Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, has condemned the killing of reporter Chandan Tiwary in the State of Jharkhand in India.
“I condemn the killing of Chandan Tiwary,” said the Director-General “I call on the authorities to spare no effort in investigating this crime and bringing its perpetrators to justice. Fear of reprisals must not hamper journalists in their effort to contribute to transparency and rule of law, both of which are essential to democracy.”
Chandan Tiwary, a reporter for Hindi-language newspaper Aaj, was found on 30 October with critical injuries in the forest of Baltharwa near the district of Chaltra. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. According to the media, Tiwary had complained to the police on two occasions about threats of violent reprisal over his investigative reporting.
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