Opća skupština Ujedinjenih naroda proglasila je 2. studeni Međunarodnim danom borbe protiv nekažnjavanja zločina nad novinarima u svojoj Rezoluciji A/RES/68/163. Datum je izabran u spomen na atentat nad dvama francuskim novinarima u državi Mali u Africi, 2. studenog 2013. godine. Na ovaj dan Ujedinjeni narodi  stavljaju naglasak na suzbijanje prijetnji nasiljem i zločina usmjerenih protiv novinara, kako bi zaštitili slobodu izražavanja i pristup informacijama za sve građane.

Zločini usmjereni protiv novinara nisu samo ograničeni na zemlje s diktatorskim režimima. Oni se pojavljuju gdje god moćni i korumpirani ljudi žele sakriti istinu. Danas se ovo događa u gotovo svakoj zemlji.

Novinari su jedna od najranjivijih profesionalnih zajednica, čiji posao sam po sebi ne uključuje faktore kojima bi se riskirao život. Ljudi koji rade u novinarskoj profesiji nisu pripadnici vojske, vatrogasci ili radnici hitnih službi.

Nažalost, postoje mnogi oblici nasilja nad novinarima; fizičko nasilje, psihološki pritisak, otmice, proizvoljna uhićenja, prijetnje preko Interneta. U najekstremnijim slučajevima ljudi koji se bave novinarstvom budu ubijeni. Najvažniji ciljevi pravde su detaljno istražiti zločine i kazniti ih. Važno je pogledati svaku kariku u lancu u takvim slučajevima. Pogrešno je reći da je pravda u ovom slučaju važnija nego u nekim drugim slučajevima. Zaštita profesionalnog rada novinara je garancija mogućnosti slobode govora i javne dostupnosti informacija. Osjećaj sigurnosti u istraživačkom novinarstvu jedan je od temelja za demokraciju u suvremenom svijetu.

Prema statističkim podacima UNESCO-a o ubijenim novinarima (https://en.unesco.org/themes/safety-journalists/observatory), od 1993. ubijeno je 1490 novinara diljem svijeta. Ubijeni su zbog izvještavanja. Najšokantnija činjenica je da 9 od 10 slučajeva ubojstava novinara prođu nekažnjeno. Ti slučajevi uključuju i one koji se dogode za vrijeme izvještavanja o oružanim sukobima. Međutim, većina novinara nije ubijena na bojištima. U tim slučajevima novinari su istraživali i objavljivali priče koje su neki htjeli zadržati u tajnosti.

U mnogim slučajevima istrage o prijetnjama nasiljem i napadima na novinare budu ometane. U drugim slučajevima postoje problemi s pravosudnim sustavom, a to je onda razlog zbog kojeg počinitelji prođu nekažnjeno. Ponekad se problemi s pravosudnim sustavom događaju zbog nedostatka ljudskih i financijskih resursa. To je povezano i s korupcijom i ograničenom transparentnosti. Ova nekažnjavanja ohrabruju počinitelje zločina, a u isto vrijeme imaju obeshrabrujući učinak na društvo, uključujući i novinare. Nekažnjavanje dovodi do još nasilnijih zločina protiv novinara i često je uzrokom pogoršanja sukoba i sloma zakona i pravosudnog sustava.

Na ovaj dan željeli bismo skrenuti pažnju na pravdu i važnost istrage kaznenih djela, i njihov izravni utjecaj na demokratske vrijednosti i slobodu govora, ali također i izraziti želju da novinari rade u sigurnom okruženju u svim zemljama svijeta.

Komemoracije u 2021. godini će također usmjeriti pažnju na 10. godišnjicu Akcijskog plana UN-a o sigurnosti novinara i pitanju nekažnjavanja, koja će se obilježiti 2022. godine. Zločini protiv novinara su izravno zločini protiv demokracije. Nemoguće je emitirati vijesti i informacije kad su životi novinara u opasnosti. Informacije koje dobijemo iz medija oblikuju naše viđenje svijeta.

Kad društvo dobiva cenzurirane informacije i ne može vidjeti određene priče, ili dijelove priče, zbog toga što moćni ljudi ne žele da mi to vidimo, tada se sakriva šira slika. Iznimno je pogrešno imati informacije koje su u svoju korist izokrenuli korumpirani dužnosnici, političari ili poslovni ljudi. To dovodi do sve veće šutnje na globalnoj razini, gdje samo moćni ljudi mogu odlučiti koje će vijesti ljudi vidjeti i čuti. To narušava našu slobodu izražavanja i pravo na pristup informacijama. Tada to mijenja način razmišljanja naroda.

