World Press Freedom Day will once again fall on May 3rd, 2023, as it did in 1988, when the UN General Assembly first declared the day.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states in its article 19 that “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, which implies the right not to be disturbed for his opinions and the right to seek, receive, and disseminate information and ideas by any means of expression whatsoever, without regard to frontiers.”
The Citizens’ Rights Office (OPC), on this special day, “[…] salutes all the Press workers who risk their lives every day in a society plagued by glaring social inequalities to give voice to the marginalized people, to victims from all walks of life, betrayed by the irresponsibility of rulers, in order to give voice to the victims from all walks of life, betrayed by the irresponsibility of rulers.”
The OPC recalls all journalists who were killed while carrying out their jobs by opponents of the truth. Nine journalists were murdered in 2022, and there were other attacks on journalists who were carrying out their jobs as well as abuses by authorities. This year has been one of the most deadly for media in Haiti. Third in the world for the number of journalist fatalities is Haiti. In 2023, the authorities’ disregard for the murder of journalists has escalated once more. According to the Organization of Citizens for a New Haiti (OCNH), 4 Haitian journalists have already died in the first 4 months of the year.