UN Secretary-General: More than 700 journalists killed in last decade

Baku. 3 November. REPORT.AZ/ More than 700 journalists have been killed in the last decade. 

Report informs United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, honouring journalists and media workers who were killed in the line of duty for merely ‘reporting the truth’ and is underscoring the importance of protecting their rights and ensuring they can report freely.

"We must do more to combat this trend and make sure that journalists can report freely. Journalists should not have to engage in self-censorship because they fear for their life," said the UN chief.

"More than 700 journalists have been killed in the last decade – one every five days – simply for bringing news and information to the public. Many perish in the conflicts they cover so fearlessly. But all too many have been deliberately silenced for trying to report the truth," said Mr. Ban in a message on the second World Day.

Ban Ki-moon welcomed the initiative of UNESCO, which took the lead in the implementation of the Action Plan of the United Nations to ensure the safety of journalists.