Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO, today condemned the killing of Mustafa Salama who died in the Governorate of Quneitra in the southwest of Syria on 16 July and urged better protection of journalists’ safety in Syria.
“I condemn the killing of Mustafa Salama,” said the Director-General. “All parties to the conflict must fulfil their obligations under the Geneva Conventions to treat journalists as civilians and take measures to protect their lives under all circumstances.”
Salama, a reporter for Sama, a Damascus-based television network, was critically injured by a shell while covering the conflict in Quneitra Governorate.
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