The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has denounced the killing of journalists Dilshan Ibash and Hawker Faisal Mohammed in Syria on 12 and 13 October respectively.
“I condemn the attack that killed journalists Dilshan Ibash and Hawker Faisal Mohammed along with many other civilians,” said the Director-General. “I call on all to protect the safety of journalists, their right to carry out their work and society’s right to be kept informed, which can be vital in conflict situations.”
Dilshan Ibash died in a car bomb explosion in Abu Fas, in eastern Syria, while Hawker Faisal Mohammed sustained head injuries in the blast and died in hospital the following day. Both victims were reporters of the Hawar News agency. A large number of civilians, many of them internally displaced people, died in the blast, and many more were injured.
The Director-General of UNESCO issues statements on the killing of media workers in line with Resolution 29 adopted by UNESCO Member States at the Organization’s General Conference of 1997, entitled “Condemnation of Violence against Journalists.” These statements are posted on a dedicated webpage, UNESCO condemns the killing of journalists
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Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray@unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 42 12