In a disturbing incident, Nelson Matus, a Mexican journalist, was brutally killed on July 15, in the resort seaside city of Acapulco, situated in the southwestern state of Guerrero, Euronews reports.
Matus, who held the position of director at the local news website "Lo Real de Guerrero," fell victim to a fatal shooting that occurred in broad daylight. The attack took place around 3 p.m. in the Emiliano Zapata area, located in the northern part of Acapulco, when Matus was inside his car parked at a store parking lot.
Nelson Matus is the second journalist killed within a week in Mexico, known as one of the most perilous countries for media professionals worldwide, primarily due to violence perpetrated by organized crime.
Latest UNESCO report on crimes against journalists reveals that in 2021, 36% of media personnel killed were in conflict zones. The situation is dire globally as new threats like cybercrime transcend specific regions. Disturbingly, our data shows that 85% of the world's population has faced restrictions on freedom of speech in the past five years, says Guilherme Canela de Souza Godoy, Head of UNESCO's Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists section.
Beyond conflict areas, numerous countries pose challenges for press cardholders, including Mexico, Turkey, China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. Even in Europe, particularly in the Balkans, the situation is far from ideal, with threats from organized crime.
The Balkans, on the doorstep of the European Union, face catastrophic conditions for press freedom. Serbia has become a testing ground for Russian disinformation. Countries aspiring for Eurointegration must cease harboring "troll factories" and protect criminal groups that target journalists, asserts Pauline Adès-Mével from Reporters Without Borders.
On World Press Freedom Day, observed on May 3, the Council of Europe called on governments to do everything possible to safeguard journalists as a means to protect democracy.
In a previous publication of Daryo that the European Parliament has expressed its endorsement of legislation aimed at safeguarding the rights and safety of journalists.
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