World Association of News Publishers


WAN-IFRA Press Freedom Resolutions: World’s Press Condemns Violence Against Pakistani Press

WAN-IFRA Press Freedom Resolutions: World’s Press Condemns Violence Against Pakistani Press

Article ID:

14672

The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers has called on Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to end violence and intimidation against media professionals and take strong measures to end impunity in Pakistan, the world’s most dangerous country for journalists.

“Twenty-nine journalists have been killed in Pakistan in the past five years, many of them for carrying out their professional duties. Very few, if any, of the perpetrators have been brought to justice,” the Board of WAN-IFRA said in a resolution issued during its meeting on Thursday (1 March) in Dubai.

The resolution called for the government to ensure that state agencies carry out their duty to protect, not intimidate, journalists. It also called on President Ali Zardari to ensure media professionals can conduct their work without fear of violence or retribution.

The full resolution can be read at http://www.wan-ifra.org/node/53262/

WAN-IFRA issued three other resolutions that:

- Calls on the government of Ukraine, ahead of the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum in Kiev in September, to make a concerted effort to improve press freedom in the country. (Full resolution can be read at: http://www.wan-ifra.org/node/53263);

- Calls for constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression in Tunisia, and resistance to attempts to limit freedom of the press. The Board noted that how authorities handle the issue will have an impact far beyond Tunisia’s borders. (Full resolution can be read at: http://www.wan-ifra.org/node/53264);

- Calls on the Turkish authorities to immediately release Ahmet Şık, Nedim Şener, and six other journalists jailed in connection with the ‘Ergenekon’ conspiracy and to uphold freedom of expression in Turkey. (Full resolution can be read at: http://www.wan-ifra.org/node/53266).

 

WAN-IFRA, based in Paris, France, and Darmstadt, Germany, with subsidiaries in Singapore, India, Spain, France and Sweden, is the global organisation of the world’s newspapers and news publishers. It represents more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries. Its core mission is to defend and promote press freedom, quality journalism and editorial integrity and the development of prosperous businesses.

Learn more about WAN-IFRA at http://www.wan-ifra.org or through the WAN-IFRA Magazine at http://www.wan-ifra.org/magazine

Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, WAN-IFRA, 96 bis, rue Beaubourg, 75003 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 07. Fax: +33 1 42 78 92 33. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: larry.kilman@wan-ifra.org

Author

Andrew Heslop's picture

Andrew Heslop

Date

2012-03-01 13:00

Contact information

In countless countries, journalists, editors and publishers are physically attacked, imprisoned, censored, suspended or harassed for their work. WAN-IFRA is committed to defending freedom of expression by promoting a free and independent press around the world. Read more ...