Director-General condemns murder of online journalist Robson Giorno in Brazil

The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has denounced the assassination of local journalist and politician Robson Giorno in Maricá in the state of Rio de Janeiro on 25 May.

“I condemn the killing of Robson Giorno,” said the Director-General. “I trust that the investigation underway will lead to the prosecution of the perpetrators of this crime. This is important as local journalism brings an invaluable contribution to local democracy and to national media’s grasp of local issues.”

Robson Giorno was the founder and principal reporter of the online Jornal O Maricá, which focused on local news and politics. Unidentified callers lured Giorno out of his house where he was killed by unidentified assailants who immediately fled the scene.

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, +33 (0)1 45 68 08 91