The 2nd of November Marks the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists

02-11-2023 

Sofía Medina Sánchez 

International Justice and Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence 

The 2nd of November, the International Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists is celebrated. Impunity constitutes an accelerating preoccupying trend which has turned into a standing culture of impunity for crimes against journalists. This neglectable practice has had particularly dire consequences on journalistic work and access to relevant information of public interest for people. 

The Council of Europe launched a campaign for the safety of journalists on the 5th of October in Riga. The focus of such campaign will be fighting against impunity and the developing tendency of allowing perpetrators of crimes against journalists to escape unscathed. Moreover, the campaign’s goal is to punish and prosecute the perpetrators of intimidation or violence against journalists, through the application of strong legal frameworks and the promotion of international collaboration. 

By fostering increased awareness and championing advocacy, the initiative strives to establish a more secure operating environment for journalists, eradicating the specter of fear. It is committed to guaranteeing that any forms of aggression against journalists are neither ignored nor left unpunished.

The Campaign for the Safety of Journalists will take proactive measures to cultivate an atmosphere in which the relentless pursuit of truth is safeguarded. Simultaneously, it will diligently work to ensure that those responsible for crimes against journalists are held accountable, thereby dismantling the prevailing culture of impunity that has long obscured the safety of these professionals.

Sources and Further Reading: 

Council of Europe, Newsroom, 2 November: International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, 2 November 2023: https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/2-november-international-day-to-end-impunity-for-crimes-against-journalists

Council of Europe, Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors, Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 13 April 2016 at the 1253rd meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies: https://search.coe.int/cm/Pages/result_details.aspx?ObjectId=09000016806415d9#_ftn1

Council of Europe, Implementation Guide to selected topics under the Protection and Prosecution pillars of the Guidelines of Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4 on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors DGI(2020)11, June 2020: https://rm.coe.int/safety-implementation-guide-en-16-june-2020/16809ebc7c