UNESCO Director-General condemns killing of Shujaat Bukhari

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay today condemned the killing of senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari and hoped that the authorities will spare no effort in seeking and prosecuting his killers.

Bukhari, the editor-in-chief of the daily 'Rising Kashmir', was shot dead outside his office in Srinagar on June 14. Two police officers provided to him as personal bodyguards were also killed in the attack. The government has blamed militants based in Kashmir for the killings.

"I condemn the murder of Shujaat Bukhari and his bodyguards," Azoulay said in a statement.

"I trust the authorities will spare no effort in seeking and prosecuting the killers who were undeterred by the presence of police in their determination to silence a journalist known as a voice of moderation," the official said.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization or UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity-building and a range of actions, notably the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, the statement added.