The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay has condemned the killing of journalist Raman Kashyap in the State of Uttar Pradesh on 3 October.
I condemn the violence that led to the death of journalist Raman Kashyap. UNESCO in its recent Issue Brief on Safety of Journalists Covering Protest sounds the alarm on the high risk of violence faced by journalists covering civil unrest. I call on the Indian authorities to conduct a swift investigation to establish who is responsible for this tragic incident and to bring its perpetrators to justice. Media coverage of protests is important and we must step up efforts to ensure that this it can be carried out without risks to the physical and mental integrity of journalists.
Kashyap was covering a farmer’s protest in the town of Lakhimpur Kheri where violence reportedly occurred after official cars hit and killed a number of protesters. At least nine people, including Raman Kashyap were killed by the cars that drove into the crowd and the violence that erupted thereafter. The exact circumstances of the journalists’ death remain unclear. He was first declared missing by his family on 3 October before his body was identified by his family on the following day.
Raman Kashyap was a freelance journalist who often worked with Sadhna Prime News TV.
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, g.godoi@unesco.org