Wednesday, November 09, 2016
Kabul (BNA) The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom the other day spoke out against the murder of a broadcast journalist in Afghanistan’s Helmand province on 4 November.
“I deplore the killing of Nematullah Zahir,” said Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UN Educational, Scientific and Culture Organization (UNESCO). “It is essential that the authorities as well as media organizations in Afghanistan do all they can to improve the safety of media workers.”
Nematullah Zahir, a reporter for Ariana TV, was killed by a bomb near the city of Lashkar Gah while driving on a reporting assignment.
She said that as part of the drive to save lives and enable the media to continue informing the public, UNESCO and its partners have published guidebook for journalists in high-risk environments, which she called on all concerned to heed.
The Director-General of UNESCO issues statements on the killing of media workers in line with resolution 20 adopted by UNESCO Member States in 1997, entitled “Condemnation of Violence against Journalists.”
