The 2021 world ranking on press freedom, by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), published on Tuesday, reveals that Haiti, after a decline of 21 places in the 2020 Edition, shows a further decline of 4 places in the 2021 Edition and is now 87th out of 180 countries.

Our neighbor, the Dominican Republic, on the other hand, leads 5 places and is 50th (6 places behind the United States). Norway (1st), Finland (2nd) and Sweden (3rd) respectively occupy the first 3 places on the World Press Freedom Podium.

In addition, the Inter-American Press Society (SIP) in a report presented at its meeting this week in Miami denounced the repeated cases of firearms attacks against journalists in Haiti.

The document indicates that several journalists were assaulted or shot and wounded between January and February 2021 while covering anti-government protests.

The report mentions that in February 2021, 3 journalists were shot and wounded in the exercise of their profession while covering violent opposition protests suppressed by the police, this is Davidson Smith of the media digital Press Info, by Meus Jeanril, by Tele Pam and Alvares Destine d'Actualites Locales TV.

In January 2021, the report mentions the aggression suffered by journalists Reginald Remy and Ronald Petit-Frere violently beaten by security agents, while they were peacefully participating in a march organized by journalists to protest against the repression and police violence.

SL/ HaitiLibre