In a year that started off bleak for world journalism and in which half of all journalist deaths in 2021 in the first three months were recorded, last week was marked by a sad coincidence: four new deaths, all women.
While all the cases were shocking, each had different repercussions associated with the social and political context of the countries in which they occurred.
in Mexico, Yessenia Mollinedo Falconi and Sheila Johana Garcia Olivera, from a community blog, was killed by gunmen. Francesca Sandoval, a correspondent for a regional broadcaster in Chile, couldn’t stand the footage she took while watching a show on Labor Day. In the West Bank, Shireen Abu Akleh, a well-known journalist for the international network Al Jazeera, was shot while following the Israeli army’s operation.
Funeral for Al Jazeera reporter marred by clashes with police
The case of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian who also holds American citizenship, was the case that caused the most turmoil and international demonstrations.
He was shot in the head while watching a military operation in the West Bank. Wearing a helmet and a bulletproof vest with “Press” on it, the girl was accompanied by other media professionals who accused Israeli soldiers of deliberately shooting her.
Confirmation of his death moved Palestinians who have watched his work on television for more than 20 years. The funeral was due to be held at a church in Jerusalem on Friday the 13th, and thousands of people gathered to bid farewell to the journalist.
The ceremony, which should have been a funeral, turned into a protest with violent clashes between the Palestinians and the Israeli police. Because Abu Akleh’s coffin was covered with a Palestinian flag during the parade.
Israel banned the display of Palestinian flags in public places, demanding that the police take action against those carrying the coffin and those carrying the symbol.
The footage is utter horror: the journalist’s coffin hangs in confusion as guards attack the Palestinians. In some images, it is possible to see the coffin almost falling to the ground during the conflict.
Israeli forces hoist Palestinian flags from Shireen Abu Akleh’s hearse. pic.twitter.com/8qTX9uCPV1
– Barry Malone (@malonebarry) May 13, 2022
Israeli occupation forces attack Palestinian journalist’s funeral #ShireenAbuAkleh after killing him in cold blood.
A genocidal state that does not even allow its murderers to be mourned in peace.
obviously he doesn’t need investigation to know his murderer=#Israel pic.twitter.com/7okNG3l1cG— Shereen Allam???????????????? (@shereen_allam) May 13, 2022
After the death of Abu Akleh, the clashes at his funeral echoed all over the world. According to the Red Crescent organization, 33 people were injured in the incidents. Israeli police reported that six people were detained.
Palestinian territories have been occupied by Israel since 1967. Recent actions have even caused the United States, Israel’s traditional ally, to condemn the violence in the region.
“We are deeply disturbed by the images of the Israeli police intervention in the funeral procession,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In a rare move, the UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously condemned the murder and called for an “immediate, thorough, transparent and impartial investigation” into the case.
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Al Jazeera denies reporter caught in crossfire
Blinken also supported the call for a “credible” investigation. During a flight to Berlin on Saturday, he called the journalist’s family to offer his condolences.
During a conversation with Abu Akleh’s brother, Blinken spoke of the “urgent and credible need for an investigation into the circumstances of his death”.
Speaking to the German press, the Foreign Ministry reminded that he is a “world-wide respected” reporter, reinforcing “the importance of a free and independent press”.
In a statement, the European Union (EU) criticized the “disproportionate use of force and the disrespectful treatment of Israeli police towards those who attended the funeral”.
“To allow a peaceful farewell, to allow the bereaved to suffer peacefully, without harassment and humiliation, is the least human respect.
The EU reiterates its call for a full and independent investigation to shed light on the full circumstances of Shireen Abu Akleh’s death and bring those responsible for her death to justice.”
The negative impact of the clashes that broke out at the funeral of the Al Jazeera reporter who was killed in the West Bank prompted Israel to open an investigation into the actions of the security guards.
“The Israeli Police Commissioner has ordered an investigation into the incident in coordination with the Minister of Public Safety. The findings will be presented to the commissioner in the coming days,” the Israeli police said in a statement.
On the day Abu Akleh died, Israel said he “probably” died when he was shot by Palestinian fighters. Later, however, the government pointed out that it could not ignore the possible responsibility of the soldiers.
The Israeli military said it was not possible to immediately determine where the bullet came from.
Women journalists under threat shot to death in Mexico
Two days before Shireen Abu Akleh’s death, Mexico recorded more violence against journalists. In 2022 alone, 11 media workers were killed in the country – three of them were women.
