Hedayat Abdel Nabi.....

Press Emblem Campaign

Intervention to the Meeting of Freedom of Expression An Arab-Euro Exchange - ACHR

Paris February 14, 2005

The Press Emblem Campaign aims at providing media with an Emblem that would be guaranteed by an International Convention ratified by as many countries as possible, so that the media like humanitarian workers would better perform their job in the field and especially in situations of armed conflict.

Iraq in 2003 and 2004 and at the beginning of 2005 has clearly indicated that there is a need for such an International Convention.

The situation in Palestine was also calling upon the media actors to move and do something.

On Friday February 4, 2005 an Italian journalist was abducted, and the PEC issued the following statement:

The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a Geneva based NGO condemns in the strongest possible manner the kidnapping of the Italian journalist Giulianna Sgrena and calls upon the abductors for her immediate and promote release and reminds them of the Geneva conventions that safeguard the lives of civilians in armed conflicts.

The PEC calls upon the International Community and state parties to the Geneva conventions to support the PEC, because it is in those tragic situations that the PEC Campaign becomes evident to defend the human and professional rights of those lonely rangers who have been silenced by terrorism or were temporarily silenced by Kidnapping.

The PEC Campaign again calls upon the member states of the United Nations to endorse its efforts to develop an international recognized convention including an emblem for the added protection of media in armed conflicts.

And at the beginning of this year several Iraqi journalists were killed or abducted.

Again the PEC issued a strong note of alert to the concerned parties, including world media organization and the note follows:

2004 was one of the worst years in history for journalists: at least 129 reporters and media staff was killed, the International Federation of
Journalists said yesterday.

In particular 2005 has started badly for the Iraqi journalists. Three have been killed and two have been kidnapped this month alone. We have also no news from the French reporter Florence Aubenas kidnapped five weeks ago.

The Iraqi syndicate of journalists, founding member of the PEC, and the PEC
call today upon all parties to the conflict in Iraq to spare the
journalists from such unnecessary suffering.

Hoda Diaa Hassan was killed a week ago, she worked for Al Nahda newspaper.
Her brother who works in the same paper, Ali Diaa Hassan was also killed. A
third Iraqi journalist Salem Eissa Harbi, working for the Iraqi WEFAQ
publication, was killed during the violence in Iraq last week.

Gamal Al Samarai, of Al Nahda newspaper was abducted, as well as Emad Abd Al
Amir, member of the Iraqi board of the syndicate of journalists. Those
abductions are now more than a week and no news has been received so far
from the two abducted Iraqi journalists.

PEC reminded its members and supporters that this is the whole reason why the
PEC was launched in order to take serious action to protect media in zones
of conflict by developing an emblem that is recognized by an international
convention.

It is to note here that in April 19, 2004, a group of dedicated journalists in Geneva launched the Press Emblem Campaign.

From that day on up to date the debate is heated between the proponents of the Campaign and those who oppose it.

The defenders of the Campaign told the opponents what would you offer? And up to date nothing was offered except a call for better training of media to face the dangers in zones of conflict.

The PEC told them to consider the draft convention, but nobody listened, some in fact went into a fury against the Campaign.

I have been watching the events since the beginning of 2005, and unfortunately I did not find any great interest to cover the death of Iraqi journalists nor the abduction of other Iraqi journalists.

Neither the world media nor the Arab Satellites have given much attention to the plight of Iraqi journalists.

Here comes the importance of the PEC Campaign, a campaign that defends the human and professional rights of those lonely rangers who have been silenced by terrorism or were temporarily silenced by Kidnapping.

Here I would like to draw your attention to articles 6, 7 and 8 of the proposed convention, which follow:

Article 6 Optional nature of the international distinctive press emblem

The wearing and use of the distinctive emblem is optional and left to the free choice of the journalist and/or his or her employers. No authority may impose the wearing of the distinctive emblem.

Article 7 Repression of breaches of the present Convention

Any attack against journalists in the exercise of their profession is a grave breach of the terms of Protocol I and of this Convention. Such acts must be repressed, in conformity with Article 85 and the following articles of Protocol I Repression of breaches
of the Conventions and of this Protocol.

The High Contracting Parties undertake, moreover, in the framework of the present Convention, to seek out persons suspected of having committed, or to have given orders to commit, grave breaches, to bring them to justice and to take any necessary
legislative action to fix appropriate penal sanctions to be applied to such persons.

Article 8 Responsibility

The High Contracting Party responsible for a grave breach against a journalist shall be liable, if the case demands, to pay compensation.

Each High Contracting Party shall take necessary legislative action in order to fix appropriate sanctions to be applied in cases of use of the distinctive emblem on their territory by persons who do not have the right to wear it.

So my question is: is there any real journalist who would oppose such protective clauses in a convention?

What we would like to develop is consensus among the several media protection
groups, however, if we fail, we will have to pursue our mission in good faith, because today we know that other media groups are supporting the PEC.

The PEC, has won the support of 3000 journalists representing the Francophonie, this is a substantial support.

I have received support from the Arab/American media association based in Washington DC and is made of some 40 Arab journalists.

Also the PEC received support from civil society in Egypt.

The UAE Syndicate of Journalists is a founding member of the PEC.

Another very important founding member of the PEC movement is the Swiss Federation of Journalists (IMPRESSUM), which is made up of 6000 professionals working in media organizations all over the country.

The PEC is based on a grass roots movement and we will tap the door of journalists all over the world to obtain their support.

In addition and most importantly the PEC has the support of the Iraqi syndicate of journalists whose members are threatened daily.

In a telephone conversation with Baghdad in early January, member of the Iraqi syndicate of journalists called upon the PEC to act following the killing of the three Iraqi journalists and the abduction of two, which were mentioned at the outset of my message to the Meeting.

So the PEC has reason to exist and to pursue its important mission, but during that course the PEC would like to be better understood by leading associations for media protection.

And the PEC will be there to defend those who are neglected and do not have an organization to defend them: the freelancers, the lonely rangers, and those whose media organizations does not cover their dangerous work with compensation.

The PEC also hopes that when peace and stability comes around in Iraq and Palestine, those perpetrators of those crimes against journalists would be brought to justice.

Thank you

Hedayat Abdel Nabi

President
Press Emblem Campaign