Antony Blinken’s message on crimes against journalists is ironic

With all its challenges – intermittent electricity blackouts, lack of proper service delivery, pockets of corruption in the public and private sectors, high youth unemployment and a soaring crime rate – South Africa is still globally revered as a constitutional democracy model.

Despite our major shortcomings, we can pride ourselves on adhering to some of the key tenets of democracy: a rule of law, and freedom of the press, speech and association – a far cry, when looking elsewhere in the world. This includes some self-appointed “established democracies”.

Greed and corruption have remained a blemish in our fledgling democracy – an albatross in a country that has so much potential for socio-economic recovery and growth.

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With the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists still fresh in our minds, it is fitting to highlight the so-called “established democracies” and how they wish to be seen as torchbearers when it comes to press freedom.

According to United Nations (UN) statistics, over 1 200 journalists were killed between 2006 and 2020, for reporting the news and bringing information to the public.

In most of the cases, journalists were killed with impunity – the most extreme form of media censorship. Those killed have included journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed last May while reporting in the West Bank.

This, as the UN took a resolution urging member-states to implement definite measures countering the culture of impunity.

The resolution condemns all attacks and violence against journalists and media workers – urging member-states “to do their utmost to prevent violence against journalists and media workers – bringing to justice perpetrators of crimes against journalists and media workers”.

Among the “advocates for a free press” has been US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whose tweet in commemorating the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists could not go unnoticed.

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He said: “No member of the press should be threatened, harassed, attacked, arrested or killed for doing their job. On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists we vow to continue protecting and promoting the rights of a free press and the safety of journalists.”

I found this to be ironic, because the Biden Administration found it easy to grant Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman immunity from lawsuits, following the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, US-based Saudi journalist, dissident, author, columnist for Middle East Eye and Washington Post.

A general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab News Channel, he was assassinated in 2018, at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by agents of the Saudi government, allegedly at the behest of Bin Salman.

Turning a blind eye to circumstances around the assassination and embracing Bin Salman at all costs in favour of US interests, contradicts a stance on press freedom.

Another example is that of Julian Assange, an Australian editor, publisher and an activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006 – now a wanted man in the US. WikiLeaks received global attention in 2010 when it published a series of leaks provided by US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.

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Being granted political asylum at the embassy of Ecuador in London saved Assange from being extradited to the US to face charges. If this is not US hypocrisy on press freedom, God help us.