World Association of News Publishers


World's Press Concerned by Journalists' Safety after Cameraman's death in Brazil

World's Press Concerned by Journalists' Safety after Cameraman's death in Brazil

Article ID:

17415

The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum (WEF) addressed a letter to President Dilma Rousseff on Tuesday 11 February expressing their "grave concern" at the recent death of journalist Santiago Andrade.

Santiago Andrade (photo by Band TV)

Her Excellency Dilma Rousseff

President of Brazil

Brasilia, Brazil

 

11 February 2014

 

 

Your Excellency,

 

We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 12 countries, to express our grave concern at the death of journalist Santiago Andrade.

 

According to reports, Mr Andrade, a cameraman for TV Bandeirantes, was injured on 6 February while covering clashes between protesters and police in Rio de Janeiro over increased public transport fares. A large firework-style device, apparently thrown by one of the protesters, exploded close to his head, leaving him with multiple burns and a fractured skull. Mr Andrade was immediately hospitalized and operated on but reportedly died of his injuries on 10 February.

 

We deeply regret Mr Andrade’s death and respectfully remind you that it is the duty of the state to guarantee the safety of journalists covering protests.

 

We respectfully call on you to do everything possible to ensure that those responsible are quickly identified and brought to justice. We urge you to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of journalists carrying out their profession.

 

We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Marcelo Rech

President

WAN-IFRA Latin America Committee

 

 

 

Erik Bjerager

President

World Editors Forum

 

Author

Rodrigo Bonilla's picture

Rodrigo Bonilla

Date

2014-02-12 14:40

Author information

In countless countries, journalists, editors and publishers are physically attacked, imprisoned, censored, suspended or harassed for their work. WAN-IFRA is committed to defending freedom of expression by promoting a free and independent press around the world. Read more ...