The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has condemned the killing of a Hawar News Agency (ANHA) reporter in northern Syria in a press release on Wednesday 30 November.
“Journalists have a duty to provide news and information of public interest, including covering risky environments. Their safety and protection must be guaranteed by the relevant authorities,” Azoulay said.
Isam Abdullah was one of 11 civilians killed by Turkish airstrikes on the city of Derik on 20 November. He had been reporting in northern Syria since 2013.
Hours before his death, he had reported that Turkish airstrikes were attacking civilians, before being killed in the second wave of attacks.
On 22 November, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the Turkish authorities to immediately conduct a full and transparent investigation into whether the Hawar News Agency reporter and other journalists were targeted during Turkish airstrikes in the region.