This post is a summary of three reports. Two published at the same place, BBCBrasil.com and on the same day, April,27,2012. One has the title " In twenty years, around 70% of the deaths of journalists stayed unpunished in Brazil." Another, " United Nations condemns deaths of journalists in Brazil." Both written by Luis Kawaguti, and translated by me. Other was published at Deccanherald.com, on December,18, 2012. With the title, " 139 journalists killed on the job in 2012."
According to the American organization Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) there were 20 murderes between 1992 and 2012, being that 14 were not punished. Brazil was classified by the committee in 11st place among the countries where there is more impunity against press professionals. However, the survey of the CPJ is outdated. The organization counted in 2012 only the death of the journalist Mario Randolpho in Vassouras. According to the survey of the CPJ, the most part of the victims were journalists reporting on corruption cases, however more common than murderes are the threats and intimidation cases.
The Office of the High-Commissariat of Human Rights of the United Nations condemned on friday the murder of journalist Dêcio Sá in Maranhão State. The organization called of "troublesome trend" the fact of another journalist murdered in the country in less than four months. " We are worried with what seems to be a troublesome trend in the deaths of journalists, what is affecting the practice of free speech in Brazil," said the spokesman of the office, Rupert Colville. The office requested that measures of protection should be adopted immediately to avoid new crimes of this kind.
A total of 139 journalists from 29 countries lost their lives while doing their jobs in 2012, the Press Emblem campaign (PEC) said. Many of those deaths came among reporters covering the conflict in Syria. After the Iraq war, the civil strife in Syria has become the bloodiest episode for journalists since the beginning of the 21st century. Somalia ranks second among the world`s most dangerous countries for journalists with a death toll of 19, while Pakistan comes in third with 12. Meanwhile three Latin America countries remain on the most-dangerous list this year. In Mexico and Brazil, both ranked fourth in the world, at least 11 journalists were killed up to now. And in Honduras there were at least 6.
