Rights experts condemn use of force against journalists covering US protests

Journalists covering ongoing protests denouncing systemic racism and police brutality in the United States must be able to do their job in peace.

UN Special Rapporteur David Kaye, and his counterpart from the Organization of American States, Edison Lanza, condemned the use of force against journalists reporting on demonstrations that have rocked cities across the US over the past two weeks following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, by police in Minneapolis.

“We have received numerous reports of journalists attacked, harassed, arrested and detained in the course of their work covering protests in the United States against systemic racism and police brutality in the United States”, they said in a joint statement.

The statement underlined the “essential watchdog role”, of the press in democratic societies, and the experts reminded US authorities that reporters must be afforded “the highest degree of protection” in order to perform their work freely.

“This obligation includes both the duty to avoid the use or threat of force against journalists and to protect journalists against third party violence,” they said.

The targeting of media workers with lethal or less-lethal force for doing their work is prohibited under international human rights law and contrary to best policing standards. Those violating such rules must be subject to accountability and disciplinary processes.

Original source: UN News
Published on 10 June 2020