“I condemn the killing of Nery Francisco Soto Torres,” the Director-General said. “The ability of people to receive balanced information from independent sources rests on the ability of journalists and media workers to work in a safe environment – this is an essential for freedom of expression in any society.”

Nery Francisco Soto Torres—who hosted a news show on Canal 23 television and co-produced a programme on Radio Full FM—was shot outside his home in the town of Olanchito in the state of Yoro.

The Director-General issues statements on the killing of media professionals 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(at)unesco.org,  +33 (0)1 45 68 42 12

UNESCO is the United Nations agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. Article 1 of its Constitution requires the Organization to “further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.” To realize this the Organization is requested to “collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication and to that end recommend such international agreements as may be necessary to promote the free flow of ideas by word and image…”