The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has denounced the murder of journalist Hazım Özsu in the Turkish city of Bursa on 9 March.
I condemn the killing of Hazım Özsu. Journalists must be able to carry out their important mission of reflecting diverse perspectives and opinions and informing democratic debate. I call on the authorities to bring the presumed killer of Hazım Özsu to trial. Impunity must not be allowed to embolden the use of violence to restrict media pluralism.
Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General
A man was arrested for the killing of Özsu, a presenter on Radio Rahmet FM, six days after the event. He said he had killed the journalist because he did not agree with certain expressions related to sacred values that Özsu used on his programmes during the COVID-19 period.
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.
- See also: UNESCO observatory of killed journalists
