By Matthew Schofield, Kansas City Star editorial board columnist

A United Nations report has condemned slow (if any) justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo prosecution in the murder of a journalist.

It's a good reminder that in much of the world, including but not limited to the Congo, a free flow of information is viewed as, at best, an annoyance by those in power.

In this case, they're condemning the appeals in the murder of Serge Maheshe, who worked for a U.N. sponosored radio station, and was pinned to the ground and shot repeatedly as he was about to get into a U.N. vehicle in 2007.

He was one of two Radio Okapi reporters killed in a very short timespan, both for coverage of fighting between rebels, security forces and government forces. This coverage is both rare and important, and has importance both inside and outside the Congo.

It's not being very well protected,however, seems to be the point of the U.N. report.

The report notes Congo needs “to guarantee the protection of lawyers and human rights defenders, including journalists, to allow them to perform freely their duty, without risk of interference, discrimination, threat or reprisal.”

The report goes beyond Maheshe's case, noting that many areas of civil society are under constant threat in the nation. I'd go further, Congo is not unique. Journalists, human rights attorneys, non-governmental aid workers, all face enormous risks in much of the world.

As a foriegn correspondent, I've frequently dropped in and reported on dangerous regions. It's impossible, though, to ignore the noble nature of domestic journalists in these situations. I always knew that if things got too dicey, there were flights, or at least borders, out. Domestic journalists rile the powers that rule their country, and live in it.

The U.N. report raises some important issues in assessing Congo's reaction to this case. The report does credit some brights spots, but overall notes: "the guarantees for a just and fair trial were not respected by the South Kivu Military Court. In spite of some positive elements, the process was generally marked by irregularities similar to those observed during the lower court trial."

The report goes on to make four points:

· the Military Court’s refusal to investigate other credible leads and motives likely to shed more light on Maheshe’s murder;

· the persistent inadequacies in the criminal inquiry;

· the absence of an independent and impartial inquiry into subornation charges brought against two military magistrates;

· a climate of intimidation and threats against the defence lawyers and observers of the lawsuit;

And the report concludes the judicial process was “interspersed with several irregularities suggesting that the judiciary authorities lack the will to establish the truth regarding Serge Maheshe’s assassination ... certain violations noticed in the Maheshe case are frequently observed in other trials before military courts.”

It's tragic. Maheshe, after all, was working to make his nationa a better place. He left behind two children, after all.

Here's hoping there is justice in his case, and the many of other cases where those working for a better world pay the ultimate price.