UNESCO Demands Investigation into the Murder of Journalist
Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO, on Tuesday denounced the killing of award-winning journalist Javier Arturo Valdez Cárdenas in Culiacán in the State of Sinaloa, Mexico, on Monday 15 May.
“I condemn the murder of Javier Arturo Valdez Cárdenas,” said the Director-General. “This crime is yet another stark reminder of the dangerous conditions in which all too many courageous journalists exercise their profession and that attacks on them undermine the fundamental human right of freedom expression as well as freedom of information.”
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Irina Bokova called on the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to “ensure that this killing is not left unpunished.”
Valdez was the founder and editor of the weekly Riodoce and a correspondent for other outlets, notably La Jornada daily newspaper and Agence France Presse.
In 2011, he received the Committee to Protect Journalists’ International Press Freedom Award for his reporting on crime and drug trafficking. Valdez was shot near the offices of Riodoce.
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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, UNESCO condemns the killing of journalists.
