Director-General denounces murder of Iraqi television executive Nizar Thanoun
Paris, 2 March —The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has called on the Iraqi authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the murder of Nizar Thanoun, Chief Executive Officer of Iraqi satellite broadcaster Al-Rasheed TV, on 11 February.
“I condemn the murder of Nizar Thanoun,” said the Director-General, “I call on the authorities to investigate this attack on press freedom and freedom of expression. It is important for Iraqi society as a whole that the perpetrators of this crime be brought to justice.”
Nizar Thanoun was shot dead in front of his home in western Baghdad one day before the end of the government’s three-month suspension of several broadcasters including Al-Rasheed TV, which is owned by opposition leader Saad Assim al-Janabi.
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