PFUJ calls for end to Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists
November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
JournalismPakistan.com | Published 5 years ago
Join our WhatsApp channel
Leaflets threatening to kill seven Tamil journalists were left at the Batticaloa Press Club and a nearby bus stop in Batticaloa, a city in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Sri Lankan affiliate, the Federation of Media Employees' Trade Union (FMETU) condemn the threat and urge authorities to guarantee the safety of the targeted journalists.
The leaflets were found under the door of the Batticaloa Press Club and at the nearby bus stop at 2:30 pm on January 23. The leaflet written in Tamil said: “Beware! Beware! These are the reporters who received money from the Tigers abroad and acting against the state. We will soon execute them.”
The pamphlet contains a picture taken earlier this month of all seven attending a memorial of murdered journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge who was assassinated. Reports have stated the current president of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa was responsible for Lasantha’s assassination.
The incident was immediately reported to the police, where the journalists requested protection. The police remained silent upon hearing the request for safety. Punniyamoorthy Sasikaran, an employee for Sirasa Television and one of the targeted journalists, said that while he was scared for his safety, he was more concerned about what might happen to his family.
FMETU said: “We condemn the death threat to the Batticaloa, Tamil Journalists and demand the Sri Lankan government to make a special inquiry and provide special protection to them.”
The IFJ said: “The outright neglect by the police to action the complaints is a gross violation of the journalists’ right to safety. We condemn the threats made against the journalists and urge the government to provide special protection. It is crucial for authorities to establish a special inquiry into the threats, determine their source and ensure the safety of journalists and their families.”—IFJ media release/ Photo credit: Batticaloa Press Club
November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
November 02, 2025: Impunity for crimes against journalists deepens worldwide as Pakistan reports a 60 percent surge in attacks and weak enforcement of safety laws.
November 01, 2025: Pakistan Press Foundation reports 137 attacks on journalists in 2025, highlighting rising threats, legal harassment, and censorship on the International Day to End Impunity.
November 01, 2025: A viral Samaa TV clip featuring MNA Sher Afzal Marwat’s crude remarks and Talat Hussain’s laughter raises questions about the declining ethics of Pakistani television.
October 31, 2025: Police foiled a plot to kill DawnNewsTV journalist Tahir Naseer in Rawalpindi after arresting suspects hired for Rs200,000. Naseer says threats followed his reporting.
October 31, 2025: CPJ calls on Pakistan to bring Imtiaz Mir’s killers to justice after the journalist was allegedly murdered by a banned militant group in Karachi.
October 30, 2025: The PFUJ has condemned a fabricated drug case against journalist Matiullah Jan, calling it an attempt to silence him and urging authorities to quash the charges immediately.
October 30, 2025: NewsOne TV remains on air but faces mass layoffs and delayed salaries, exposing Pakistan’s worsening media crisis and financial instability.
November 02, 2025 Independent outlet All About Macau to halt print and online operations amid rising pressure, financial strain, and legal threats, sparking press freedom concerns in the city.
November 01, 2025 Belarus court jails journalist Siarhei Chabotska for extremism and defaming the president, highlighting Minsk’s ongoing crackdown on press freedom.
November 01, 2025 Mexican journalist Miguel Angel Beltran was found murdered in Durango. CPJ urges authorities to ensure justice amid rising violence against journalists in Mexico.
November 01, 2025 UNESCO survey finds one-third of media lawyers cannot effectively defend journalists due to threats, limited resources, and lack of specialization.
October 31, 2025 Radio Free Asia, a US government-funded broadcaster covering tightly controlled Asian media environments, has suspended all news operations after federal funding dried up.