Unesco Chief Condemns Murder Of Colombian Radio Journalist
As part of his continued campaign to focus attention on threats to press freedom worldwide, the Director-General of the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO><"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=34269_DO=DO_TOPIC_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) today condemned the killing of a radio journalist in Colombia.
Milton Fabián Sánchez, whose programme for Yumbo Estéreo focused on political and community issues, was shot by two men
as he was on his way home on 9 August.
“I urge the Colombian authorities to do all they can to bring the culprits of this crime to justice,” said UNESCO
Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura in a statement released in Paris.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 25 media professionals have been killed in Colombia in the past
decade. The CPJ notes, however, that such attacks have declined recently, with only one murder in 2005 and one so far
this year. Nonetheless, the CPJ reports that journalists, especially those covering crime and corruption, continue to
face threats.
“Although I welcome the commitment shown by the authorities in Colombia to defend press freedom and note the decrease in
the number of deadly attacks on journalists in the country over the past two years,” said Mr. Matsuura. “I am concerned
about this murder and about reports of continued threats and intimidation against journalits, notably those reporting on
crime.
Mr. Matsuura has recently condemned the murders of journalists in Iraq, Mexico, China, Russia and Brazil.
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