: IRAQ Natalia Astafyeva, cameraman Sergei CASENR: 2 Isakov, and driver Yuri Selyanov died Name: Kamaran Abdurazaq on 4 October when their car collided Muhamed with a truck on the Tyumen-Khanty Nationality: Kurdish Mansiik highway. Profession: Translator They were returning from News organ: BBC Nizhnevartovsk, where they were Sector: Press shooting a piece on the daily life of Date: 6 April 2003 local ethnic groups in the Khanty Source: IPI, CPJ, EJC, CJFE, Mansiisk Autonomous District. IFEX, PMW, RSF Description: On 6 April, a Kurdish translator working for BBC in Northern Iraq died after being Total Mediaworkers Killed: 4 seriously wounded, apparently by an American bomb.
Country: IRAQ CASENR: 3 Name: Jeremy Little Nationality: Australian Profession: Soundman News organ: NBC Network Sector: TV Date: 6 July 2003 Age: 27 Source: IFJ, IFEX, RSF, WAN
25 Cases Under Investigation Salazar was the owner and manager of Radio Sevilla, a radio station, which he Country: BRAZIL founded in 1954 and which was CASENR: 1 affiliated to Radio Caracol. He Name: Edgar Ribeiro Pereira presented a weekly programme of local de Oliveira news, "Sevilla en 7 dias," in which he Nationality: Brazilian had reported cases of embezzlement Profession: Journalist within the local municipal government. News organ: Boca do Povo He had himself held several posts in Sector: Press the municipal government and Date: 9 June 2003 chamber of commerce. In the 1970s, Age: 43 he was also a parliamentarian for the Source: IFJ, IAPA, IFEX, RSF, Popular National Alliance (ANAPO). CJFE, IPI, WAN Description: On 9 June, journalist Country: GUATEMALA Edgar Ribeiro Pereira de Oliveira, part CASENR: 3 owner of the weekly, Boca do Povo, Name: Milton Oswaldo was shot dead. The paper was well Martínez known for its close scrutiny of Nationality: Guatemalan business and political leaders in the Profession: Journalist southern Brazilian state of Mato News organ: Ke Buena Grosso do Sul. Oliveira, 43, was shot Sector: Radio eight times in the state capital of Date: 25 May 2003 Campo Grande by two men who then Source: IPI, WAN, IFEX, APG fled in a car, police said. Police Description: On 25 May, the body of however said he had not received any Milton Oswaldo Martínez, who death threats. worked for a local radio station Ke Buena, body was found in the Country: COLOMBIA department of Huehuetenango. CASENR: 2 Although Martínez went missing on 21 Name: Oscar Salazar May, authorities were informed of his Jaramillo disappearance but did nothing to Nationality: Colombian determine his whereabouts. Profession: Journalist, Owner, Manager Country: INDIA News organ: Radio Sevilla CASENR: 4 Sector: Radio Name: Achal Dixit Date: 10 March 2003 Nationality: Indian Age: 74 Profession: Journalist Source: IFJ, IFEX, RSF, IPI, Sector: TV EJC, CPJ, WAN Date: 12 January 2003 Description: On 10 March, radio Source: IFJ, The Tribune India journalist Oscar Salazar Jaramillo was found stabbed to death in his home in Description: On 12 January, Achal Sevilla, in Valle del Cauca department Dixit, a TV journalist died after being (350 km. southwest of Bogota). The shot by car-borne assailants near Raval local authorities said Salazar was village. stabbed to death while resting in his home. They did not say if they were Country: INDIA aware of any threats against him. CASENR: 5
