IFJ affiliates remember journalists killed in line of duty

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 8 June 2016

International Federation of Journalists delegates marched in Angers to commemorate those killed in the line of duty. They called for greater efforts to investigate these murders and ensure justice.

Summary

ANGERS, France - Three hundred delegates representing the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) marched through the city streets of Angers, France, on Wednesday (June 8) to remember journalists killed in the line of duty. Delegates who participated at the IFJ World Congress laid a white rose in front of the commemorative plaque for Camille Lepage, who was killed on 12 May 2014 in the Central African Republic (CAR). The 26-year-old journalist had been travelling near the CAR border with Cameroon when she got caught up in fighting. The circumstances of her death remain uninvestigated. IFJ President, Jim Boumelha, said: "The death of a journalist such as Camille is utterly painful. It is an injustice. The killing of journalists doesn't only affect journalists, media and unions, it is a concern for society as a whole." The IFJ has been campaigning for several years on a wide scale to denounce impunity for crimes against journalists. Only one murder out of 10 is investigated and impunity remains the highest threat to press freedom in the world. The IFJ reiterated its call on world governments to do their utmost to bring journalists’ murderers to justice. - IFJ

KEY POINTS:

• Three hundred delegates marched in Angers to honor fallen journalists.
• Camille Lepage was among those remembered, killed in 2014.
• Only one in ten murders of journalists is investigated.
• Impunity poses a significant threat to press freedom globally.
• IFJ urges governments to ensure justice for murdered journalists.