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The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today called for an investigation into the killing of Jesús Adrián Rodríguez Samaniego, a journalist in Chihuahua, northern Mexico.

“I condemn the murder of Jesús Adrián Rodríguez Samaniego,” the Director-General said. “I call on the authorities to investigate this crime and bring its perpetrators to justice. Society as a whole must take responsibility for the safety of journalists on whom everyone depends to sustain informed public debate. Violence cannot be allowed to curb the fundamental human right of freedom of expression and freedom of information.”

Rodríguez Samaniego, who presented a radio local current affairs programme on Antena 102.5FM radio, was shot on the 10 December.

The Director-General of UNESCO issues statements on the killing of media workers in line with Resolution 29 adopted by UNESCO Member States at the Organization’s General Conference of 1997, entitled “Condemnation of Violence against Journalists.” These statements are posted on a dedicated webpage, ..

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Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray@unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 42 12

UNESCO is the United Nations agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. Article 1 of its Constitution requires the Organization to “further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.” To realize this the Organization is requested to “collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication and to that end recommend such international agreements as may be necessary to promote the free flow of ideas by word and image…”