The Crime of Killing Journalists Remains Unpunished

Date: 07 August 2024 - 22:14

News ID: ۱۳۰۲۲۶

By: Kayhan International

Yesterday, the 17th of the Iranian month of Mordad, was marked in Iran as “National Reporter’s Day” in honour of journalist Mahmoud Saremi of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), who attained martyrdom along with 8 Iranian diplomats on 8 August 1998 when the Islamic Republic Consulate in Mazar-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan was attacked by Taliban terrorists.

Iran almost went to war 26 years ago with the regime in Kabul whose rogue elements had violated the diplomatic immunity of the Iranian consulate and killed staff members, including the IRNA journalist in cold blood.

On Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry called on the Afghan caretaker government to announce the results of its investigations on the perpetrators of the murderous attack and to impose the punishment they deserve.

It noted that United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 declared the attack on Iran’s Consulate General in Mazar-e Sharif and the killing of Iranian diplomats and the IRNA correspondent as a clear violation of international law.

Iran has also made it clear that its reserves the right to pursue the various aspects of this painful terrorist act on behalf of the bereaved families, and hopes the caretaker government in Kabul would announce the results of investigations of this crime in order to bring the murderers to justice.

The sooner justice is done in this case and the terrorists punished is better for Tehran-Kabul ties and the brotherly relations between the peoples of Iran and Afghanistan.

It is necessary to punish murderous criminals, whatever their current or former political position, in order to discourage terrorism, especially by illegitimate regimes, as is the case with the barbarism of the US-supported Zionist entity.

It is unfortunate that the targeted-killing of journalists has become a norm for barbarous regimes these days, especially by the illegitimate Zionist entity, which has so far shot in cold blood.

So far, usurper Israel has killed at least 165 journalists since October 7, 2023, and because of US support for its crimes against humanity, it has escaped condemnation.

Despite overwhelming evidence, including the 2022 killing of Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Aqeleh, the Zionist entity has not faced any accountability.

Under international law, the deliberate killing of journalists is considered a war crime, but the Zionist entity continues to intimidate and eliminate those who report on its genocide in Gaza and its other human rights abuses.