January 24, 2001. Copyright 2001. Graphic News. All rights reserved.

PRESS GROUP SAYS 53 JOURNALISTS KILLED IN 2000

LONDON, January 24, Graphic News: A total of 53 journalists and other media workers were killed around the world in 2000, many of them in their homes and work-places, according to the Paris-based World Association of Newspapers (WAN).

The two most dangerous places for reporters to work were Colombia and Russia, with 10 and six journalists respectively killed in the two countries last year, WAN said.

ÒFewer journalists were killed in warfare in 2000 than in the previous year,Ó said Anne-Marie Stott, policy adviser for WAN. ÒUnfortunately, far more journalists were killed in their homes and offices. This is a disturbing trend -- many of them appear to be retributive attacks,Ó she said.

Most of the killings took place in developing countries though one journalist, James Edwin Richards, a crime reporter, was shot dead in the United States. 

Jose Luis Lopez de la Calle, who was killed in Spain, is thought to have been murdered by Basque separatist guerrillas.

Three journalists each were killed last year in India, Sierra Leone, Haiti and the Philippines while two journalists each were killed in Mexico and Bangladesh. The others were spread over 16 countries.

Among those murdered in Sierra Leone was veteran Reuters war correspondent Kurt Schork, shot dead by rebels last May.

WAN defends and promotes press freedom worldwide, and represents 17,000 newspapers.
/ENDS
Source: Reuters