US to bring in new law protecting journalists

The United States teeters on the verge of creating a landmark law which would have the potential of removing the spectre of impunity for journalists around the world.

The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act has been named as a potential partial redressing of the fact that 90% of the murders of journalists every year go unpunished.

Whilst many of these cases are simply not fully investigated, yet others do not prosecute the perpetrator even when actually have a good idea of who carried out the atrocity.

The Act is an exacerbation of the 2012 Magnitsky Act in Russia, but which applied exclusively to Russian citizens. The US Act would allow the government to freeze the assets and ban the visas of the perpetrators.

“A global Magnitsky Act”, argues Elizabeth Witchel, who is the founder of the global campaign against impunity, “could offer precious recourse to these victims.” She went on to say, however, that there is a fair bit of work to be done before the bill becomes law.

Witchel concludes that: “Sanctions cannot replace justice; they cannot bring security and dignity to victims, colleagues and family members like a trial and appropriate sentencing. But they might deter attacks on journalists and other human rights violations.”

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