International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists 2022:
Since 2013, the second of November has been celebrated as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI). The day came into existence when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution in December 2013. The day raises awareness of the impunity, or lack of punishment, for crimes against journalists. It took a couple of years of work and extensive lobbying from IFEX (formerly International Freedom of Expression Exchange) and others to get the Resolution for marking the day passed.
October 2022 Current Affairs Quiz
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists 2022: Theme
High-Level Multi-Stakeholder Conference on the Safety of Journalists with the theme “Protecting Media to Protect Democracy” will be the primary event commemorating the 2022 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists in Vienna, Austria. This year’s slogan is Knowing the “Truth is Protecting the Truth”.
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists 2022: Significance
IDEI brings attention to crimes against media persons and how criminals often get away with such offences. To mark the day, states are urged to do their best to prevent violence against journalists, ensure accountability, and bring perpetrators to justice.
The day is significant as putting a stop to impunity for crimes against journalists is a pre-requisite to guaranteeing freedom of expression and upholding justice in society. Continued impunity does not just result in more murders. It is also a sign of increased conflict and the breakdown of the law and judicial system.
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists: History
The date for IDEI was chosen to commemorate the November 2, 2013, assassination of two journalists in Mali. Al Qaida claimed responsibility for the death and kidnapping of French media workers Claude Verlon and Ghislaine Dupont. The culprits remain unapprehended to this day. Official figures show a grim picture for other journalists as well. More than 1,200 journalists were killed between 2006 and 2020 for doing their jobs, according to UNESCO’s Killed Journalists Observatory. In 90% of these cases, the killer went unpunished. Observation of the day is especially important in India, where 2021 was one of the deadliest years for Indian journalists in the past decade. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, six journalists were killed in the country between 2021 and 2022.
