Director-General condemns murder of the Mexican community radio journalist Rafael Murúa Manríquez.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay today condemned the assassination of community radio journalist Rafael Murúa Manríquez on 20 January in the state of Baja California Sur, Mexico.

"I condemn the murder of Rafael Murúa Manríquez,” said the Director-General. “No society can accept that journalists be pressured, bullied and even killed for trying to share information with their fellow citizens and contributing to transparent public debate. I trust that an impartial investigation will be conducted to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice."

The dead body of Murúa Manríquez, the founding director of, and broadcaster at, Santa Rosalia community radio station, Radio Kashana, was found on 20 January. The journalist, had spoken out about pressures and threats to his person because of his political reporting, and had been granted police protection since 2017.

UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and a range of actions, notably the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

See also: UNESCO condemns the killing of journalists.

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Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray@unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 08 91