The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has denounced the killing of Christoff Griffith, a photojournalist, who died in St Michael in southwest Barbados on 22 June.
“I condemn the killing of Christoff Griffith,” said the Director-General. “Mr Griffith was attacked while doing his job and I trust that the authorities will be able to bring his murderer to justice. It is essential for press freedom and freedom of information everywhere that countries do not let attacks on media practitioners go unpunished.”
Christoff Griffith was killed in the abandoned former residence of the Anglican Bishop of St Michael where he had gone to cover a murder that took place shortly earlier for The Nation newspaper. He arrived at the scene before the police who subsequently arrested a man suspected of both killings.
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