PEC Condemns Misuse of 'PRESS' Symbol, Flags Rise in Journalist Murders

The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a global media rights and safety watchdog, has raised serious concerns over the misuse of the PRESS symbol by armed combatants in conflict zones such as Syria and Gaza. In a statement issued by the PEC, the Geneva-based organisation condemned Islamist fighters in southern Syria for allegedly wearing PRESS-marked jackets while vandalising a Druze home in Suwayda, a video of which has gone viral on social media.

While PEC clarified it cannot independently verify the authenticity of the footage, it reiterated that the PRESS symbol must never be used by non-journalists, particularly combatants, as a disguise. 

The group also expressed concern over similar allegations from Gaza, where Hamas fighters reportedly posed as journalists, potentially complicating the operational safety of actual media workers and giving military forces a pretext to target press personnel. The PEC warned that such actions endanger press freedom and could justify violence against legitimate reporters in volatile regions.

Highlighting the broader crisis, PEC President Blaise Lempen revealed that 92 media workers have been killed globally since January 1, 2025,  a significant rise compared to the previous year. He demanded independent and fair investigations into all journalist killings and urged authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

PEC’s South and Southeast Asia representative Nava Thakuria reported another disturbing incident from India, where Odisha-based online journalist Chintakayalu Naresh Kumar, affiliated with the YouTube channel Times Odia, was brutally murdered in the Muruliguda area on July 12. Police have arrested two suspects named Sukumar Ray and Konkan Jordar in connection with the case.

Naresh Kumar’s death adds to a grim list of journalist killings in India in 2025, which includes Mukesh Chandrakar, Raghavendra Vajpayee, Sahadev Dey, and Dharmendra Singh Chauhan.

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