A Safer World for the truth: setting the wheels of justice in motion
What does it take to bring you your news? Over 1,400 journalists who have been murdered in reprisal for their work since 1992. Their investigations were often crucial for the exposure of corruption and organized crime, but in nearly every case, their own murders remain uninvestigated and unpunished. "A Safer World for the Truth" is a project led by press freedom organizations Free Press Unlimited, Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists, dedicated to the fight against #impunity by investigating cold cases or murders of #journalists and organizing the People's Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists. This projects shows that, even after years of impunity, the wheels of #justice can be set in motion to build a world in which no one has to die for a story.
A journalist is murdered every week. In The Netherlands, the murders of Dutch journalists Stan Storimans in 2008 and Peter R. de Vries in 2021 made headlines and hit home for many people. Eight out of ten cases have at least one thing in common: the perpetrators are never caught. By committing these crimes they have not only killed the journalist , but —in many cases— also killed the story. Murders of journalists are a direct attack on press freedom and are, often intentionally, left uninvestigated by authorities. This impunity silences other journalists as well. They have not only lost their colleagues, but also get the message that killing the truth goes unpunished. By investigating cold cases (murder cases that remain unsolved after several years), A Safer World for the Truth aims to break this cycle. With local journalists, the project conducts investigations in countries such as Mexico, Pakistan and The Philippines to find new evidence.
Regina Martínez Pérez: An opportunity for justice
Regina Martínez Pérez was a prolific journalist from the state of Veracruz in Mexico, one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. On 28 April 2012, Regina Martínez Pérez was brutally murdered in her home. The Safer World investigation team thoroughly reviewed the official case files and interviewed key witnesses. Findings from the investigation raise further questions concerning the accuracy and legitimacy of the official investigation into Regina's murder, and confirm strong indications for obstruction of justice by local authorities.
Gerry Ortega: Justice delayed, justice denied
Gerry Ortega was a prominent broadcast journalist and environmental activist. Ortega's work made him a target. He was not afraid to openly criticize local politicians in The Philippines such as then-governor Joel T. Reyes. On 24 January 2011, Gerry was shot and killed. Joel T. Reyes is the alleged mastermind of the murder. Reyes has escaped justice for more than a decade. The Safer World investigation finds substantial flaws in the legal procedures in the case. The report also finds that Joel T. Reyes still exerts considerable influence over local authorities and that key witnesses have been silenced.
Elisabeth Blanche Olofio: Telling the story
Elisabeth Blanche Olofio exposed corruption and human rights abuses , providing her community with crucial information about an ongoing rebel advance. On 5 January 2013, she was severely beaten, tortured and raped by Séléka rebels in connection with her reporting. She suffered from severe physical and mental trauma and succumbed to her injuries in June 2014. The Safer World investigation reveals leads about potential suspects, how those responsible have evaded #accountability and calls for the introduction of emergency visas in cases like that of Elisabeth.
Zubair Mujahld: Breaking the silence
Zubair Mujahld was a journalist from Mirpurkhas, Pakistan. He was born in the town of Jhuddo, in Pakistan's southern Sindh province. He came from a simple family and completed his primary education in Jhuddo, where his father ran a small restaurant. Zubair was a fearless journalist who did not shy away from politically sensitive topics. In his column "Crime and Punishment" (Jurm o Saza) for the Daily Jang, he wrote about local crime and corruption. He exposed corruption and human rights abuses, such as torture, committed by the local police station of Mirpurkhas. On 23 November 2007, Zubair was shot and killed while he was sitting on the back of his colleague's motorcycle, driving home after a long working day.
The investigation into Zubair's murder was conducted by the local police department in Mirpurkhas, the same police department Zubair criticized on a frequent basis. They failed to identify a suspect. As a result, Zubair's relatives filed a request in 2008to transfer the case to a specialized investigation unit in Hyderabad. The request was granted and the case was transferred to Hyderabad. This unit did not pursue the investigation either, and in the thirteen years that have passed since the murder, no one has been convicted for the murder and the killers are still at large. To break the sience around Zubair's murder, A Safer World for the Truth conducted its own investigation into the case. The investigation team reviewed the official police files and interviewed twenty witnesses with the aim of uncovering new evidence to support the road to justice for Zubair.
