The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, today denounced the killing of Abdullahi Mire Hashi, a local radio talk show producer and presenter in the Somali town of Elasha Biyaha.
“I condemn the murder of Abdullahi Mire Hashi,” said the Director-General. “I call on the authorities to bring those responsible for this killing to justice, to prevent fear and gun-point censorship from muzzling freedom of expression in the media.”
Abdullahi Mire Hashi was shot on 27 October as he was leaving afternoon prayer at a mosque near the privately-owned Darul Sunnah radio where he hosted a daily call-in programme.
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