WAN condemns Spanish newspaper attack

The World Association of Newspapers earlier this week condemned an “outrageous and cowardly” explosives attack on the printing plant of the El Correo newspaper in the Basque region of Spain. The bombing has been blamed on the Basque terrorist organisation, ETA. “This bombing in the heart of Europe is a reminder that attacks on freedom of the press do not occur solely under repressive regimes. The international community must remain vigilant against such threats and ensure that media professionals are free to carry out their duties without risk of being harassed and assaulted,” said Timothy Balding, CEO of the Paris-based organisation, which represents 18 000 newspapers worldwide. The attack was the fourth on El Correo, which hosted a Media in Danger conference in 2001 organised by WAN, the World Editors Forum, and the Spanish Newspaper Publishers Association (aede) to examine the violence and threats against journalists and media in the Basque region.