On the 9th of September, 2009, the International Press Institute (IPI) believes it is only fitting to call attention to the nine unresolved cases in its Justice Denied campaign, which highlights the unlawful imprisonment of journalists around the world and the impunity from which the murderers of journalists all too often benefit.

Journalists are routinely punished for doing their job. The punishment takes many forms. Some face the ultimate sanction: They are murdered for what they have written. The perpetrators often avoid punishment. Others are subjected to harassment disguised as law enforcement, and convicted of crimes such as insulting a nation’s reputation or divulging state secrets. As a result, they languish in prison while those who attack their colleagues remain at large.

This year IPI was happy to welcome the resolution of one of its original ten Justice Denied cases, when Bangladeshi journalist Mohammad Atiqullah Khan Masud was released after spending more than 22 months in prison.

Troops stormed Atiqullah Khan’s office on 7 March 2007 and, after arresting him, searched his office and his home. Two days later, police brought charges of “corruption,” “criminal activities” and “tarnishing the image of the country” against him. He was released on 20 January 2009.

Unfortunately, there remain nine other Justice Denied cases in which justice has yet to be served: four in which journalists were murdered and no one has been convicted, or, frequently, even arrested, for the crime, and four in which journalists have languished in prison for years.

“It is important to remember that while for many of us this day is just another day, for the journalists unjustly imprisoned, and for their families, as well as for the families of journalists murdered in still-unsolved crimes, every day in the wait for justice is a lifetime,” said IPI Director David Dadge. “We call on the authorities in each of the concerned cases to release those journalists who are unjustly imprisoned, and to lift the dark cloak of impunity behind which the murderers of journalists all too often hide. Justice must be done.”

A Brief Overview of IPI’s ‘Justice Denied’ Cases:

1) Subramaniyam Sukirtharajan, known as SSR, a journalist with the popular Tamil-language daily, Sudar Oli, in Sri Lanka, was shot dead in the eastern port city of Trincomalee in the early morning of 24 January 2006. No official investigation has been ordered to bring to justice those responsible for Sukirtharajan’s killing.

2) Rodolfo Rincón Taracena, an investigative crime reporter for the daily Tabasco Hoy in Villahermosa, capital of the southeastern state of Tabasco, Mexico, left his newspaper’s offices at 7 pm on 20 January, 2007, never to be seen again. Rincón had told his colleagues that he would return shortly and left his personal belongings, including his camera, at his desk.

3) Slavko Curuvija, a Serbian journalist and newspaper publisher, was brutally murdered in the centre of Belgrade, Serbia, on 11 April 1999. No one has been formally charged with his murder.

4) Ahmet Taner Kislali, a Turkish journalist, was killed on 21 October 1999 by an explosive device placed on his car. One person was convicted in 2001. He remains the only person imprisoned for this coldly pre-meditated act of murder, even though others were clearly involved, and at a much higher level.

5) Deyda Hydara, an outspoken Gambian journalist and co-founder of The Point newspaper, was brutally murdered on his way home from work on the night of 16 December 2004.

6) Eritrea’s Imprisoned Journalists, detained in a post-11 September, 2001, crackdown.

As of late 2008, the following journalists are believed to remain imprisoned, and some are feared dead.

-Dawit Isaac, journalist, co-founder of Setit, Eritrea’s first independent newspaper.

-Fessehaye “Joshua” Yohannes (Johannes), journalist, co-founder of Setit, Eritrea’s first independent newspaper.

-Yusuf (Yosuf) Mohamed Ali, editor-in-chief of Tsigenay (Tsegenay).

-Mattewos Habteab, co-founder and editor of Meqaleh.

-Dawit Habtemichael, co-founder and assistant editor-in-chief of Meqaleh.

-Medhanie Haile, co-founder and assistant chief editor of Keste Debena.

-Temesken (Temesgen) Ghebreyesus (Gebreyesus), sports reporter for Keste Debena.

-Emanuel (Amanuel)(Emmanuel) Asrat, editor of Zemen.

-Said Abdulkader, editor and founder of Admas.

-Seyoum Tsehaye, director of Eritrean state television, freelance editor and photographer.

-Hamid Mohammed Said, news and sports editor, Eritrean state television.

-Saleh Al Jezaeeri (Al-Jezaeri), reporter for Eritrean state radio, as well as for a government newspaper.

-Fitzum Wedi Ade, assistant editor with Zemen.

-Selamyinghes Beyene, reporter for Meqaleh.

-Zemenfes Haile, founder and manager of Tsigenay.

-Ghebrehiwet (Gebrehiwot) Keleta, reporter for Tsigenay.

-Daniel Mussie, Radio Dimtsi Hafash.

-Tura Kubaba, Radio Dimtsi Hafash.

According to several recent estimates, as many as three other journalists may also have died in custody, possibly as early as 2005 or 2006. They include:

-Said Abdulkader of Admas.

-Medhanie Haile of Keste Debena.

-Yusuf Mohamed Ali of Tsigenay.

The others remain in jail, held incommunicado and without charge or access to legal representation.

7) Abdolvahed Botimar and his cousin, editor and journalist Adnan Hassanpour, were arrested in December 2006, in Marivan, situated in the north-western province of Iranian Kurdistan.

Hassanpour and Botimar had their death sentences commuted to ten years imprisonment each in July 2009.

8) Omar Rodríguez Saludes, director of the independent news agency Nueva Prensa Cubana in Havana, Cuba, was arrested on the night of 18 March 2003 during the infamous March 2003 crackdown on Cuba’s political dissidents and independent journalists.

He is incarcerated in Toledo Prison, Havana, where he shares a cell with several inmates. According to his wife, Ileana Marrero Joa, he suffers from kidney problems and hypertension.

9) Eynulla Fatullayev, an Azeri journalist who, on 20 April 2007, was arrested, charged with libel, tried and sentenced to two and a half years’ imprisonment. On 30 October he was sentenced to an additional eight and a half years imprisonment.

The journalist has taken his case to the European Court of Human Rights. It is considered “urgent” and is expected to be examined as soon as possible after the summer.