Paris, August 2 (No.2001-84) - UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura today expressed grave concern about news of the killing of Georgian journalist Georgi Sanaia, who was found dead in his home late on Thursday, July 26, after he had been shot once in the head at close range.

Mr Matsuura declared today: “Words are not strong enough to condemn the murder of yet another journalist this year. This new tragedy further highlights the imperative need to protect media professionals and bring the perpetrators of these heinous acts to justice swiftly.”

The identity of the killers of Mr Sanaia, a news presenter at the independent television station Rustavi-2, and the motive for the murder have not been determined. Colleagues firmly believe that the killing was connected to his professional activities.

As most professional media organizations have done over the last few years, and in line with a resolution voted unanimously by UNESCO’s General Conference in 1997, the Director-General called on all Member States to take all necessary measures urgently to prevent such crimes, to investigate them and punish their perpetrators.

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