Director-General deplores the killings of journalists Roman Nezhyborets and Zoreslav Zamoysky in Ukraine

The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has denounced the killings of journalists Roman Nezhyborets and Zoreslav Zamoysky whose bodies were found by residents of the Ukranian localities of Yahidne and Bucha.

“I deplore the killings of Roman Nezhyborets and Zoreslav Zamoysky,” said the Director-General. “I call on the relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances of these killings and bring those responsible to justice. The importance of reporters’ work informing local populations and the world of events on the ground in times of war cannot be overstated and their safety must be respected, in line with international law and the Geneva Conventions.”

Nezhyborets was a video technician for the television broadcaster Dytynets. Zamoysky was a freelance contributor to local news media including Information Portal and Hromada Priirpinnia who covered the war on his Facebook page. The exact dates of their killings are unclear. UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and a range of actions, notably in the framework of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. /BGNES