KATHMANDU, July 5: A report released by Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) has stated that 38 journalists were killed in 20 countries from January to June this year.
Mentioning that this figure of the murder of journalists represents a 42 percent decrease from the same period last year, PEC regarded it as a positive development in its report.
The report portrays a bleak picture of the media situation in Mexico and Afghanistan where nine and six journalists were killed respectively in the past six months.
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"Terrorist groups in Afghanistan and criminal groups in Mexico bear the main responsibility for the high price paid by media workers," Xinhua News Agency reported quoting the report.
"The international community must establish an independent mechanism that can fight impunity when the national institutions are neither efficient nor sufficient in order to fill the gaps in prevention, protection and prosecution," Blaise Lempen, the secretary-general of PEC said.
By region, Latin America represents the most affected continent with 15 killed. However, there is an improvement in the Middle East due to the lower intensity of conflict in Syria and Iraq, according to PEC.
The PEC has called upon governments, associations and civil society to continue to engage on the issue of the safety of journalists in order to reduce at least by half the casualties among media workers around the world, a goal set last year.
Founded in June 2004 by an international group of journalists, the PEC is a non-governmental organization with special consultative United Nations status, whose aim is to strengthen the legal protection and safety of journalists in conflict zones, areas of civil unrest, or on dangerous missions.
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