Press release

UNESCO Director-General deplores death of journalist Firas al-Ahmad in Syria

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, has deplored the death of Firas al-Ahmad in a roadside bomb explosion near the area of al-Shayyiah in the southern province of Dara, Syria, on 9 August 2023.

16 August 2023

I deplore the death of Firas al-Ahmad. Journalists too often risk their lives to inform the public about events happening in places where access to information would otherwise not be possible. I call on the authorities to investigate this attack in order to bring those responsible to justice.

Audrey AzoulayUNESCO Director-General

Firas al-Ahmad was a veteran television correspondent working for the local Sama TV channel. He was reportedly returning from an assignment covering army operations when the car he was travelling in was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) that also killed three soldiers and injured a Syrian News TV cameraman.

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.

UNESCO observatory of killed journalists