Stressing the importance of media professionals’ safety, the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today condemned the killing of an Indian journalist who died while covering an incident in Kashmir.

Ashok Sodhi, a reporter with a quarter century of experience, died of bullet injuries sustained while working on a story in Samba district, south of the city of Jammu. He worked for the Daily Excelsior, a newspaper in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

“The safety of journalists is a subject of paramount concern in any democracy,” said Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura of UNESCO, the UN agency mandated to defend freedom of the press and freedom of expression. “It is essential that reporters be able to do their work and inform the public, even in areas of conflict. Their status as civilians must be respected.”