In the vain attempt to conceal brutal bloodshed and massacre, the Egyptian military targeted journalists, who were witness to the peaceful protest and barbaric assault on the people by the Egyptian army. Across the globe, journalists have been targeted either to silence the critics or to suppress the genuine voice of the masses.In every country, journalists have been subjected to assault during armed conflicts, protests on the street, freedom movements or when they chose to speak or write against any group, political class or crime.
Initially, the champions of democracy in the world maintained conspicuous silence and chose to be a mute spectator after the coup in Egypt, but now they have started to open their mouth against the gruesome attack on the civilians and scribes. At least four journalists have been killed or succumbed to injuries and dozens of them are injured or battling for life in hospitals. There is possibility of some more casualties which we may come to know later either by witnesses or from the family of the victims.
Journalist Habiba Ahmed AbdElaziz killed in Cairo on 14 August
Habiba Ahmed Abd El aziz, who was working as staff reporter for XPRESS, a sister publication of Gulf News, is reported to have been shot dead in Cairo by military during protest on 14 August. The text message of the last conversation that took place between Habiba and her mother Sabreen Mangoud, which was posted on the Facebook, is: Mother: Where are you? Habiba: Only journalists were allowed to remain in the building. I’m supposed to cover the monument in case the battle starts. Habiba: I took three kinds of medication. It’s very cold here and I’m shivering. The crowds are massive and on high alert. Pray for us, mother. Mother: God, keep us steadfast and give us power. God, grant us power over their necks. I entrust you to God the Almighty.
Another reporter killed was photojournalist Mosab El-Shami Rassd of the news website (RNN), an alternative pro-Islamist media network, Ahram online reports. The agency wrote that he ”was killed by the hand of betrayal while covering the Rabaa massacre at the hands of those who executed the coup,” wrote the network on its Facebook page.
Egyptian journalist Ahmed Abdel Gawad, who was working with the state-run newspaper Al Akhbar, was killed while covering the crackdown by military at Rabaah al-Adawiya.
British broadcaster Sky News has also confirmed that its television cameraman Mick Deane, 61, was shot and wounded while covering the protest but later on succumbed to the injuries.
Sky News television cameraman Mick Deane shot and killed in Cairo on 14 August
In Brussels, The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on 16 August mourned the death of four journalists in Egypt. “We are shocked and saddened to learn the loss of our colleagues who died because they believed in the purpose and mission of journalism. We should continue to honour them by keeping faith with their best aspirations. In their names we can and should do more to find ways of making journalism safer. We express our deepest condolences to their families and colleagues,” said IFJ President Jim Boumelha in a statement.
As per reports available, an AP photographer was hit in the neck by two birdshot pellets, while Al Jazeera has claimed that its cameraman Mohammed al-Zaki was shot in the arm. Tarek Abbas, a reporter of local Al-Watan newspaper and photographer Ahmad Najjar are also injured. More than a dozen other journalists have been threatened and arrested for trying to capture visuals of the mayhem. Reuters’ Tom Finn has tweeted his own arrest while Daily Beast reporter Mike Giglio has tweeted that he was arrested along with two other photographers named Mahmoud Abou Zeid and Louis Jammes. Chilling photographs or visuals shown in print or television were made possible only because some journalists have risked their lives to get hold of it. Some of them managed to get it while others have been arrested, injured or even killed.
Likewise, journalists who were witness of the demolition of Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992 have recalled the manner in which they were targeted, cameras were smashed, reporters attacked and all efforts were made that no footage or image of the demolition goes out from the demolished site. If there are pictures available of the demolition it is because of some journalists and a sound engineer who hid the tapes in a temple. Shuchi Bansal in her article in Mint,“Ayodhya: For the first time, the media faced right-wing frenzy”has written about the views expressed by Mark Tully of BBC. He said,“I was prodded with tridents by a mob when I tried to re-enter the city after filing the first report on the tragic events through telephone for BBC Radio. I cannot clearly recall, but that was probably among the first news that was sent out.”
On 17July 2013, journalists, while addressing the UN Security Council for the first time, demanded from world leaders to do more to protect reporters risking their lives in conflict situations and demanded protections similar to those provided for diplomats. According to a Press Freedom Index 2013, Finland has emerged at the top among 197 countries that most respect the media freedom followed by the Netherlands and Norway. Egypt is at the lowest at158th position while India is in 140th position which is the lowest since 2002 because of increasing cases of violence against journalists.