Press release

UNESCO Director-General condemns killing of AFP journalist Arman Soldin in Ukraine

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, has denounced the killing of French reporter Arman Soldin, AFP video coordinator, on the outskirts of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine on 9 May.

10 May 2023

I condemn the attack that killed video journalist Arman Soldin and call for an investigation to identify the circumstances of his death. I renew my call for international humanitarian law to be respected, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 2222 of 2015 on the protection of journalists, media professionals and associated personnel in situations of conflict.

Audrey AzoulayUNESCO Director-General

Soldin had been covering the fighting in Ukraine for Agence France-Presse since the beginning of the war. He was reported to be killed in a rocket attack on Chasiv Yar on the outskirts of Bakhmut where he was accompanying Ukrainian soldiers. He is the 12th journalist killed in Ukraine since the war started.

UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and by coordinating the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.