Trakassering av journalist Hamid Mir må ta slutt
Norsk PEN er svært bekymret over situasjonen til Hamid Mir, en av Pakistans mest fremtredende journalister og vert for landets mest sette TV-talkshow, Capital Talk, på grunn av trakassering og trusler mot hans liv. Mir har overlevd to attentatforsøk i den siste tiden.
Nylig ble Mir oppmerksom på de livsfarlige truslene mot ham. Mir fortalte den New York-baserte Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) at han har mottatt flere drapstrusler på sosiale medier og advarsler angående hans sikkerhet.
Norsk PEN er dypt bekymret over de økende truslene mot ytringsfriheten i Pakistan, spesielt etter stortingsvalget i 2024.
Mir er en fremtredende og vokal kritiker av Pakistans mektige militære innblanding i landets politiske anliggender. Han mottar ofte sterke reaksjoner fra militæret for sin rapportering om Balochistan, en urolig provins der militæret har blitt anklaget for utenrettslige drap og påtvungne forsvinninger. Mirs dekning og talkshow om Balochistan, inkludert marsjer og samlinger av savnede personer, antas å ha provosert militæret.
– Jeg er dypt bekymret for situasjonen Hamid Mir nå befinner seg i, og at han frykter for sitt liv og sin sikkerhet, kun på grunn av sitt arbeid som journalist. Dette er ikke første gang han trakasseres for sine ytringer. Jeg oppfordrer pakistanske myndigheter til å undersøke truslene mot Mir, og holde de skyldige ansvarlige, sier Jørgen Watne Frydnes, generalsekretær i Norsk PEN.
Pakistan er et av de farligste stedene i verden for journalister. I dag, på Verdens pressfrihetsdag, ble en journalist drept i Khuzdar, et distrikt i den sørvestlige Balochistan-provinsen, i et bombeangrep. Data fra CPJ viser at siden 1992 har 64 journalister blitt drept i forbindelse med deres arbeid i Pakistan.
Norsk PEN oppfordrer pakistanske myndigheter til å iverksette umiddelbare tiltak for å beskytte alle journalister, inkludert Hamid Mir, som er utsatt for trusler og trakassering.
Intimidation and Threats Against Prominent Pakistani Journalist Hamid Mir Must End
PEN Norway is deeply concerned regarding the ongoing harassment, intimidation, and threats against Hamid Mir, one of Pakistan’s most prominent journalists and the host of the country’s most-watched TV talk show, Capital Talk.
Mir has survived two assassination attempts in the past. In the last week of April, Mir was alerted to life-threatening threats by two fellow journalists. Mir told the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that he has received multiple death threats on social media and warnings concerning his safety.
PEN Norway is deeply concerned by the increasing threats to freedom of expression in Pakistan specially following the 2024 general election.
Mir has been a vocal critic of Pakistan’s powerful military’s interference in the country’s political affairs. He frequently faces the military’s ire for his reporting on Balochistan, a restive province where the military has been accused of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. Mir’s coverage and talk shows on Balochistan, including marches and rallies of missing persons, are believed to have provoked the country’s powerful military establishment.
“I am deeply concerned that Hamid Mir is once again under threat, fearing for his life, safety, and security merely for carrying out his duties as a journalist. I am aware that this is not the first time he has been targeted in connection with his work. I urge Pakistani authorities to investigate the threats against Mir’s life and hold those responsible accountable,” said Jørgen Watne Frydnes, Secretary General of PEN Norway.
Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists, with another journalist killed on World Press Freedom Day on Friday in Khuzdar, a remote district in southwestern Balochistan province, during a bombing incident. CPJ data shows that since 1992, 64 journalists have been killed in connection with their work in Pakistan.
PEN Norway calls on Pakistani authorities to take immediate measures to protect all journalists, including Hamid Mir who is subjected to intimidation, threats, and online harassment.
