13 July 2005
ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS INCREASING
In Peru, an increasing number of journalists are being physically and verbally assaulted, with many of the attacks coming from members of the public, says Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), citing a recent report by the National Association of Journalists of Peru (ANP).
According to ANP figures, there were 47 cases of physical and verbal attacks on journalists in the first six months of 2005, an alarming number compared to 34 cases in the same period last year. Most of these violations took place in the Andean and Amazonian regions of the country.
Of the 47 attacks, 28 came from members of the public. In contrast, only nine attacks in the first half of 2004 were attributed to members of the public.
RSF says the trend seems to confirm the marked deterioration in press freedom seen in Peru last year, which was observed by other press freedom groups.
The Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) issued twice as many press freedom alerts in 2004 (73) than it did in 2003 (30).
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) said in a March 2005 report that the number of journalists attacked because of their work has increased. "These attacks included armed raids on media outlets, brief kidnappings, seizure and destruction of notes and equipment and anonymous death threats. In some cases, especially in the provinces, the attackers have been identified and linked to local officials who have been challenged by the press."
In 2004, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) recorded two journalists killed in Peru - the first time in more than a decade that a journalist was slain in the country because of their work.
Visit these links:
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=14379
- IPYS: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/63724/
- IAPA: http://www.sipiapa.org/pulications/report_peru2005.cfm
- CPJ: http://www.cpj.org/attacks04/americas04/peru.html
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