The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has condemned the killing of online journalist Romário da Silva Barros in the town of Maricá, in Brazil’s state of Rio de Janeiro on 18 June.
“I condemn the murder of Romário da Silva Barros,” said the Director-General. “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes freedom of expression as a fundamental human right and it is imperative that those who use violence to undermine this right be brought to trial. Impunity must not be allowed to prevail as it condones continued violent attacks on the media.”
Da Silva Barros, founder and director of the news website Lei Seca Maricá, which covers local politics, crime and culture, was shot dead in his car.
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