“I condemn the murder of Riad al-Saray,” said Ms Bokova. “Such attacks on journalists are attacks on the fundamental right of freedom of expression and on society as a whole. Their frequency in Iraq is unacceptable. I call on the Iraqi government to make every effort to bring the culprits to justice and to take measures to improve the safety of media professionals.”

Mr Saray, 35, presented religious and political programmes for al-Iraqiya TV, the state broadcaster. He was shot dead as he was driving in the capital, according to press reports.

The non-governmental organization Reporters without Borders (RSF) said Mr Saray is the 15th al-Iraqiya journalist to be killed since the end of Saddam Hussein's regime. According to the latest RSF report on the risks for the press working in Iraq, 230 journalists and media staff have been killed in the country since March 2003.