Pillay says journalists are too often illegally detained 

    GENEVA, October 2 -- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay said that journalists, like human rights defenders and civil and political activists, are all too often illegally detained, simply for pursuing and inconvenient truth or following a frowned-upon political line.

    "Once out of sight behind bars, they are often ill-treated, their families and careers ruined, their children traumatized," she added.

    Pillay was addressing reporters to announce a week-long event covering the Dignity and Justice for Detainees Initiative which kicks off on 6 October.

   "Increasing the pressure on states, parliaments, judiciaries and other relevant institutions to abolish, or at least reduce, arbitrary and unlawful detention is one of the two main goals of the detention initiative," she added.

    Pillay said that the number of people around the world who are believed to be held in some form of detention that just is unjust or inappropriate probably runs into the million.

Source: Pillay’s speech press conference 2 October 2008  

ICPJ comment: The International Covenant for the Protection of Journalists (ICPJ) welcomes the courage of the High Commissioner Pillay in singling out the plight of journalists in relation to the issue of detention.