Prédateur

Imran KHAN

Premier ministre de la République islamique du Pakistan depuis le 18 août 2018

Prédateur depuis son entrée en fonction

Pakistan, 145e/180 au Classement mondial de la liberté de la presse 2021

Dear [Name of Candidate],

I am writing to ask you what you plan to do to defend the First Amendment, freedom of the press, and the fundamental rights of journalists to practice their profession freely in what has become an increasingly hostile environment for information and news providers.

The United States, which enshrines press freedom in the First Amendment of its Constitution, is currently witnessing a drastic decline in media freedom. On June 28, one of the most horrific attacks on press freedom in the United States occurred when five employees, including four reporters, were killed at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. According to the US Press Freedom Tracker, which comprehensively documents press freedom violations in the US committed by national, state, and local authorities as well as private individuals, 33 journalists were arrested, 43 were physically attacked, and 15 seizures of journalists’ equipment occurred in 2017. In one of these incidents, Rep. Greg Gianforte physically assaulted a Guardian journalist the night before his state’s election. While covering the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, journalists were impersonated on social media, impeding their ability to accurately investigate the facts and disseminate information which could be vital to preventing a similar tragedy. This hostility towards the press not only risks compromising the American public’s right to be informed through journalists’ reporting, but can also degrade the public’s trust in the media itself.

This is not a partisan issue; it is a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics. Journalism is at the crux of our democracy, and communities everywhere rely on journalists to provide them with information that is essential to their daily decision-making processes. It was local investigative journalist Curt Guyette who broke the story about Flint, Michigan’s lack of access to clean water in 2014, prompting years of class-action lawsuits, protests, and subsequent federal assistance to the city in order to try to resolve the crisis. Reporters Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor, and Ronan Farrow publicized sexual assault allegations against influential Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017, leading to the ubiquitous and powerful #MeToo movement which brought decades of sexual abuse and harassment across multiple industries to light.

Yet freedom of the press in the US is currently in dire need of congressional support. It is our civic duty as one of the world’s leading democracies to uphold principles that support and protect the rights of journalists so that they may hold those in power accountable and ensure an informed and engaged community.

If you are elected, what do you plan to do to protect this utterly essential component of our democracy? What are your plans to protect the public’s right to be informed through a free and independent press?

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Hello, my name is _______ and I am from [city, state].

I’m calling to let you know that [candidate/representative]'s stance on freedom of the press is extremely important in my decision to vote. I feel that this is not a partisan issue, but a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics.

I have become increasingly concerned with the growing climate of hostility for journalists in this country, and I would like for [candidate/representative] to publicly address what they will do to defend press freedom if [he/she] is elected.

Thank you.

Freedom of the press is suffering in the US. @[yourcandidate] if you are elected to serve in Congress, what are your plans to protect journalists and our right to be informed? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

Democracy depends on a free and independent press and its ability to hold those in power accountable. [@yourcandidate] will you take measures to protect journalism and the First Amendment? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

In June, four reporters were murdered in an appalling targeted attack on the Capital Gazette and freedom of the press. [@yourcandidate] what will you do to address the growing threat to journalists in this country? #DefendPressFreedom

Press freedom is in steady decline in the US. I want my representative to defend the work of journalists as well as my right to be informed. [@yourcandidate] if you are elected what will you do to protect a free press? #DefendPressFreedom

Journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. And yet in the US, attacks on journalists are becoming more common, undermining the media's role and creating opportunities for government overreach, the erosion of press freedom, and impeding our right to be informed. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join me at DefendPressFreedom.com

A free press is essential to our democracy. Communities everywhere rely on journalists to report on our government’s actions and hold public figures accountable, providing us with the information we need to make decisions every day. And yet physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists in the US are increasing at an astonishing rate. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. You should too. Read more at DefendPressFreedom.com

Press freedom is declining in the US at an alarming rate. Physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists have increased drastically in the last two years. As the US midterm elections approach, we must remind our congressional candidates that journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. I’m contacting my representatives and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join in and help me spread the word at DefendPressFreedom.com

MODE DE PRÉDATION : le maître des ombres

Imran Khan sait prendre la lumière. Ancienne star de l’équipe nationale de cricket, jet-setteur en vogue dans les soirées huppées des capitales européennes, il se consacre un temps à des activités philanthropiques avant de se lancer en politique, dans les années 1990. Pendant de longues années, son parti vivote, peine à s’imposer... Mais tout change à l’approche des années législatives de 2018 : dans l’ombre du candidat Khan s’opère un retour en force de “l’État profond”, un euphémisme qui, dans le contexte pakistanais, désigne l’emprise constante, sur le pouvoir civil, de l’armée et de l’Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), les redoutables services secrets. Avec son idéologie mêlant populisme et conservatisme religieux, Imran Khan apparaît comme le candidat idéal pour faire bonne figure sur la scène publique sans remettre en cause le pouvoir tout-puissant de l’armée. À lui la lumière, les médias pro-gouvernement, les réseaux sociaux, les polémiques sur le droit au blasphème… Dans l’ombre, l’establishment militaire, qui ne tolère pas que l’on s’immisce dans ses affaires, s’attache à supprimer toute forme d’exercice indépendant du journalisme. Depuis l’arrivée d’Imran Khan au pouvoir, les cas de censure éhontée sont légion : interruption de la distribution des journaux, chantage aux annonces publicitaires, brouillage des signaux de diffusion des chaînes de télévision… Les journalistes qui franchissent les lignes rouges sont souvent l’objet d’enlèvements, de tortures, de menaces. De fait, derrière la lumière du pouvoir civil, Imran Khan a, dans l’ombre, réactivé les pires moments de dictature militaire qu’a connus l’histoire du Pakistan.

CIBLES DE PRÉDILECTION : sus aux critiques

“Cessez de couvrir les sujets qui fâchent, ou votre famille ne vous retrouvera pas vivant.” C’est, en substance, le message transmis aux nombreux journalistes et blogueurs qui sont, depuis l’arrivée au pouvoir d’Imran Khan, la cible de kidnappings et de menaces de mort adressées à eux et leur famille. Même ceux qui, pour des raisons de sécurité, se sont résignés à vivre en exil font l'objet de tentatives d’intimidations qui peuvent aller jusqu’à l’agression physique sur un sol étranger. Le cyberespace, dernier lieu d’expression d’une information libre, est rigoureusement mis au pas par le gouvernement d’Imran Khan par des mesures de censure toujours plus liberticides. Sur la toile, des armées de trolls vilipendent et harcèlent tous les journalistes et blogueurs qui osent apporter un point de vue critique, à la suite de quoi ils sont automatiquement taxés d’être anti-Pakistan, anti-armée et... anti-Khan. La boucle est bouclée.

DISCOURS OFFICIEL : l’humour douteux

“Le Pakistan dispose d’une des presses les plus libres du monde. (...) Dire qu’il y a des restrictions contre la presse pakistanaise est une blague.” Conférence de presse à Washington en juillet 2019, quelques heures après que les écrans de la principale chaîne de télévision pakistanaise, Geo TV, étaient remplacés par un écran noir.)

Publié le 05.07.2021