UN: Killings of journalists must be investigated swiftly

Governments should swiftly investigate killings of journalists, the United Nations said Wednesday, dpa reported.

"It is shocking and unacceptable that more than 90 per cent of the assassinations of journalists go unpunished," UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson said during a UN Security Council debate on the protection of civilians in conflict with a focus on journalists.

Eliasson said more than 600 journalists had been killed on duty in the past decade.

He said the protection of media workers was a prerequisite for the freedom of expression and democracy.

More than 50 government envoys were scheduled to address what is the first Security Council debate on the protection of journalists.


/Trend/