Press release
Director-General condemns killing of reporter Rohit Kumar Biswal in India
PR/ 22
February 23, 2022
Last update:
March 1, 2022
Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay has urged an investigation into the killing of reporter and photojournalist Rohit Kumar Biswal in the Indian state of Odisha, on 5 February.
I condemn the killing of Rohit Kumar Biswal. I call on the authorities to investigate this killing and take measures to ensure journalists can carry out their work safely, particular in times of elections, a precondition for the exercise of both press freedom and freedom of information.
Audrey Azoulay
Director-General of UNESCO
Working for Odia-language newspaper Dharitri, Rohit Kumar Biswal died instantly in the detonation of an explosive device while he was taking pictures for a report on local elections.
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
