Press release
Director-General condemns killing of Lithuanian documentary film maker Mantas Kvedaravicius in Ukraine
The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has denounced the killing of documentary film maker Mantas Kvedaravicius who died in his car while attempting to escape the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol on 2 April.
PR
April 6, 2022
Last update:
April 21, 2022
I condemn the killing of Mantas Kvedaravicius. The film maker’s tragic death again draws our attention to the urgent need to protect media workers, especially in conflict situations. The perpetrators of this crime must be identified and brought to trial, in the interest of justice, freedom of expression and artistic freedom.
Audrey Azoulay
UNESCO Director-General
Kvedaravicius was known for his documentary work on Mariupol. His documentary, Mariupolis, was presented at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2016.
Last year, UNESCO published a policy brief on the safety of foreign correspondents to raise attention to the specific risks and threats they face.
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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