Death toll
Motion 141 passed, noting the death toll of media staff throughout the world.
It instructed the NEC to support the work of the International Federation of Journalists’ international support committee. The committee brings together the families of killed journalists to lobby for justice and humanitarian assistance in cases where they need long-term support.
Support for Russian journalists
Motion 142 was also carried, welcoming the launch by the IFJ and the Russian Union of Journalists of ‘Partial Justice’, a report which documents the killings of journalists in Russia between 1993-2009.
ADM noted that the report listed:
- over 300 deaths and disappearances of journalists; and
- that only a few of the deaths have been properly investigated resulting in killers escaping justice.
ADM instructed the NEC to support the Russian union’s campaign to improve the safety of its members and make killing or attempted murder of journalists a more serious offence.
Work with Zimbabwe
Motion 143 instructed the NEC to continue to develop its work with the Zimbabwean Union of Journalists to help Zimbabwean journalists improve their working conditions. It was carried.
Anti-Sikh massacres in 1984 India
Motion 147 instructed the General Secretary to write to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, urging the British Government to raise 1984’s anti-Sikh massacres with the Indian High Commissioner. It was carried.
Parvinder Singh of Book Branch spoke of how the Indian government believed that the anti-Sikh massacres in November 1984 were a natural reaction to the assassination of India Gandhi.
25 years later none of the key perpertrators have been brought to justice.
“NUJ is on the side of the widows in pursuit for justice and it’s high time that the Indian Government come clean,” he said.
NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear said: “It is important for all peoples that we seek not just the truth about the events of 1984 and beyond in Punjab but that we also act for justice.”
