In an unprecedented initiative, 3 major organizations concerned with the protection of journalists launched what they called the “People’s Court to investigate the killing of journalists” in The Hague, and its sessions will be held until World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2022, and it is scheduled to consider 3 prominent cases, including the killing of “Nabil Sharbaji” in detention in Syria in 2015.
Launched by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and Free Press Unlimited, this court presents an opportunity to raise awareness of the regimes’ crimes against journalists targeted by repressive governments.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 278 journalists were killed during the past decade between 2010 and 2020, and while the court proceedings have no official legal weight, they provide an opportunity to shed light on crimes against journalists that may lead to increased pressure on the international community. To pursue formal legal proceedings through the International Court of Justice.
Although the indictments will only be brought against 3 countries – Mexico, Syria and Sri Lanka – the court represents a broader warning to countries that commit abuses against journalists, especially repressive countries in the Middle East.
If the People’s Court succeeds in creating an uproar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel in particular could face long-term pressures, especially if the court marks the beginning of a new broad movement to defend journalists in authoritarian countries