Sardahst Osman: Debunking the official story
Sardasht Osman was a courageous 23-year-old citizen journalist, who wrote about corruption and political affairs. On 4 May2010, Sardasht was kidnapped inn Erbil, Iraq, and assassinated because of his writings. Twelve years later, no one has been arrested and convicted for it. The investigation team revealed serious flaws in the official investigation and found credible allegations that Kurdish authorities were directly involved in the murder.
Nabil Al-Sharbaji: Reporter until the end
Journalist Nabil Al-Sharbaji had a dream. During the Syria Hearing, witness and journalist Kholoud Helmi told the Tribunal about the newspaper Nabil co-founded: Enab Baladi. "Nabil had a dream. We continue only because it's a dream for those who passed away or were killed by the regime, including Nabil. Today, I am proud to say, it's one of the most prominent independent Syrian news outlets in Syria". During his arrest in February 2012, Nabil was recognized and identified as a journalist. His laptop and hard drive were confiscated and he was subjected to endless interrogations and #torture in prison. Even from his cell, he tried to keep up with his work as a journalist. Witness Morwan Alesh testified how Nabil often asked him for newspapers to keep up with the world outside, on the occasions that they met in Adra Prison. On pieces of clothing, Mansour Omari, Nabil al-Sharbaji and other detainees wrote the names of 82 disappeared detainees, mixing their own blood to create ink. The fabric was hidden in a shirt Mansour Omari wore on the day he was released, and smuggled outside to inform their family members and tell the world about the crimes committed inside the prisons of the Syrian regime. For more information, Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression.
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Press freedom in Pakistan
Pakistan has a vibrant media landscape and its press is among the most outspoken in South Asia. However, #pressfreedom in Pakistan is severely restricted and journalists systematically face #detention, arbitrary arrest and various forms of #censorship. It is one of the most dangerous places for journalists; the Committee to Protect Jouranlists has documented the killing of 61 journalists since 1992. While threats towards journalists have been persistent throughout Pakistan's modern history, these threats were specifically rife at the time of Zubair Mujahid's death, during the military rule of General Perve Musharraf (2001 - 2008).
Killing the truth, documentary and testimony by Félix Márquez
"Killing the truth", directed by Joël van Dooren and Sybren Kooistra, and produced by Yoran Staas and Nathan Stewart, tells the stories of journalists Jan Kuciak and Norbert Zongo, killed for doing their jobs. The documentary puts their deaths in the context of a frightening worldwide trend. All around the world, a deadly war on journalism is raging. Justice for this crime is rare; in more than eight of ten cases the killers go free. Governments and institutions are systematically failing to address this injustice, which has resulted in a world where corruption, criminality and propaganda have been free to wreak havoc. This needs to end. By shining a light on the forces responsible. By documenting and remembering the journalists that were killed. And by learning from those who, against all odds, have been pursuing justice.
Photo journalist Félix Márquez is an independent photographer and visual journalist based in Mexico, specialized in covering the war against drug trafficking in Mexico, migration, human rights and childhood in Latin America. He was one of the nearly twenty witnesses who testified on 26 and 27 April 2022 before the People's Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists in Mexico City. During this hearing, the Prosecution brought forward the emblematic case of Miguel Ángel López Velasco (Milo Vela) from Veracruz. He was murdered in reprisal for his work on 20 June 2011, together with his wife Agustina and son Milo. In his testimony, Márquez explains how the violence in Veracruz escalated, turning him and his colleagues into "war photographers". He speaks about the death of Milo, Agustina and Misael, and the impact of their murder, and the project Vestigios Márquez started after their death and that of colleagues such as Moisés Sánchez and Yolanda Ordaz.
