OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION CONDEMNS THE MURDER OF JOURNALIST IN VENEZUELA AND DEMANDS PROMPT INVESTIGATION
Washington, D.C., August 31, 2006. The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) of the OAS condemns the murder of Mr. Jesús Rafael Flores Rojas, a journalist of the daily Región, in the state of Anzoátegui, Venezuela. The Rapporteurship urges the Venezuelan authorities to investigate this incident swiftly and effectively in order to ensure that the persons responsible are duly punished and to determine whether the crime is connected to the exercise of journalism.
According to the information received by the Office of the Special Rapporteur, on the night of August 23, 2006, Mr. Flores Rojas arrived at his house in the locality of El Tigre, when an individual shot him eight times before fleeing in an automobile that was waiting a few meters away. The information received indicates that Mr. Flores Rojas used to write on subjects that included denunciations of corruption in the local public administration.
The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression emphasizes that according to the American Convention on Human Rights, States have the duty to prevent, investigate, and punish all violations of rights recognized therein. Furthermore, Principle 9 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression notes that: “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 States to prevent and investigate such occurrences, to punish their perpetrators and to ensure that victims receive adequate compensation.”
The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Ignacio J. Álvarez, noted that “when investigating crimes against journalists it is especially important to investigate not only the direct perpetrators, but also the masterminds and the additional individuals whose collaboration and tacit acceptance made these crimes possible.” He added that “the international obligation of the States to investigate and sanction those responsible for acts of violence against journalists includes the determination of whether these incidents were related to the exercise of journalism.”
For additional information about the Office of the Special Rapporteur: http://www.cidh.org/relatoria