Freedom of Expression
Press Release R56/12
PRESS RELEASE
R56/12
OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR CELEBRATES LIBERATION
OF FRENCH JOURNALIST IN
According to the information received, the guerilla group delivered Langlois in good physical condition in the town of
As the Office of the Special Rapporteur has stated, independent journalists who cover armed conflict do not lose their status as civilians, regardless of the risks to which they are exposed as a result of the conflict. As such, they continue to be protected by the applicable guarantees of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, particularly by the guarantees derived from the principle of distinction. The Office of the Special Rapporteur urges the FARC guerilla group to respect the civilian status of the journalists who cover the armed conflict and to refrain from repeating such actions in the future.
Principle 9 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression of the IACHR states: "The murder, kidnapping, intimidation of and/or threats to social communicators, as well as the material destruction of communications media violate the fundamental rights of individuals and strongly restrict freedom of expression. It is the duty of the state to prevent and investigate such occurrences, to punish their perpetrators and to ensure that victims receive due compensation."
The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression was created by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to encourage the defense of the right to freedom of thought and expression in the hemisphere, given the fundamental role this right plays in consolidating and developing the democratic system.