UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay today urged the authorities in Pakistan to bring to trial the killer of a reporter for the local Urdu language newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt, Zeeshan Ashraf Butt, who was shot in the town of Begowalal in the east of Pakistan’s Punjab Province on 27 March.
“I condemn the killing of Zeeshan Ashraf Butt,” said the Director-General. “It is essential for the protection of journalists that the authorities bring the culprit of this crime to trial. Impunity must not be allowed to embolden those who resort to violence to restrict press freedom and freedom of expression.”
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