Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, to pay tribute to the essential work that journalists do to inform the public and to speak truth to power. I also pay special tribute to Kathy Gannon, who has received this year's Press Freedom Award. I also cannot let the moment pass without again drawing attention to Egypt's treatment of Canadian journalist, Mohamed Fahmy, who remains in legal jeopardy and is still not home.
As a former commissioner for the civil society Truth Commission established after the 2009 coup in Honduras, I came to better understand the bravery of a principled press. Honduras was the most dangerous place for media professionals in the world—intimidation, threats to family members, assaults, multiple assassinations, forced exile.
Today, too little attention is being paid to the deteriorating situation in another country. I speak of Turkey, where the government has been launching raids on media institutions and detaining journalists in large numbers. Turkey must step back from its deeply worrisome drift into repressive rule.