Rješenje problema o neriješenim slučajevima zločina počinjenih nad novinarima počinje od podizanja svijesti o problemu. Ljudi mogu pridonijeti svjetskom naporu za zaustavljanje nekažnjavanja za zločine, ne izravnom interakcijom s pravosudnim sistemom, nego i podizanjem svijesti o postojanju problema. To je početna točka za zaštitu naše slobode i demokracije. Novinari su nadzorna tijela društva i čuvari demokracije koji izvještavaju o kršenju zakona i pravde, i korištenju moći za osobnu dobit. Međunarodni dan borbe protiv nekažnjavanja zločina nad novinarima je dan kad odajemo priznanje svim novinarima koji su bili mete zastrašivanja, nasilja, ili su bili ubijeni za vrijeme obavljanja svoje profesije.

 

Photo by Tingey injury law firm on Unsplash

 

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed November 2, as the ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’ in General Assembly Resolution A/RES/68/163. The date was chosen in commemoration of the assassination of two French journalists in Mali on November 2, 2013. At this day, the United Nations spotlighting counter threats of violence and crimes against journalists to protect freedom of expression and access to information for all citizens.

Crimes against journalists are not just limited to countries with dictatorships. They occur anywhere where the powerful and corrupt people want to hide the truth. Today, this happens almost in every country.

Journalists are one of the most vulnerable professional communities whose work does not directly involve serious risks to life. When people work in press they are not military service members, firefighters, or emergency workers.

Unfortunately, against journalists may occur physical violence, psychological pressure, kidnapping, arbitrary imprisonment, cyber threats, and other kinds of attacks. In the most radical cases people in this profession end up being killed.
To punish crimes against journalists and thoroughly investigate them is one of the most important aims of justice. It is important to look into every link in the chain in such cases. It’s wrong to say that justice, in this case, is more important than in other cases. But protection of journalism professional activity is the guarantee of freedom of speech and public access to information. Safe investigative journalism is the base for democracy in the modern world.

Due to statistics of UNESCO observatory of killed journalists (https://en.unesco.org/themes/safety-journalists/observatory) from 1993 there was 1490 journalists been killed around the world for reporting the news and bringing information to the public. The most shocking fact is that in nine out of ten cases the killers of journalists go unpunished. These killings include those dying while reporting armed conflicts. But the majority are killed in countries without battlefields. In these cases, journalists were investigating and publishing local stories which some people would prefer to silence.

In many cases, threats of violence and attacks against journalists are facing obstruction of the investigation. But in other cases, impunity comes from problems within the justice system itself. Sometimes it is an outcome of lacking human and financial recourses in the justice system. Or it may be connected to corruption and limited transparency. This impunity emboldens the perpetrators of the crimes and at the same time has a chilling effect on society, including journalists themselves. Impunity leads to more violent crimes against journalists and is often a symptom of worsening conflict and the breakdown of law and judicial systems.

On this day we would like to draw attention to justice and the investigation of criminal acts and its direct impact on democratic values and freedom of speech.
 But also, to wish a safe working environment for journalists around the world.

Commemorations in 2021 will also pave the way for the 10-year anniversary of the UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, to be marked in 2022. Crimes against journalists are crimes against democracy itself. It is impossible to broadcast information and news when lives are in danger due to journalistic professional activities. The information we receive from the media shapes our worldview.

When society receiving censored news and can’t see certain stories or parts of a story because powerful people want to prevent spreading of that information to public - the bigger picture is hidden. It is extremely wrong to have information perverted by corrupt officials, politicians and businessmen when it is in their favor. This leads to the expansion of global zones of silence where only powerful people can decide the news people hear and see. And it violates our freedom of expression and our collective right as a society to access information. Then it changes the mindset of entire nations.

The solution of problem with unresolved crimes against journalists starts from awareness of the problem. People can contribute to a global effort to end impunity for these crimes not only by direct interaction with judicial system, but by starting to spread the word about the problem. It is the starting point for protection of our freedoms and our democracy. Journalists are the watchdogs of society and the guardians of democracy who report when the authorities disregard laws, justice and use their power for personal profit. International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists is the day to pay tribute to all journalists who have been targets of intimidation, violence or have been killed in the course of exercising their profession