UNESCO chief denounces killing of radio broadcaster Bismillah Adel Aimaq

Aimaq, the managing editor of the local radio station Radio Sada-e-Ghor, had reported attacks on his house and car prior to his killing.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has denounced the killing of radio broadcaster and human rights activist, Bismillah Adel Aimaq, in Feroz Koh, a city in the central Ghor province of Afghanistan on 1 January.

I condemn the killing of Bismillah Adel Aimaq the most recent in a series of attacks on media practitioners in Afghanistan. It is essential that the perpetrators of these attacks be held to account to enable journalists to carry out their work without having to fear for their lives.

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO

Aimaq, the managing editor of the local radio station Radio Sada-e-Ghor, had reported attacks on his house and car prior to his killing. According to media reports, he was shot while driving his car whose other passengers were left unharmed.

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.