26 Name: Indra Mohan Nérac was caught in the crossfire Hakasam between US and Iraqi forces, as he Nationality: Indian travelled with three other ITN Profession: Journalist colleagues towards Basra. News organ: Amar Assam Nérac started working for ITN in 1997 Sector: Press and since then covered a wide range of Date: 24 June 2003 stories with various ITN reporters, Source: IFJ, IFEX, RSF including the Afghanistan and Kosovo Description: On 24 June, the United conflicts. Liberation Force of Assam (ULFA), an The IFJ in its report Justice Denied on outlawed militant group active in the Road to Baghdad has demanded an Assam, abducted Indra Mohan independent inquiry into the incident Hakasam from his house. Hakasam and the death. worked as a local correspondent for Amar Assam an Assamese daily Country: IRAQ published in the city of Guwahati. CASENR: 7 Local newspapers have recently Name: Hussein Osman reported that the ultra militant group Nationality: Lebanese has killed Hakasam. The Journalists Profession: Translator Union of Assam (JUA) held a one-day News organ: ITN Network sit-in strike at the premises of the Sector: Press Guwahati Press Club on 21 November Date: 22 March 2003 in order to press for an investigation Age: 31 into Hakasam's case. Source: IPJ, NUJ (A), EJC, AJI, IFEX, CJFE, RSF, ITN The headman of Hakasam’s village Description: Hussein Osman was a was told by ULFA sources that translator who was working for ITN Hakasam had been killed. But no proof with Terry Lloyd (see Journalists of his death has yet been provided. killed) and went missing along with Hakasam was married with two young French cameraman Fred Nérac on 22 children. March near Basra. Hussein had been with the ITN team Country: IRAQ for about a month, when they were CASENR: 6 caught in the crossfire between UN Name: Fred Nérac and Iraqi troops on the road to Basra in Nationality: French Southern Iraq. Profession: Cameraman The IFJ in its report Justice Denied on News organ: ITN Network the Road to Baghdad has demanded an Sector: Press independent inquiry into the incident Date: 22 March 2003 and the death. Age: 43
Source: IFJ, EJC, NUJ (A), AJI, Country: KYRGYZSTAN RSF, IFEX, CJFE, ITN CASENR: 8 Description: Fred Nérac was a Name: Ernest Nazalov cameraman who was working for ITN Nationality: Kyrgyz with Terry Lloyd (see Journalists Profession: Journalist killed) and went missing along with News organ: Kyrgyz Ruhu Lebanese translator Hussein Osman on Sector: Press 22 March near Basra. Date: 15 September 2003 Age: 27
27 Source: IPI, IFEX, FH, WAN to Jinnah hospital where an Description: Ernest Nazalov's body investigation was initiated. was reportedly found on 15 September in a river in the Osh Oblast region of Country: PHILIPPINES Kyrgyzstan. While law enforcement CASENR: 10 officials say the body showed no signs Name: John Villanueva of injury, Nazalov's father reported that Nationality: Filipino his son's right hand was broken and Profession: Journalist featured stab wounds. News organ: DZGB At the time of his death, Nazalov, who Sector: Radio was 27 years old, worked as a Date: 28 April 2003 correspondent for the newspaper Age: 53 Kyrgyz Ruhu. He earlier worked for the Source: IFJ, EJC, CMFR, IFEX, youth newspaper, Civindem, whose IPI, WAN, RSF chief editor, Sanjar Abdykadyrov, said Description: Radio announcer John Nazalov had been investigating alleged Villanueva was killed in the central corruption among top local officials city of Legaspi. Villanueva was shot and that he may have uncovered dead by two motorcycle-riding incriminating evidence against them. gunmen on the night of April 28 on his In August, Nazalov was purportedly way home after hosting his radio preparing an article about corruption programme at DZGB in Legazpi City among officials in Osh. Alisher in Albay. Besides being a popular Toksonbaev, a journalist with the Osh radio broadcaster, Villanueva was Media Resource Center, reported that former vice mayor of Camalig for two people beat Nazalov two weeks three consecutive terms. prior to his death. They also reportedly An initial investigation indicated that seized documents related to his the killing of John Villanueva, 53, was investigative work. deliberately planned.
