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The Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova today urged the Mexican authorities to shed light on the killing of three journalists Filadelfo Sánchez Sarmiento, Gerardo Nieto Alvarez and Juan Mendoza Delgado, who died between 26 June and 2 July.

“I condemn the killing of Filadelfo Sánchez Sarmiento, Gerardo Nieto Alvarez and Juan Mendoza Delgado” the Director-General said. “Crimes against journalists affect the whole of society and limit the ability of citizens to make informed choices. It is important that the authorities investigate these killings and bring those responsible for them to trial.”

Filadelfo Sánchez Sarmiento was killed in the southern state of Oaxaca; Juan Mendoza Delgado was found dead in the eastern state of Veracruz; and Gerardo Nieto Alvarez, was killed in the central state of Guanajuato.

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.

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Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray(at)unesco.org,  +33 (0)1 45 68 42 12

UNESCO is the United Nations agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. Article 1 of its Constitution requires the Organization to “further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.” To realize this the Organization is requested to “collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication and to that end recommend such international agreements as may be necessary to promote the free flow of ideas by word and image…”