Press release
Director-General condemns killing of journalist Atef Al Saidi in Syria
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has denounced the killing of journalist Atef Al Saidi in Tariq El Sed in southern Syria on 5 November 2022.
21 February 2023
I deplore the killing of Atef Al Saidi. Those seeking to muzzle freedom of expression, press freedom and access to information by committing acts of violence against journalists must be investigated and held responsible.
Audrey Azoulay
UNESCO's Director-General
Four days before he was killed, Al Saidi had escaped an assassination attempt in his home in Muzayrib. He had begun his career as a journalist for Syrian television channel Al-Jisr in Daraa Governorate. At the time of his death, he was a freelancer for Television Syria and the Shahid Media Foundation.
UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and by coordinating the implementation 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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