Press release: Democracy threatened by human rights abuses against journalists

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Journalists in countries worldwide are suffering serious human rights abuses, according to new research from an independent NGO, the Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI). Data released today gives scores for a range of human rights for 203 countries and territories, and includes specific data on the risks journalists face in a sample of 36 diverse countries. 

Journalists in 28 of the 36 countries were found to face a wide range of human rights violations, which threatens their ability to play their vital role in any healthy society. 

HRMI’s large network of human rights experts in those countries reported the killing or disappearance of journalists in China, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Liberia, Vietnam, Mexico, Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka. 

As well as risks to their lives and safety, journalists face government interference and persecution that prevents them from reporting freely, in India, Bangladesh, DR Congo, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives, Mozambique, Singapore, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, and Samoa. 

‘Journalists do absolutely crucial work in any society, and governments must protect them, and respect their human rights,’ said HRMI Co-Executive Director Melissa del Aguila. ‘There’s a huge domino effect when governments target journalists. If journalists are persecuted, it’s so much harder for everyone else to know what’s going on in their country, and to exercise their own rights. Governments everywhere must respect the rights of journalists to report freely, and to be safe doing so.’ 

Journalists in Brazil, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, and Angola also struggle to enjoy their everyday rights to adequate food, housing, health, and work, because of government persecution.  

All HRMI’s data are freely available to the public on RightsTracker.org and are updated annually. Since 2017, HRMI has used a range of award-winning, peer-reviewed, robust methodologies to produce human rights data for the common good. HRMI is an independent, non-profit NGO headquartered in New Zealand. HRMI’s data are used by a wide range of people and organisations, including Amnesty International, the World Bank, and the United Nations.  

ENDS 

Notes to editors

A full media kit is available here: https://humanrightsmeasurement.org/media-kit-2024/ 

HRMI experts are available for comment. Please contact Waed al-Nimri with press enquiries: waed.nimri@hrmi.ngo