PARIS (Reporters Sans Frontières/Pacific Media Watch): Reporters Without Borders has welcomes the participation of many foreign leaders in Sunday's march in Paris in homage to the victims of last week’s terror attacks and in defence of the French republic’s values, but is outraged by the presence of officials from countries that restrict freedom of information.
World leaders joined at least 3.7 million people marched in anti-terrorism rallies across France on Sunday in what has been described as the largest public gathering since Lieberation during the Second World War.
The day was emotional and peaceful, a gesture of unity just days after jihadist extremists slaughtered 17 people
"On what grounds [have] representatives of regimes that are predators of press freedom [come] to Paris to pay tribute to Charlie Hebdo, a publication that has always defended the most radical concept of freedom of expression?," RSF/RWB has asked on its website.
Reporters Without Borders said it was appalled by the presence of leaders from countries where journalists and bloggers are systematically persecuted such as Egypt (which is ranked 159th out of 180 countries in RSF/RWB’s press freedom index), Russia (148th), Turkey (154th) and United Arab Emirates (118th).
“We must demonstrate our solidarity with Charlie Hebdo without forgetting all the world’s other Charlies,” RSF/RWB secretary-general Christophe Deloire said.
“It would be unacceptable if representatives of countries that silence journalists were to take advantage of the current outpouring of emotion to try to improve their international image and then continue their repressive policies when they return home. We must not let predators of press freedom spit on the graves of Charlie Hebdo.”
The French authorities announced the presence of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Gabonese President Ali Bongo.
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