Amnesty says journalism remains "a real act of courage"
Amnesty International (AI) today highlighted that journalism continues to be "a real act of courage" in many parts of the world, recalling the professionals who were victims of the war in the Gaza Strip.
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Mundo Amnistia Internacional
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, which is marked on Friday, AI appealed in a statement for "freedom to report to always overcome the attacks to which it is subject", emphasizing "the crucial role" of journalists, but also "the dangers they still face globally".
In several parts of the world, the organization says, journalistic activity "is threatened, persecuted, reprimanded and criminalized", and "gathering, working and disseminating information - so that it is possible to make their reality known - is a true act of courage".
In the statement, AI recalls the professionals who were victims in more than six months of war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, citing figures from the Committee to Protect Journalists, which account for 97 deaths since October 7.
Of this total, 92 were Palestinians, two Israelis and three Lebanese, according to the Committee, which notes that "in the last 30 years, no other war has taken the lives of so many journalists in such a short space of time".
Added to that number are at least 45 Palestinian journalists detained in Israeli custody, of whom 23 are in administrative detention and others are missing, according to Addameer, a prisoner support association based in Ramallah.
"Amnesty International emphasizes that journalism is a profession to be protected at all costs, so that the right to inform, to be informed and to be informed can be guaranteed, without impediments or discrimination", states the statement, which notes that journalists have an essential job "to document the reality on the ground and combat disinformation".
In this sense, the organization emphasizes that "their professional activity cannot be criminalized, nor entail risks to their safety and life".
Read Also: Amnesty denounces attacks on journalists in East and South Africa (Portuguese version)
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