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45 Journalists Killed In 2021,300 Languishing In Prison-Report

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3 years ago

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To mark International Human Rights Day on December 10, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has published the lists of imprisoned and killed journalists in 2021. According to the Federation’s statistics, 45 journalists have been killed since 1 January 2021 and 365 are still behind bars.

 

The two lists underscore the deepening crisis in journalism, with rights and freedom of journalists under sustained threat in many regions of the world.

 

According to the two IFJ lists – killed and imprisoned journalists -, 365 journalists are still in jail as of 10 December 2021, up from 235 last year. China (102), Turkey (34), Belarus (29), Eritrea (29), Egypt (27), Vietnam (21), Myanmar (18), Russia (12), Azerbaijan and Yemen (11), Cambodia (10) and Iran (9) are the biggest jailers of journalists.

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Asia tops the IFJ regional list with 162 journalists in prison, followed by Europe (87), the Middle East and Arab World (65), Africa (49) and the Americas (2) .

 

The crackdown on media professionals in authoritarian regimes, including massive arrests of journalists in Myanmar, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Hong Kong account for the growing number of colleagues behind bars today.

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The IFJ’s list of journalists and media staff killed so far in 2021 is down from last year, with 45 killings recorded against 65 in 2020. While this decrease is welcome news, it is small comfort in the face of continued violence which claimed lives of journalists in countries like Afghanistan (9), Mexico (8), India (4) and Pakistan (3).

 

 

 

Again, Asia leads the regional pack with 20 killings, before Americas (9) Africa (8), Europe (6) and the Middle East and Arab World on just one.

 

The Asia Pacific region owes its top position on the killed list to the situation of journalists in Afghanistan as highlighted by the safety crisis in media, after the return to power of the Taliban with their avowed intolerance to independent reporting and hostile attitude to women’s participation in public life, including working as journalists. The collapse of the Afghan government and the withdrawal of Western troops left thousands of journalists scrambling to get to safety, outside their country and abandoning their careers and livelihood.

 

These are not the only violations of journalists’ right to exercise their profession in safety and independence. The IFJ denounced the new form of mass surveillance on journalists, Pegasus, a highly advanced spying device which was used to interfere with communications of thousands of people, including journalists.

 

Even the only rare positive development for journalists, the award of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize to two journalists Maria Ressa and Dimitry Muratov, served as a reminder of the sacrifices they made in the service of press freedom and democracy in their countries, like so many any of their colleagues around the world.

 

“The world needs to wake up to the growing violations of journalists’ rights and media freedoms across the globe,” said IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger. “These lists of journalists in jail and colleagues who have been killed are clear evidence of deliberate acts to suppress independent reporting. They also point to the violation of the people’s fundamental right to access accurate, objective and fair information so that they can make properly informed choices about public affairs, which is a requisite for an inclusive society and true rule by consent.’’

 

The IFJ urges the United Nations to adopt a Convention on the safety of journalists to promote, protect and ensure the safety of media professionals in times of peace and during armed conflict, and to safeguard their ability to exercise their profession freely and independently in an enabling environment, without facing harassment, intimidation or attacks against their physical integrity.

 

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Kano State Hosts 8th Annual Audit Forum to Enhance Transparency and Accountability

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11 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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The 8th Annual Audit Forum, organized by the Office of the Auditor General of Kano State, was held recently, focusing on strengthening transparency and accountability in public financial management. .

Isma’ila Musa, the Auditor General of Kano State, welcomed the participants and highlighted the constitutional and legal mandates that guide the auditing process. “Sections 125(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and 36(i) of the Kano State Audit Law, 2021 (as amended) mandate the Office of the Auditor General to audit the accounts and financial statements of the State Government and all Offices and Courts,” he stated.

Musa expressed immense gratitude to His Excellency, Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Governor of Kano State, for his support in making the event possible. “It is very important to note that a strengthened fiscal transparency will help build trust in governance,” he emphasized. He added that the Audit Forum is a reform intended to reduce opportunities for corruption and abuse of public resources, thereby increasing the efficiency of public expenditures.

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The Auditor General also acknowledged the contributions of various officials, including the Hon. Commissioner Ministry of Planning and Budget, the Accountant General, the Executive Chairman of Kano Internal Revenue Services, and former Auditors General, among others. “My sincere appreciation to all the invitees here present for honoring our invitation. I wish us a successful 8th Kano State Annual Audit Forum,” Musa concluded.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Honorable Tukur Fagge, praised the exercise for its potential to enhance resource management and ensure the success of the tasks at hand. “This exercise will enhance resources management and will realize the success of the task,” Fagge stated.

Sarkin Shanon Kano, Shehu Muhammad Dankadai, who served as the royal father of the day, also graced the event, adding to the significance of the occasion.

The forum underscored the commitment of the Kano State Government to upholding transparency and accountability, reflecting the administration’s dedication to effective and efficient service delivery.

 

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Breaking: Former Secretary of Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO, Ahmadu Kurfi Passes On at 93

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17 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Late Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi

 

A former secretary of the Federal Electoral Commission, Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi, has passed away.

A family source, Jafar Yakubu, informed NIGERIAN TRACKER about the death of the pioneer secretary of the Federal Electoral Commission, who supervised the 1979 general election.

 

Jafar Yakubu said Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi died at the age of 93 and his Janaza funeral prayers will take place by 2:30 PM at Kurfi in KATSINA state .

 

Dr. Amadu Kurfi, OFR, was born in 1931. He was a former chairman of the then Marketing Board, former Federal Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Defence, and the first person to acquire a BSc degree in the whole of Katsina State, at University College London in 1957.

 

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President Tinubu Sacks UNIZIK Vice-Chancellor, Registrar

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1 day ago

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November 20, 2024

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The governing council of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University has been dissolved by President Bola Tinubu.

The president dissolved the council and approved the removal of the institution’s vice-chancellor Bernard Odoh and the university registrar, Rosemary Nwokike.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president on information and strategy said the action by Tinubu follows allegations of procedural violations in the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor.

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He also said that the council led by Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe and including five other members—Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin was accused of bypassing due process to appoint an unqualified candidate, prompting federal intervention.

Onanuga said, “The sacking of the governing council and officials followed reports that the council illegally appointed an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process.

He added that following the controversial appointment, the Federal Government stepped in to address the rivalry between the university’s Senate and the governing council of the institution.

“The government expressed concern over the council’s apparent disregard for the university’s governing laws in its selection process”, Onanuga added.

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