DIRECTOR-GENERAL CONDEMNS
MURDER OF TWO COLOMBIAN JOURNALISTS
Paris, January 10 (No.2001-67)-
Paris, May 2 - UNESCO Director-General Koďchiro Matsuura today
condemned the killing of two Colombian Journalists, Flavio Bedoya, who
was shot and killed on April 27 in the southwestern port city of Tumaco,
and Carlos Trespalacios, gunned down in the city of Medellin, on May 1.
The Director-General declared: "We condemn these murders, both
as heinous crimes against their individual victims and as crimes against
freedom of speech and the media, indispensable to democracy and rule of
law. It is particularly to be deplored that yet more murders of
journalists occur, once again, in Latin America, a region which has
suffered a great deal from this type of violence. Colombia, in
particular, is one of the nations in the world whose journalists have
paid an extremely heavy tribute with their lives for the right to
practice their profession freely."
Mr Matsuura added: "It is furthermore an unhappy coincidence that these
two murders have been carried out on the eve of 3 May, celebrated around
the world as World Press Freedom Day. Indeed, it is in Colombia that, in
1999, UNESCO held a major conference which focused on the problem posed
by the impunity of crimes committed against journalists. Like the major
professional media organizations, and in line with the resolution voted
unanimously by UNESCO's General Conference in 1997, the Organization
called on all member states urgently to take all necessary measures to
prevent such crimes, investigate them and punish them. I can but
reiterate this call."
Mr. Bedoya was a regional correspondent for the Bogotá-based
newspaper Voz. Mr. Trespalacios, was currently working for the
Municipality of Medellin, though he had been a sports editor in various
newspapers in the city. Both were well known for their critical
reporting and had received threats on their lives. The motives for the
murders and the identity of their perpetrators are still, however,
unknown.
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