57 journalists killed in Iraq in 2016: RSF

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Seven reporters were killed in Iraq in 2016, out of a total of 57 who were killed in conflict areas across the world, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF) which released its annual report on Monday.

Taking into the count citizens who contributed to news-reporting efforts, the total goes up to 75, according to 74, according to the organization.

Syria comes on top of the death tally with 19 victims, the report says.

The total for 2016 is, however, a drop from the 101 death count of 2015.

“The numbers are rising dramatically. A total of 348 journalists are currently detained worldwide – 6% more than were detained at this time last year,” RSF said.

“RSF condemns the impunity enjoyed by those who murder journalists and the complicit lack of action by many governments that are often only too ready themselves to trample on media freedom,” said the organization.

“The violence against journalists is more and more deliberate,” RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. “They are clearly being targeted and murdered because they are journalists. This alarming situation reflects the glaring failure of the international initiatives aimed at protecting them, and is a death warrant for independent reporting in those areas where all possible means are used to impose censorship and propaganda, especially by fundamentalist groups in the Middle East.