Director-General condemns killing of media workers Amjad Aktalati and Abdel Nasser Haj Hamdan in Idlib, Syria
Paris, 02 March—The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has reiterated the obligation of all parties to the conflict in Syria to protect journalists following news of the killing of two media workers, Abdel Nasser Haj Hamdan and Amjad Aktalati, in the Syrian Governorate of Idlib on 20 and 4 February respectively.
“I condemn the killings of Abdel Nasser Haj Hamdan and Amjad Aktalati,” said the Director-General, “The media provide us with invaluable, potentially life-saving information from conflict zones and I once again must remind the parties to the conflicts in Syria of their obligation under the Geneva Conventions to protect civilians and media workers.”
Abdel Nasser Haj Hamdan, a journalist and photographer for Binnish Media Office, was killed during airstrikes on Idlib on 20 February. An earlier airstrike on Idlib claimed the life of Amjad Aktalati who worked for several media outlets on 4 February.
UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and a range of actions, notably in the framework of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.
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See also: UNESCO observatory of killed journalists
Media contact: Guilherme Canela De Souza Godoi, g.godoi@unesco.org