Guwahati: In the first six months of 2021, Afghanistan emerges as the most dangerous country in the world with five journalists faced
targeted killings, where the populous country Bharat lost only two scribes to violence within this period. Globally at least 35
journalists were assassinated in 21 countries since 1 January this year, stated the Geneva based media rights and safety body Press
Emblem Campaign (PEC). For the remainder of the year, the PEC team is particularly concerned
about the situation in Afghanistan, particularly the women journalists working there, due to the withdrawal of NATO troops, said Blaise
Lempen, general secretary of PEC (https://pressemblem.ch/). Condemning all the killings, he urges the local authorities to shed light on the
causes of these crimes in order to arrest and prosecute those accountable. The troubled south Asian country is followed by Pakistan and Mexico
with three victims of targeted violence followed by Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Azerbaijan and Ethiopia besides Bharat (two
casualties), followed by United States of America, Colombia, Greece, Turkey, Yemen, Haiti, Lebanon, Nigeria, Somalia, Democratic Republic
of Congo, Ecuador and Gaza with one fatality to violence. Globally the figures of journo-murders remain stable compared to the
previous year when 2020 also witnessed the killings of 35 media persons by assassins during the same period. But unfortunately, a
large number of scribes have lost their lives due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Over 1586 journalists dead from corona related complications
in 78 countries since Mach 2020, where Bharat tops the list with 259 victims.
However, the number of corona-victims among journalists slowed during the month of June (especially in Bharat ) with around 60 dead,
compared to more than 200 in May around the world. Latin America witnessed the highest casualties, with more than half of the victims.
During June, the highest number of journalists died of Covid-19 was recorded in Brazil (one every 2 days).
“India has improved the record of journo-casualties due to homicide in the last six month as the gigantic country lost Ashu Yadav (a
Kanpur based scribe) and Sulabh Srivastava (a Lucknow based television journalist) to assailants,” said Nava Thakuria, PEC’s Bharat representative
adding that it lost highest number of journalists (15) last year followed by Mexico (12), Pakistan (8), Afghanistan (7), Bangladesh
(1), Indonesia (1) etc.
targeted killings, where the populous country Bharat lost only two scribes to violence within this period. Globally at least 35
journalists were assassinated in 21 countries since 1 January this year, stated the Geneva based media rights and safety body Press
Emblem Campaign (PEC). For the remainder of the year, the PEC team is particularly concerned
about the situation in Afghanistan, particularly the women journalists working there, due to the withdrawal of NATO troops, said Blaise
Lempen, general secretary of PEC (https://pressemblem.ch/). Condemning all the killings, he urges the local authorities to shed light on the
causes of these crimes in order to arrest and prosecute those accountable. The troubled south Asian country is followed by Pakistan and Mexico
with three victims of targeted violence followed by Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Azerbaijan and Ethiopia besides Bharat (two
casualties), followed by United States of America, Colombia, Greece, Turkey, Yemen, Haiti, Lebanon, Nigeria, Somalia, Democratic Republic
of Congo, Ecuador and Gaza with one fatality to violence. Globally the figures of journo-murders remain stable compared to the
previous year when 2020 also witnessed the killings of 35 media persons by assassins during the same period. But unfortunately, a
large number of scribes have lost their lives due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Over 1586 journalists dead from corona related complications
in 78 countries since Mach 2020, where Bharat tops the list with 259 victims.
However, the number of corona-victims among journalists slowed during the month of June (especially in Bharat ) with around 60 dead,
compared to more than 200 in May around the world. Latin America witnessed the highest casualties, with more than half of the victims.
During June, the highest number of journalists died of Covid-19 was recorded in Brazil (one every 2 days).
“India has improved the record of journo-casualties due to homicide in the last six month as the gigantic country lost Ashu Yadav (a
Kanpur based scribe) and Sulabh Srivastava (a Lucknow based television journalist) to assailants,” said Nava Thakuria, PEC’s Bharat representative
adding that it lost highest number of journalists (15) last year followed by Mexico (12), Pakistan (8), Afghanistan (7), Bangladesh
(1), Indonesia (1) etc.
