Director-General condemns murder of Mexican reporter Fabián Ramírez López
21-10-2009 (Paris)
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koďchiro Matsuura, today condemned the killing of Mexican radio presenter Fabián Ramírez López whose body was found in the coastal city of Mazatlán on 11 October.
“I condemn the murder of Fabián Ramírez López,” declared the Director-General. “It is essential for democracy and rule of law that journalists and media workers should be able to continue exercising the basic human right of freedom of expression without fearing for their lives. I trust the authorities will do all they can to prosecute the perpetrators of a crime that affects the whole of Mexican society.”
The dead body of Fabián Ramírez López, 42, was found following an anonymous telephone call to La Magia 97.1, the radio station where he worked. He had last been seen two days earlier as he was on his way to the radio station.
The International Press Institute reports that six journalists have been killed in Mexico so far this year, making it one of the most dangerous countries in the world for the practice of journalism.
The dead body of Fabián Ramírez López, 42, was found following an anonymous telephone call to La Magia 97.1, the radio station where he worked. He had last been seen two days earlier as he was on his way to the radio station.
The International Press Institute reports that six journalists have been killed in Mexico so far this year, making it one of the most dangerous countries in the world for the practice of journalism.
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 the Organization is requested 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
· Mexico
· Press Freedom
· UNESCO Remembers Assassinated Journalists
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Contact information
- UNESCO Press Release No.2009-129
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