The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, today denounced the killing of photographer and videographer Anas al-Dyab during airstrikes on Khan Sheikhun in the northwestern Syrian Governorate of Idlib on 21 July.
"I deplore the killing of Anas al-Dyab," said the Director-General. "I call on all parties to the Syrian conflict to stop indiscriminate attacks that endanger and kill civilians, including media workers. I wish to pay tribute to brave journalists like Anas al-Dyab who provide the world with invaluable information and testimonies about life in conflict zones at an unacceptably high risk to themselves."
Al-Dyab, a citizen journalist and contributor to Agence France Presse (AFP), died while filming air strikes on his hometown, which claimed at least ten other civilian lives. The photographer was also a volunteer rescue worker with the White Helmets group.
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
