Journalists in conflict areas need better protection, UN

 New York, 23 Dec – (ANA) - The United Nations agency mandated to defend freedom of expression and press freedom has called for improved safety for journalists and other media professionals working in areas of conflict or social unrest so they can carry out their duties.

 The call follows the publication last week of year-end analysis by the

non-governmental organization Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) which found that at least 42 journalists were killed in 2010.

 “While the number of journalists killed in 2010 represents a decline from

previous years, it nonetheless remains unacceptably high and underlines the violence that journalists confront on a daily basis,” stated

Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

 According to the CPJ, suicide attacks and violent street protests caused an

unusually high proportion of deaths. In addition, the countries ranked the

highest for journalism-related killings are Pakistan (8), Iraq (4), Honduras (3) and Mexico (3).

 Ms. Bokova also deplored the death of Iraqi television journalist Omar Rasim al-Qaysi, who was killed in a suicide bombing on 12 December. Mr. al-Qaysi, an anchor working for the satellite television channel Al-Anbar TV, died when a car bomb exploded as he was walking to work in central Ramadi in al-Anbar province.

 His brother Mustafa al-Qaysi, a cameraman for the same channel, was injured in the attack, which killed at least 13 people and injured 40. The Islamic State of Iraq, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to news reports.  (ANA)

FA/ANA/23 December 2010-----