The People's Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists
To which court can you turn when authorities fail to investigate your case and prosecute the perpetrators? Worldwide, hundreds of families and colleagues of murdered journalists are faced with this dilemma. To show that this impunity is largely due to a lack of political will, A Safer World for the Truth-coalition decided to step in. On 2 November 2021, the People's Tribunal on the Murder of the Journalists kicked off in The Hague. People's Tribunals are a form of grassroots justice, initiated by citizens in cases where states fail to provide justice. While these tribunals cannot make convictions, they play an important role in evidence gathering and documentation. They also offer a platform to victims and relatives and record their testimonies. People's Tribunals have been organized since the 1960s, among others by the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal. This independent organization composed the bench of judges for the People's Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists. These judges evaluate the evidence brought forward by the Lead Prosecutor of the Tribunal, international human rights lawyer Almudena Bernabeu.
The three cases of the Tribunal: Mexico, Syria and Sri Lanka
The Tribunal's Prosecutor selected three emblematic cases to illustrate what typically happens when a journalist is murdered. These cases are: Miguel Ángel López Velasco from Mexico, Nabil Al-Sharbaji from Syria and Lasantha Wickrematunge from Sri Lanka. Three very different journalists, who each went out of their way to defend press freedom. Lasantha was one of Sri Lanka's most renowned journalists, and ran the critical newspaper the Sunday Leader. Miguel Ángel was a seasoned crime reporter from Veracruz, and mentor to many of his younger colleagues. Nabil also played a major role among his colleagues: shortly after the Syrian revolution began, he led a group of young journalists in Darayya, dedicating his life to peaceful resistance and independent journalism. No one has been convicted in either of these three cases. During the three hearings of the Tribunal in April and May 2022, the Prosecutor argued that these cases exemplify a pattern of persecution and impunity. In all three countries, these cases are part of a long list of journalists who were threatened, attacked and murdered, after which no,or poorly conducted., investigations took place. Moreover, all three murders did not only silence Miguel Ángel, Nabil and Lasantha, but also forced many of their colleagues to drop their pen.
During the opening hearing of the Tribunal, relatives, colleagues and other experts testified about the structural way in which journalists are attacked without consequences. These witnesses included:
Justice, not impunity
"Your tribunal does not have the capacity to put perpetrators behind bars, but it has the capacity to name and shame" (Christophe Deloire, Secretary-General of Reporters without Borders during the opening hearing). In the past, more than fifty relatives, journalists and other experts contributed to that mission by testifying before the People's Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists. In addition to this evidence, the Tribunal has already led to remarkable outcomes. In Veracruz, Miguel and Yazmin Lopez hve encouraged other families of murdered journalists to speak out. Multiple families have decided to work together . Exactly eleven years after the murder of Miguel Ángel, Misael and Agustina, they revealed a monument to commemorate them and the other journalists from Veracruz. Nabil Al-Sharbaji's friends and colleagues paid him, and other Syrian journalists murdered over the course of war. In Syria, tribute after the hearing will be submitted to international bodies dedicated to documenting crimes committed in Syria. Despite strong pressure from the government of Gotabaya Rajapaksa - still in power during the hearing - 54 well-known Sri Lankans and 11 organizations publicly endorsed the Tribunal. After Rajapaksa's resignation, the evidence of the hearing will be used to contribute to the pursuit of justice for Lasantha Wickrematunge. More information, People's Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists.
"I hope my assassination will be seen not as a defeat of freedom but an inspiration for those who survive to step up their efforts. Indeed, I hopethat it will help galvanise forces that will usher in a new era of human liberty in our beloved motherland. I also hope it will open the eyes of your President to the fact that however many are slaughtered in the name of patriotism, the human spirit will endure and flourish. Not all the Rajapakses combined can kill that.
If you remember nothing else, remember this: The (Sunday) leader is there for you,be you Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, low-caste, homosexual, dissident or disabled. Its staff will fight on, unbowed and unafraid, with the courage to which you havebecome accustomed. Do not take that commitment for granted. Let there be no doubt that whatever sacrifices we journalists make, they are not made for our own glory or enrichment: they are made for you," Lasantha Wickrematunge.