Breaking the Chains

Aidan White
General Secretary, International Federation of Journalists

The Middle East region oppression against media is one of the most intense.  Conflicts have created an extremely dangerous environment for journalists, resulting in a total of 65 media workers killed in Iraq in 2007.

Seeking to silence moderate opinion, radicals attack reporters everyday.  At the same time, conflicts and internal political battles have become useful smokescreens for governments trying to crack down on journalists. The imposition of state of emergency or excuses based upon security, are standard alibis to justify the jailing of journalists.

In a region hungry for peace, stability and democratic development, key elements for change are more open government, more pluralism in politics and the press, and more engagement in the public information space by citizens at all levels.  Writing about politics, social, religious or economic issues in a tense global environment, requires sensitive and careful handling, it does not imply muzzling public debate.

In a 2003-42 resolution, the United Nations High Commission for Human rights “Calls upon States to refrain from the use of imprisonment or the imposition of fines for offences relating to the media which are disproportionate to the gravity of the offence and which violate international human rights law.”

In July 2007, the Federation of Arab Journalists (FAJ) launched in Morocco its Observatory on press and media freedom, to monitor the state of press freedom and document the social and professional conditions of journalists throughout the Arab world.  This event was welcomed as a huge leap forward by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the international media community.

Despite these positive developments, optimism was short-lived.  In February 2008, Arab governments agreed to give state control over satellite broadcasters operating in their countries.  Governments of the Arab League adopted a charter that mirrors repressive laws already in place in some countries which limit free expression and permit the prosecution of journalists who criticize their governments.  Qatar and Lebanon are the only two countries who did not sign up the charter.

The Breaking the Chains’ campaign urges a general decriminalization of press offences and condemns arrest, disproportionate fines, kidnappings and violence against media employees and employers.  It demands eliminating imprisonment as a radical sanction used to intimidate journalists and to silence independent media.

A report that accompanies the launch of this campaign, lists the main legal obstacles to freedom of speech in the Arab World and Iran and records cases of sentenced and jailed journalists. These cases give a flavour of the conditions in which journalists work.  They create an intolerable atmosphere of intimidation and fear that currently accompanies the exercise of journalism throughout the region.

Breaking the Chains is an initiative of the IFJ and its affiliates in the Arab World and Iran. Launched in June 2007, this campaign is not just about exposing bad laws and poor governance; it is also helping to build professional solidarity among the journalists in the region.  Working together, journalists and their unions are building a new and vigorous reality about the future of ethical and independent journalism.  Change will not happen overnight, but it will come fast and more effectively when journalists and other media professionals stand up for their rights.