Impunity Emboldens Future Assailants

Newsreel Asia Insight #40
Nov. 10, 2023

India has the dubious distinction of ranking 12th among nations where the murders of journalists are likely to remain unresolved, as per the 2023 Global Impunity Index published by the Committee to Protect Journalists.

An alarming 80 percent of journalist killings since 1993 across the world have not seen justice; their stories end not in courts of law but in silent statistics, according to the index, which says, in India alone, 19 voices have been permanently muted since 2013, with their murderers walking free.

The index doesn’t include those who have died in crossfire or those who lost their lives covering volatile events—it strictly counts the targeted killings that remain cloaked in impunity. It speaks to the directness of the attacks on the press: planned, executed, and left without consequence.

“The majority of the 19 murdered since September 2013 are believed to have been killed by criminals over reporting on topics ranging from environmental issues to local politics, but journalists are facing increasing pressure ahead of the country’s 2024 election,” says the report. “In addition to detentions, police raids and blocks of news websites, authorities are using a counterterrorism law against the media.”

At the top of the list is Somalia, followed in order by Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Mexico, the Philippines, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia, and India. The report explains: “Each country’s ranking is calculated as a proportion of their population size, meaning more populous countries like Mexico and India are lower on the list, in spite of having a higher number of journalist murders.”

Exploring the breadth of the index reveals patterns of systemic failure: conflict, corruption, insurgency and a disinterest in challenging the status quo contribute to a culture where killing a journalist is seen as a low-risk activity. The landscape of such nations varies—some are democracies in name alone, while others are autocracies. Some are emerging from the ruins of war, yet their newfound peace hasn’t extended to their reporters.

The index is not just a tally of deaths; it’s an indictment of inaction. The criteria for inclusion are stringent—only countries with five or more unsolved cases make the list.

These silenced journalists often tread dangerous grounds—exposing environmental degradation, unravelling political corruption, or simply being the bearers of inconvenient truths. Their elimination is a strategic blow to transparency and accountability in a country.

The persistence of impunity not only emboldens future assailants but erodes the fundamental freedoms that are essential for any society to thrive.

The impunity index was released on the UN-recognised International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, observed annually on Nov. 2, as a reminder of the work that lies ahead for nations. It’s a call for nations to protect journalists, for without them, the very idea of an informed society is at risk.

India must acknowledge that only when the murderers of journalists are brought to justice can the nation truly uphold the tenets of democracy and freedom. The world is watching, and history will remember the actions—or inactions—of today.

It’s not surprising that the World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders in May showed a decline in India’s standing, which fell to 161st out of 180 countries – dropping 11 places from its previous rank of 150.