The People’s Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists declared Mexico, Sri Lanka, and Syria guilty of all human rights breaches on Monday (19).
The tribunal also found that the relevant governments had breached various international, regional, and national legal instruments to which they had committed.
According to its Statute, the Permanent People’s Tribunal acts independently from state authorities based on the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Peoples.
Reporters Without Borders, Free Press Unlimited, and CPJ created it.
The tribunal wanted to indict Sri Lanka, Syria, and Mexico over the killings of Lasantha Wickrematunge, Miguel Angel Lopez Velasco, and Nabil Al-Sharbaji.
Since 1992, at least 1,400 journalists have been slain for presenting truthful information to the public, according to the PPT. At least 900 journalists were slain in direct revenge for their profession, and in 86% of these deaths, no offenders were brought to justice.
The PPT alleges the government violated Lasantha Wickrematunge’s right to life, freedom of expression, and freedom from political discrimination by killing him.
