NEW YORK
The threat of
terrorism is exposing Kenyan journalists to increased dangers, an
international press freedom group said in a report released at the
United Nations headquarters on Monday.
Reporters are at
risk of becoming victims of violence in their coverage of terrorist
organisations such as Al-Shabaab, the Committee to Protect Journalists
(CPJ) said in the 2015 edition of its annual survey: Attacks on the Press.
Journalists
also experience repression from "governments that restrict civil
liberties, including press freedom, in the name of fighting terror,"
added Joel Simon, the committee's director.
In its
section on Kenya, the group's report stated: "The Kenyan press is being
caught in the crossfire as authorities seek to strengthen defences
against terrorists".
CPJ pointed specifically to the
enactment late last year of the Security Laws (Amendment) Bill. It gives
the government "the power to stop the press covering terror attacks,"
the report said, adding that the law allows Kenyan security forces to
"intercept communications and imprison journalists for covering
anti-terrorism investigations and operations".
In a separate statement issued last week, CPJ criticised the April 18 attack by General Service Unit officers on two journalists in Tana River County.
Nehemiah Okwembah of NTV and Citizen TV’s Reuben Ogachi were attacked at the Galana Agricultural Corporation Development Ranch.
The journalists were pursuing a story on 200 cattle that were seized by the officers.
The
two "were simply doing their jobs," said CPJ East Africa representative
Tom Rhodes, adding: "Kenyan police must not be allowed to attack
journalists with impunity."
MOST CENSORED COUNTRIES
But the Kenyan media is apparently much less restricted than news organisations in some other East African countries.
Eritrea
tops CPJ's list of the world's "10 most censored countries", and
Ethiopia is ranked as the fourth-most repressive state for journalists.
Eritrean
President Isaias Afewerki "has succeeded in his campaign to crush
independent journalism, creating a media climate so oppressive that even
reporters for state-run news outlets live in constant fear of arrest,"
CPJ said in its report.
"Eritrea is Africa's worst
jailer of journalists, with at least 23 behind bars — none of whom has
been tried in court or even charged with a crime."
In
the run-up to elections scheduled for next month, Ethiopia
"systematically cracked down on the country's remaining independent
publications through the arrests of journalists and intimidation of
printing and distribution companies," CPJ added.
Ten
independent journalists and bloggers were imprisoned in Ethiopia last
year, while at least 16 other reporters were forced to flee the country,
the report said.
No comments:
Post a Comment