Government urged to probe threats, assaults against journalists

JUBA – The Secretary-General of the Union of Journalists of South Sudan, Danial Majak Kuany has called on the government to investigate all crimes committed against journalists and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Majak made this called during the commemoration of International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Committed against Journalists in Juba on Tuesday.

“We are also aware that murder cases of journalists have not been reported since 2017, however, many crimes against journalists are still being committed and perpetrators are never brought to book,” Majak said.

He said the security organs continue to be kidnapped, harassed, assaulted, and detained beyond the limit provided by the laws of South Sudan.

“Journalists are at times kidnapped, harassed, assaulted, detained beyond the limit provided by the laws of South Sudan and released without charges or trial and we in the media celebrate the release of those journalists but no action is taken against those who violate the rights of the journalists,”  he said.

He urged security personnel, the Media Authority of South Sudan, the Information Commission, and the Communication Authority to take the lead towards ending impunity against journalists.

“UJOSS calls for rule of law, a justice system that vigorously investigates all threats of violence against journalists to send a powerful message that our society will not tolerate attacks against journalists and against the right to freedom of expression for all,” he said.

According to the global impunity index released recently by the Committee to Protect Journalists ranked  South Sudan is one of the world’s worst countries in terms of prosecuting killers of journalists in 2021.

The latest report, titled: ‘Killers of journalists still get away with murder’ highlights unresolved killings of journalists in countries where “members of the press are singled out for murder and the perpetrators go scot-free.”

It shows 81% of journalist murders were not accounted for across the world in the last 10 years.