Unesco Condemns Murder Of Colombian Journalist
Unesco Chief Condemns Murder Of Colombian Radio Journalist
As part of his continued campaign to focus attention on threats to press freedom worldwide, the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO><"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=34269&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) today condemned the killing of a radio journalist in Colombia.
Milton Fabián Sánchez, whose
programme for Yumbo Estéreo focused on political and
community issues, was shot by two men as he was on his way
home on 9 August.
“I urge the Colombian
authorities to do all they can to bring the culprits of this
crime to justice,” said UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro
Matsuura in a statement released in Paris.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists
(CPJ), 25 media professionals have been killed in Colombia
in the past decade. The CPJ notes, however, that such
attacks have declined recently, with only one murder in 2005
and one so far this year. Nonetheless, the CPJ reports that
journalists, especially those covering crime and corruption,
continue to face threats.
“Although I
welcome the commitment shown by the authorities in Colombia
to defend press freedom and note the decrease in the number
of deadly attacks on journalists in the country over the
past two years,” said Mr. Matsuura. “I am concerned
about this murder and about reports of continued threats and
intimidation against journalits, notably those reporting on
crime.
Mr. Matsuura has recently
condemned the murders of journalists in Iraq, Mexico, China,
Russia and Brazil.
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