UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova on Thursday condemned the ongoing killing of journalists in the Middle East, as she criticized two recent assassinations in Iraq and Syria.

A UNESCO statement quoted Bokova as saying “journalists and media workers provide vital information and it is essential for society as a whole to ensure the safety of journalists.” The UNESCO chief invoked “the Geneva Conventions” which she said should be respected with regard to journalists’ protection.”The murder of journalists must not be allowed to go unpunished,” Bokova affirmed.

She was reacting particularly to recent reports of two deaths of journalists in past days, including the murder of Mohammad Thabet Al-Obeidi, who worked for “The Iraqia” radio network, who was shot dead in Kirkuk by unknown assailants.

The second death pinpointed by UNESCO was that of Mohsen Khazaei, an Iranian reporter killed in Aleppo while working for the Iranian News Agency. Recently, Reporters Without Borders said that the bulk of those kidnapped or detained are journalists located in Iraq, Syria and Yemen area, while 21 journalists have been detained by the so-called Islamic State (IS).

Syria is still viewed as the most dangerous country in the world for journalists.

Source: kuna.net.kw