Country: PAKISTAN Country: PHILIPPINES CASENR: 9 CASENR: 11 Name: Syed Saghar Hussain Name: Apolinario Pobeda Kazmi Nationality: Filipino Nationality: Pakistani Profession: Journalist Profession: Editor News organ: DWTI News organ: Mashriq Sector: Radio Sector: Press Date: 17 May 2003 Date: 21 February 2003 Age: 35 Source: IFJ Source: IFJ, EJC, IFEX, CMFR, Description: On 21 February, an IPI, CPJ, RSF, WAN unidentified activist riding on a Description: Apolinario Pobeda, 35, motorbike shot dead Syed Saghar was murdered on 17 May near the city Hussain Kazmi, the senior sub-editor of Lucena, south east of Manila. of Mashriq newspaper in Karachi. Pobeda was killed on the spot after two Although there were reports that it men on a motorcycle shot him several could have been a targeted killing the times at close range while he was on victim's father, Kabir Husain Kazmi, his way to work at the DWTI radio said that Saghir was not active in any station in Lucena. No group has sectarian organization nor had he any claimed responsibility for the attack, personal enmity. Police sent the body but reports said it could be linked to
28 accusations earlier aired by Pobeda Nationality: Philippine linking local officials to the spread of Profession: Journalist drugs and gambling in the area. News organ: DYME Sector: Radio Country: PHILIPPINES Date: 2 December 2003 CASENR: 12 Source: IFJ, IFEX, RSF, WAN, Name: Bonifacio Gregorio CPJ, CMFR, IPI Nationality: Filipino Description: On the morning of 2 Profession: Journalist December, Nadura left the DYME News organ: Dyaryo Banat radio station on motorcycle shortly Sector: Press after hosting his regular radio Date: 8 July 2003 programme "Opinion Publico" when Age: 55 assailants shot him, a colleague told Source: IFJ, IPI, IFEX, CPJ, CMFR. While the motive for the CMFR, RSF, WAN killing has not been determined, police Description: Bonifacio Gregorio, said Nadura may have been targeted who worked for the local weekly because of past connections to the New Dyaryo Banat, was shot to death on 8 People's Army, a guerrilla organisation July 2003 by an unidentified assailant that has been waging a war with the in front of his house in La Paz, Tarlac. government since 1969. The 55-year-old journalist was reportedly talking on his mobile phone Country: RUSSIA when the assailant gunned him down. CASENR: 14 The reporter-columnist sustained three Name: Yurii Shchekochikhin gunshot wounds in the head was Nationality: Russian rushed to the La Paz District Hospital Profession: Journalist and was later transferred to Ramos News organ: Novaya Gazeta General Hospital, where he was Sector: Press declared dead on arrival. Date: 2 July 2003 Gregorio, a former village chief of Source: RFE/RL, INDEX, EJC Barangay Caramutan for nine years, Description: On 2 July, Yurii joined Dyaryo Banat three years ago Shchekochikhin, chief deputy editor of and was a member of the Tarlac Media Novaya Gazeta died after what was Association. described as an ‘acute allergic The victim was known for his criticism reaction’. Reports suggest that of La Paz Mayor Dionisio Manuel. He Shchekochikhin was murdered. reportedly wrote several articles assailing Manuel for his allegedly He had a long-standing reputation for illegal activities, among them the investigative journalism, particularly conversion of a former rice-field in La for unmasking corruption in the Paz into a memorial park. Moscow City Council, the Ministry of Police are still investigating whether Defence, the Prosecutor-General's other individuals accompanied the Office, and the Russian military forces assassin. in Chechnya. Shchekochikhin had recently returned Country: PHILIPPINES from Ryazan, where he had been CASENR: 13 investigating customs-duties fraud. Name: Nelson Nadura
