“I condemn the killing of José Givonaldo Vieira,” declared the Director-General. “Attacks against the media and media professionals constitute a serious and unacceptable threat to democracy, which is based on the fundamental human right of freedom of expression. Democratic choices depend on open public debate, while the checks and balances provided by a free press bolster good governance. It is, therefore, essential that those responsible for this crime be brought to trial.”

José Givonaldo Vieira, who hosted a programme about social issues on Bezerros FM, a local radio station he owned, was shot dead in his car by unidentified gunmen in what looked like a contract killing, according to local media. Mr Vieira also owned the local newspaper Folha do Agreste and a music production company.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), radio hosts and independent journalists are the most common murder victims in the remote northeast of Brazil. In 2009, the country was included for the first time in the CPJ’s list of countries where journalists are killed regularly and their murderers remain unpunished.