Average of 3 media workers per week killed in first half of 2016: report

The number of journalists killed across the world increased from so far this year, reaching 74 people in 22 countries or three per week on average, the Geneva-based NGO the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) reported on Monday.

According to a PEC press release, during the same period -- January to the end of June -- 71 journalists were killed in 2015, 66 in 2014, and 59 in 2013.

The PEC report showed that Afghanistan was the most dangerous country for journalists during the period, in which 10 journalists were killed.

Syria was the second on the list, with nine media workers killed, and Mexico followed with eight killed, then Iraq and Yemen with seven in each country.

The PEC strongly condemned the attacks and called on the governments to assume their obligations and bring the perpetrators to justice.

PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen said it was clear that unresolved and ongoing conflicts were the source of the high price paid by journalists for informing the general public.

"We must do more in the fight against impunity," Blaise said.

According to the PEC, there is also an alarming trend that a great number of media workers were intentionally targeted by radical organizations, in particular by the Islamic State (IS).

From January to June 2016, the NGO reported a dozen journalists killed by IS in Turkey, Syria and Iraq. The Taliban are also responsible for the killing of ten journalists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Founded in June 2004 by a group of journalists from several countries, PEC is a non-governmental organization with special consultative United Nations (UN) status, whose aim is to strengthen the legal protection and safety of journalists in zones of conflict and civil unrest or on dangerous missions. Endit