Director-General condemns murder of photojournalist Jaime Daniel Castaño Zacarías in Mexico

Paris, 16 December—Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO, has called for an investigation into the killing of photojournalist Jaime Daniel Castaño Zacarías in the north Mexican state of Zacatecas on 9 December.

“I condemn the murder of Jaime Daniel Castaño Zacarías,” said the Director-General. “I call on Mexico to investigate this crime and bring its perpetrators to trial. The investigation and prosecution of the all too many killings of media professionals is crucial to ending the impunity enjoyed by the overwhelming majority of criminals who use guns to prevent journalists from sharing information with the public.”

Zacarías, who had worked as a photojournalist for the Municipal Presidency of Jerez and managed the digital media outlet PrensaLibreMx, was shot by unidentified gunmen after he had photographed dead bodies he discovered on the side of a public highway in Jerez.

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