RSF: 50 Journalists Killed in 2020

Iranian opposition figure Ruhollah Zam who was executed in December. AP
Iranian opposition figure Ruhollah Zam who was executed in December. AP
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RSF: 50 Journalists Killed in 2020

Iranian opposition figure Ruhollah Zam who was executed in December. AP
Iranian opposition figure Ruhollah Zam who was executed in December. AP

Fifty journalists and media workers were killed in connection with their work in 2020, the majority in countries that are not at war, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Tuesday.

The figure shows an increase in the targeting of reporters investigating organized crime, corruption or environmental issues, the watchdog said.

It highlighted murders in Mexico, India and Pakistan, AFP reported.

Eighty-four percent of those killed this year were "deliberately targeted" for their work, RSF said in its annual report, compared to 63 percent in 2019.

"For several years now, Reporters Without Borders has noted that investigative journalists are really in the crosshairs of states, or cartels," said Pauline Ades-Mevel, RSF editor-in-chief.

Mexico was the deadliest country, with eight killed. "Links between drug traffickers and politicians remain, and journalists who dare to cover these or related issues continue to be the targets of barbaric murders," said the report.

None of the Mexico killings had yet been punished, added RSF, which has compiled annual data on violence against journalists around the globe since 1995.

Five journalists were killed in war-torn Afghanistan, it said, noting an increase in targeted attacks on media workers in recent months even as peace talks between the government and Taliban are ongoing.

RSF also highlighted the case of Iranian opposition figure Ruhollah Zam, who ran a popular social media channel that rallied regime opponents, and who was executed in December.

His execution "confirms Iran's record as a country that has officially put the most journalists to death in the past half-century," it said.

Ades-Mevel said RSF had also noted the "developing" trend of violence against media workers covering protests, notably in the United States following the killing of George Floyd, and in France against a controversial new security law.

The total number of journalists killed in 2020 was lower than the 53 reported in 2019, although RSF said fewer journalists worked in the field this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the first part of the report, published this month, RSF said it was concerned that measures imposed by governments to fight the pandemic had contributed to a "significant peak in violations of press freedom".

It listed 387 jailed journalists, which it called "a historically high number".

Fourteen of those had been arrested in connection with their coverage of the coronavirus crisis, it said.



Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich to Meet US Treasury Secretary Next Week

Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich arrives to attend a weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem March 5, 2023. (Reuters)
Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich arrives to attend a weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem March 5, 2023. (Reuters)
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Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich to Meet US Treasury Secretary Next Week

Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich arrives to attend a weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem March 5, 2023. (Reuters)
Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich arrives to attend a weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem March 5, 2023. (Reuters)

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a right-winger kept at arms length by Washington under former President Joe Biden, will meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington next Wednesday, Smotrich's spokesman said on Thursday.

Smotrich went to Washington in March 2023 to meet with leaders of Israel's US-based government bonds program but did not meet any officials from Biden's administration.

The pro-settler Smotrich had clashed with Biden officials, including then-Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, over aid and banking arrangements for the Palestinian territories.

Smotrich has praised President Donald Trump, including over a decision to lift sanctions imposed under Biden against Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.