The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, today condemned the killing of Musa Abdul Kareem on 31 July in Sabha, southwestern Libya. He worked for a local newspaper.
“I condemn the killing of Musa Abdul Kareem, which calls attention to the great dangers journalists face when carrying out their work,” the Director-General said. “Even in areas undergoing unrest, all media workers should be able to safely perform their duties, which are essential for nurturing public debate in every society. I urge authorities to investigate this crime and bring the culprits to justice.”
Musa Abdul Kareem was a journalist at Sabha-based newspaper Fasanea, reporting on hostilities between groups in the area. He and his colleagues regularly received threats for their journalistic work.
Musa Abdul Kareem was abducted on 31 July, and his body was found later that day.
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(link sends e-mail), +33 (0)1 45 68 08 91