Director-General condemns murder of Kenyan journalist Francis Nyaruri

Paris, 6 February

The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, today condemned the murder of Kenyan journalist Francis Nyaruri and called for an investigation into the killing.

“I condemn the murder of Francis Nyaruri,” said the Director-General. “I trust that this crime will be investigated and that its culprits will be brought to trial, not just for the sake of Francis Nyaruri but the sake of democracy and good governance. Journalists like him carry out important, albeit controversial, work that contributes to debate and democracy.”

The beheaded body of Francis Nyaruri, who had written articles about police corruption for the independent Weekly Citizen under the name of Mong'are Mokua, was found on 29 January in a forest in western Kenya.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that Francis Nyaruri, who had been missing since 15 January, had told colleagues that he had received threats. He is the second journalist to be killed in Kenya in the past year, according to the CPJ.

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…”

• Author(s):Press Release N°2009-10
• Source:UNESCOPRESS
• 06-02-2009