The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has condemned the killing of sub-editor Anjum Munir Raja in the Punjab province of Pakistan on 1 March.
“I condemn the murder of Anjum Munir Raja,” said the Director-General, “and call on the authorities to investigate this crime. It is essential for the safety of journalists, freedom of expression, freedom of information and rule of law that those who use violence to silence the media be punished for their misdeed.”
Shot in the town of Rawalpindi, Anjum Munir Raja worked for Urdu-language daily Qaumi Pukaar. He is the fifth media worker to be killed in Pakistan since the beginning of 2017.
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.”
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 42 12