UNSMIL and UNESCO Call for Greater safety of Media Workers in Libya
The third of May of every year, the world celebrates the World Press Freedom Day.
This is day, is a very important day for Libya, a country of journalists and bloggers who played a key role during the 2011 revolution and continue to do so. On this occasion, the United Nations applauds the courage and the commitment of Libya’s media workers and social media bloggers who work under extremely difficult circumstances.
“Journalists in Libya need protection so that they can carry out their work independently and contribute to building peace and unity in the country,” said Martin Kobler, Special-Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Libya. “Impunity for attacks against journalists must be tackled and perpetrators brought to justice. The cases of disappearance need to be fully investigated and any journalist in arbitrary detention released.”
One year ago, on World Press Freedom Day in 2015, the body of a nineteen-year-old student blogger was handed over to his family, following his abduction ten days earlier by an armed group in Tripoli. This case symbolizes the dangers faced by journalists, bloggers and other media workers in Libya. In 2016, the situation remains dangerous for journalists and media workers who face attacks and threats, jeopardizing their ability to report independent, quality information.