Unlike the Al Jazeera journalist, Yessenia Mollinedo Falconi and Sheila Johana García Olivera were not famous outside of their hometowns. They were the manager and reporter of the news site, respectively. El Veraz in Cosoleacaque, shot dead in front of a grocery store, on Monday (9). Both were threatened because of the scope of local crimes.
The attack came on the day Mexicans organized to protest against Luis Enrique Ramírez Ramos, the 9th journalist killed this year. In January, Lourdes Maldonado was also shot dead.in a crime similar to the one that victimized two other colleagues last week.
Mexico is a major concern for national and foreign press freedom advocates, who point to the increased risks faced by women journalists.
small and regional vehicle specialists such as Al VerazWhere Yessenia and Sheila worked, accounts for the majority of crimes against registered media professionals in the country.
According to agency information, the city of Cosoleacaque is close to a major migrant route in southeastern Veracruz that is driven by organized crime. Associated Press (AP).
Although drug trafficking gangs were suspected of involvement in the deaths of journalists, there was no immediate indication of who might be responsible for the crimes.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay condemned the killing of professionals. “The Mexican authorities should investigate these murders and take all necessary measures so that journalists can work without fear,” the statement said.
According to UNESCO, nine out of every 10 murders of journalists in the world go unsolved. The agency’s report also shows that women are the main victims of organized online attacks and harassment.
In Brazil, a recent survey by Abraji (The Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo) found a similar pattern, with support from UNESCO’s Global Media Defense Fund: 127 professionals and the media were the target of 119 acts of gender violence and attacks against female journalists in 2021, mostly targeting professionals involved in politics.
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Women journalists threatened: Those who report politics are the main target of attacks in Brazil
Journalist’s death protested on the streets in Chile
The death toll of female journalists, who are often harassed and threatened for doing their jobs, also killed a journalist in Chile last week – a country where crimes against the press so common in other Latin American countries are rare.
Francis Sandoval, shot in the head while closing the march on Labor Day, died Thursday (12) in Santiago. His death caused outrage among Chileans who took to the streets and were suppressed by the police, as in Palestine.
30 year old journalist Documented the May Day rally in the Meiggs neighborhood for the local community broadcaster Channel Signal 3 La Victoria. Gunmen opened fire on the participants and injured two journalists.
After 12 days in the hospital, his condition is serious, the result is dead A “very serious” injury that caused a brain hemorrhage and an irreversible clinical situation informed the head of the Emergency Emergency Hospital Intensive Care Unit.
With the news of his death, v.On the same day, worship and commemoration ceremonies were held in honor of the journalist. publisher signal 3She shared the mourning of the death of the professional at her place of work on social media.
“Francisca did not abandon us. They killed her. With these words, we confirm the death of our beloved Fran,” reads the message on Twitter. “We will miss you and will do our best to find the truth.”
Francesca didn’t let us go. Appointed. Through these words we confirm the death of our beloved Fran. We will find you and do everything possible to find the truth.
— Senal 3 La Victoria (@tv_piola) 12 May 2022
Chilean President Gabriel Boric offered his condolences to the reporter’s family, saying that the violence “harmed democracy” in the country.
The protest, called by organizations and journalism students, against the death of Francisca Sandoval led to clashes with the police in Plaza de la Dignidad. on Twitter, Signal 3 La Victoria He shared footage of police forces dispersing protesters with water jets.
According to local media, it is possible to see a large number of agents deployed to contain the protest, which was peaceful until then.
#PlazaDignity / #JusticiaParaFranciscaSandoval pic.twitter.com/LWjr2NPN0E
— Senal 3 La Victoria (@tv_piola) May 13, 2022
Sandoval’s death came as a shock to Chileans, as it is rare for media professionals to die during or as a result of their work.
He is the first journalist to be killed in the country since José Carrasco Tapia, who was killed during the military dictatorship in 1986, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Chile ranks 82nd out of 180 countries, not just among the countries with the most critical press freedom situation in the world or in Latin America. RSF’s global press freedom indexReleased on May 3rd.
Despite this, the organization warns of growing hostility to the press in Chile, which stretches back to the 2019 protests against a rise in metro fares, which escalated into widespread political turmoil.
“Since October 2019, when the period of political turmoil began, Chile has seen an increase in threats, intimidation campaigns (especially on social media), and violence against journalists covering the protests – violence by protesters, police and military intelligence officers.
Two other members of the press were injured in the same protest where Francisca was shot. Rádio 7 reporter Fabiola Moreno was shot in the shoulder, and reporter Roberto Caro, from the Prensa Piensa community newspaper, was shot in the leg. Both received medical treatment and were discharged the same day.
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source: Noticias
