Director-General condemns murder of Salvadoran journalist
27-09-2007 (Paris)
Stop killing journalists
© Derstandard
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koďchiro Matsuura today condemned the murder of Salvadoran journalist Salvador Sánchez Roque in the city of Souyapango on 20 September.
“I condemn the murder of Sánchez Roque,” the Director-General declared. “This killing is an attack on the people of El Salvador’s right to enjoy the basic human right of freedom of expression. I trust that the authorities will do all in their power to find and prosecute the culprits of this heinous crime, in the interest of justice and democracy,” Mr Matsuura concluded.
Mr Sánchez Roque, 37, was shot dead near his home. He had been reporting for several radio stations, notably on abuses and extortion by gangs. Local media quote his mother as saying that Mr Sánchez Roque had told her he had recently received threats.
According to the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), attacks on journalists have been infrequent in El Salvador.
UNESCO is the only United Nations agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. Article 1 of its Constitution requires the Organization to “further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.” To realize this purpose the Organization is required to “collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication and to that end recommend such international agreements as may be necessary to promote the free flow of ideas by word and image…”
Mr Sánchez Roque, 37, was shot dead near his home. He had been reporting for several radio stations, notably on abuses and extortion by gangs. Local media quote his mother as saying that Mr Sánchez Roque had told her he had recently received threats.
According to the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), attacks on journalists have been infrequent in El Salvador.
UNESCO is the only United Nations agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. Article 1 of its Constitution requires the Organization to “further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.” To realize this purpose the Organization is required to “collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication and to that end recommend such international agreements as may be necessary to promote the free flow of ideas by word and image…”
Related themes/countries
· El Salvador
· Freedom of Expression: News Archives 2007
· Press Freedom: News Archives 2007
· UNESCO Remembers Assassinated Journalists: News Archives 2007
Share this story:
Contact information
- UNESCO Press Release No.2007-110
Source