Bahrain media watchdog rejects journalists’

Bahrain Journalists Association (BJA) has denied reports that two journalists were killed during the political turmoil and unrest that hit the country. A report by the Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign said 52 journalists lost their lives during the first six months of 2011 and that two of them were Bahrainis. “No Bahraini journalist was killed and the report is “untrue and is not related to reality in any way,” the BJA said in a statement issued on Monday evening. The association, an umbrella for Bahrain-based journalists, urged the media watchdog to rectify the information in its report. According to Press Emblem Campaign, at least 52 journalists have been killed in 25 countries since the beginning of the year. Article continues below “The Arab Spring and its uprising has led to the death and targeting of at least 11 of the 52 journalists killed worldwide,” the report said. However, none of the top three countries where journalists were reportedly killed is under the Arab Spring label. According to the report, Pakistan tops the list with eight journalists killed, followed by Mexico and Iraq with six each.