New York – On September 19, 2022, the People’s Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists will convene an independent panel of international judges to pronounce a verdict in a trio of cases highlighting impunity for murdered journalists. This judgment will be a culmination of a process that began in November 2021, and a response to the Prosecution’s indictment of the governments of Mexico, Sri Lanka and Syria.
After nearly a year of hearings and over fifty witness testimonies from relatives, journalists and experts, the Tribunal will convene for the last time to deliver its verdict in this historically unprecedented application of alternative justice to cases of journalists murdered for their work. Verdicts are expected in the cases of murdered journalists Miguel Ángel López Velasco (Mexico), Lasantha Wickrematunge (Sri Lanka) and Nabil Al-Sharbaji (Syria).
Faced with persistent impunity in more than eight out of ten cases involving the murder of a journalist, this People’s Tribunal was set up by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Free Press Unlimited, and Reporters Without Borders to hold states accountable for their failure to protect journalists and investigate crimes against them.
Experts from the Committee to Protect journalists are available for interviews about this innovative alternative justice model, the three cases on the court’s docket, the verdicts and impunity for the murder of journalists worldwide.
What: Closing Hearing and Verdict of the People’s Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists
When: September 19, 2022, 1:30pm CET, 7:30am EST
Where: The Hague, The Netherlands. You can follow the livestream or register for in-person attendance.
Who: A panel of Judges will lead the proceedings, with a keynote address delivered by Jon Williams, Board Member of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Media Contact: Radim Dragomaca, press@cpj.org