29 Country: RUSSIA An initial investigation showed the CASENR: 15 killing was likely the result of a Name: Dimitri Shvets personal dispute and unrelated to a Nationality: Russian countrywide crackdown on illicit drugs Profession: Owner/Director that has led to the shooting deaths of News organ: TV-21 dozens of dealers. Sector: TV Date: 19 April 2003 Country: UKRAINE Age: 37 CASENR: 17 Source: IPI, RSF, IFEX, Name: Serhiy Naboka RFE/RL, CPJ, WAN Nationality: Ukrainian Description: On 19 April, Dimitri Profession: Journalist Shvets, a high-profile executive and News organ: RFE/RL co-owner of a local television station Sector: Press was shot dead in the northern Russian Date: 18 January 2003 port of Murmansk. Age: 47 Shvets, 37, deputy director and co- Source: EJC, AP, RFE/RL, IMI owner of TV-21, died from three bullet Description: Well-known Ukrainian wounds as he stepped from his car journalist Serhiy Naboka was found outside the station, a major broadcaster dead in a hotel room in Vinnytsya, in on the Kola Peninsula. western Ukraine, on 18 January. The unidentified killer fled, leaving a Naboka, 47, a veteran journalist for Russian-made TT pistol on the ground RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, was in near the victim. Vinnytsya with a group of journalists Investigators refused to comment on to prepare a series of reports on the the killing, which appeared to have living conditions of prisoners. been ordered either for political Preliminary reports indicated that reasons or in connection with the Naboka's death was caused by a blood victim's business actvities. clot. Reports claim that foul play was involved as Naboka was known for
hard-hitting reporting on political Country: THAILAND CASENR: 16 issues. Name: Suraphong Rittee Nationality: Thai Country: UKRAINE Profession: Journalist CASENR: 18 News organ: Thai Rath Name: Vladimir Efremov Sector: Press Nationality: Ukrainian Date: 11 February 2003 Profession: Journalist Age: 43 News organ: Sobor / Source: IFJ, IFEX, RSF, TJA, Dniepropetrovsk/TV 11 IPI, CPJ, WAN Sector: Press/Radio Description: On 11 February, Date: 14 July 2003 Suraphong Rittee, a reporter for the Source: IFJ, RFE/RL, IFEX, Thai Rath newspaper and the ITV IMI television station was killed by a Description: On 14 July, Efremov, gunman while he was shopping at a was editor of the newspapers "Sobor" grocery shop in Phuket province's and "Dniepropetrovsk" was killed Kratoo district. when his car collided with a truck near the eastern town of Verkhnyodniprovsk. Efremov founded
30 the regional television station TV 11, which backs former Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, an opponent of current President Kuchma. Efremov had agreed to testify at Pavlo Lazarenko's 18 August trial in the United States, on charges of "embezzlement of public funds". Efremov was also a correspondent for the press freedom organisation Institute of Mass Information (IMI) in the city of Dniepropetrovsk. IMI are continuing their investigations into the case.
