The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has condemned the killing of television journalist Leonardo Gabriel Hernández in Nacaome, southern Honduras, on 17 March.
“I condemn the killing of Leonardo Gabriel Hernández,” said the Director-General. “I call on the authorities to investigate this crime and ensure that those responsible for it are brought to justice.”
Hernández, who presented a news programme El Pueblo Habla (the people speak) for the privately owned broadcaster Valle, was shot near his home in broad daylight. The journalist is reported to have received threats to his life in connection with his journalism. In 2018, he reportedly filed an unsuccessful application to benefit from Honduras’s national protection mechanism for journalists and human rights defenders.
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
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Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray@unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 08 91