Calls for Justice Three Years After Lyra McKee's Murder

As we mark the third anniversary of Lyra McKee's death, this week marks a low point for press freedom in the UK. Press organizations call for justice for McKee and calls for a better climate for the safety of journalists in Northern Ireland, which remains the most dangerous place in the UK for journalists to conduct their work. Three years after Lyra McKee was killed while witnessing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry, Northern Ireland, on 18 April 2019, no one has yet been brought to trial for her murder.

Despite this, numerous arrests have been made in connection with the case. In February 2020, McIntyre was charged with McKee's murder and related offenses and is currently out on bail, awaiting trial. There were eight men charged in October 2021 - three with the murder itself and five with rioting and related offenses. Six more men were arrested in March 2022. While further arrests have taken place over the past year, it is deeply unsettling that Lyra's family is still fighting for justice three years after her death.

“We urgently need to take concrete steps to ensure they can do their jobs in a safe manner," said RSF Campaigns Officer, Azzurra Moores. A letter sent by RSF to the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) contains a number of recommendations for improving the safety of journalists. As a fellow member of the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists (NCSJ), RSF has made the case for the PSNI to be better equipped to respond to issues, including through providing training focused on the threats journalists face in the course of their work and establishing a Safety of Journalists liaison officer within the PSNI.

A part of the letter called for justice to be served for the historical murder of journalist Martin O'Hagan in September 2001. Following allegations made in a BBC Spotlight documentary which led to legal action being taken against the PSNI by O'Hagan's family, RSF is calling for an investigation to be opened into his murder following new evidence showing that the police failed to act on vital information prior to the murder.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) raised the case of journalist Patricia Devlin, who in November 2020 was forced into hiding after receiving threats to her life. In September 2021, Devlin's complaint against the PSNI was upheld for failing to properly investigate an online threat towards her child. In its 2021 World Press Freedom Index, RSF highlights the importance of addressing both historical impunity and active acts - and threats - of violence against journalists in Northern Ireland. The UK is ranked 33rd out of 180 countries.