NEW YORK, April 30: Democracies from Columbia to India are among the worst countries in the world at prosecuting journalists’ killers, according to the Impunity Index, a list of countries compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists where governments have consistently failed to solve journalists’ murders.

At a press conference held at the United Nations on Wednesday, CPJ’s executive director Joel Simon said: “The countries with the worst records for Impunity — Iraq, Siera Leone and Somalia have been mired in conflict. But the majority of the 13 countries on CPJ’s Impunity Index are established, peacetime democracies such as Mexico pointing to alarming failures by those elected governments to protect journalists.”

Mr Simon said that journalists in South Asia were particularly vulnerable countries from that region make up almost half of the index. They include Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.

“Every time a journalist is murdered and the killer is allowed to walk free it sends a terrible signal to the press and to others who would harm journalists,” said Mr Simon. “The governments on this list simply must do more to demonstrate a real commitment to a free press. Lip service won’t help save journalists’ lives. We are calling for action: thorough investigations and vigorous prosecutions in all journalist homicides.”

In releasing the Impunity Index in advance of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, CPJ is raising awareness about a disturbing pattern of impunity in these 13 countries across the globe.