Total Cases Under Investigation 18
31 List of Sources
AJI Aliansi Jurnalis Independen AMARC-ALC Asociacion Mundial de Radios Comunitarias de America Latina y del Caribe ANP Asociacion Nacional de Periodistas del Peru APFW Arab Press Freedom Watch APG La Asociacion de Periodistas de Guatemala APSE Associated Press Sports Editors Associated Press CASCFEN Central Asian and South Caucasian Freedom of Expression Network CC.OO Confederacion Sindical de Comisiones Obreras CEHURDES Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Studies China Daily CJFE Canadian Journalists for Free Expression CMFR Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility CPJ Committee to Protect Journalists DJV Deutscher Journalisten-Verband EJC European Journalism Center FAPE Federacion de Asocaiones de la Prensa Española FENAJ Federacao Nacional do Jornalistas FLIP Fundacion para la Libertad de Prensa FNJ Federation of Nepal Journalists FH Freedom House IAPA Inter American Press Association IFEX International Freedom of Expression Exchange IFJ International Federation of Journalists IMI Institute of Mass Information INDEX Index on Censorship / Index for Free Expression IPI International Press Institute IPYS Instituto Prenso y Sociedad Jackson Clarion Ledger JED Journaliste en Danger JNPWU Japan Federation of Newspaper Workers' Unions Laksamana.net MFWA Media Foundation for West Africa NPU Nepalese Press Union NUJ (A) National Union of Journalists of UK and Ireland NUJ (B) Nigerian Union of Journalists NUJN National Union of Journalists Nepal PFC Periodistas Frente a la Corrupcion PJS Palestinian Journalists Sindicate PMW Pacific Media Watch PPF Pakistan Press Foundation Reuters RFE/RL Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty RFI Radio France Internationale RSF Reporters sans Frontières
32 SAJA Southern Africa Journalists Association SNPN El Sindicato Nacional de Periodistas de Nicaragua SOJON Somali Journalists Network SPP Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay The Moscow Times The Tribune India TNG-CWA The Newspaper Guild – CWA UJAO Union des journalistes d'Afrique de l'Ouest TJA Thai Journalists Association UNJCI Union Nationale des Journalistes de Côte d’Ivoire WAN World Association of Newspapers WiPC Writers in Prison Committee
33
International Code of Practice for the Safe Conduct of Journalism
The dangers posed to journalists and media staff working in dangerous situations and conflict zones are the subject of extensive record. The IFJ has recorded the deaths of more than 1000 journalists and media staff over the past ten years.
Many journalists are killed, injured or harassed in war zones, either targeted by one side or another or caught in the crossfire of violence. Others are the victims of premeditated assault and intimidation either by criminals, terrorists or by agencies of the state – the police, the military or the security forces – acting secretly and illegally.
Very often there is little that journalists or media organisations can do to avoid casualties. There will, inevitably, be accidents, no matter how much care is taken to provide protection and there is little one can do when those targeting media use ruthless and brutal methods to crush journalistic inquiry.
However, there are steps that journalists and media organisations should take to minimise the risks to staff. In particular, the following are vital considerations in providing protection:
Adequate preparation, training and social protection. It is essential that journalists and media staff be in a state of readiness when difficulties arise. There should be a framework for providing individuals with health care and social protection.
Media professionals must be informed and inform themselves about the political, physical, and social terrain in which they are working. They must not contribute to the uncertainty and insecurity of their conditions through ignorance or reckless behaviour.
Media organisations must guard against risk-taking for competitive advantage, and should promote co-operation among journalists whenever conditions exist which are potentially hazardous.
Governments must remove obstacles to journalism. They must not restrict unnecessarily the freedom of movement of journalists or compromise the right of news media to gather, produce and disseminate information in secure and safe conditions.
People Must Keep Their Hands Off Media. Everyone should respect the physical integrity of journalists and media staff at work. Physical interference with filming or other journalistic work must be prohibited.
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With these considerations in mind, the IFJ calls on journalists groups, media organisations and all relevant public authorities to respect the following International Code of Practice for the Safe Conduct of Journalism:
1. Journalists and other media staff shall be properly equipped for all assignments including the provision of first-aid materials, communication tools, adequate transport facilities and, where necessary, protective clothing;
2. Media organisations and, where appropriate, state authorities shall provide risk-awareness training for those journalists and media workers who are likely to be involved in assignments where dangerous conditions prevail or may be reasonably expected;
3. Public authorities shall inform their personnel of the need to respect the rights of journalists and shall instruct them to respect the physical integrity of journalists and media staff while at work.
4. Media organisations shall provide social protection for all staff engaged in journalistic activity outside the normal place of work, including life insurance;
5. Media organisations shall provide, free of charge, medical treatment and health care, including costs of recuperation and convalescence, for journalists and media workers who are the victims of injury or illness as a result of their work outside the normal place of work;
6. Media organisations shall protect freelance or part-time employees. They must receive, on an equal basis, the same social protection and access to training and equipment as that made available to fully employed staff.
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