The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has condemned the killing of online journalist Muhammad Zada Agra in Sakhakot, in Pakistan’s District of Malakand, on 8 November.
I condemn the murder of Muhammad Zada Agra. I call on the authorities to spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators of this crime to justice in order to deter other criminals from using violence to silence journalists and keep information from the public.
Muhammad Zada Agra, who reported on politics, corruption and criminal groups in his Citizen Journalist PK YouTube and Facebook channels, was shot dead by unknown assailants near his home. He is the fourth journalist killed in Pakistan this year.
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.
See also: UNESCO observatory of killed journalists
Media contact: Guilherme Canela de Souza Godoi, g.godoi@unesco.org