90 journalists killed in 2001, says IFJ

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Nov. 22: There have been 90 cases killings of journalists in 2001, says the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the world’s largest journalists’ group.

The Federation has now urged journalists and media persons to avoid unsafe front-line reporting and not to travel without protection in Afghanistan after four more journalists perished in a road side ambush near Kabul- bringing the toll in Afghanistan in the last week to seven.

According to a IFJ press release the four died in the ambush were Harry Burton, Australian cameraman of Reuters news agency, Azizullah Haidari, an Afghan-born photographer, Maria Grazia Cuturi of Corriere della Sera, an Italian daily and Julio Fuenters of El Mundo, a Madrid daily El Mundo. The fifth person, who also died in the ambush, is yet to be identified.

"Much of Afghanistan is now a bandit country and hundreds of reporters are at a risk," said Aidan White, General Secretary of the IFJ, and added that it was clearly reckless of the reporters to go without military protection to areas that have not been secured.

"Journalists have to be extra careful in making sure they have cover when they are moving around the country, but even with armed guards they are still at risk given the irregular nature of the forces on the ground," he said.

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