Top UN officials condemn murders of politician, journalist in Ukraine

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced serious concern over recent reports regarding the killing of prominent political and media figures in Ukraine.

In a statement released by his spokesperson earlier today, Mr. Ban took note of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s call for a swift investigation into the shooting deaths of Oleg Kalashnikov and Oles Buzyna.

Mr. Kalashnikov, a politician, was reportedly found dead from a gun-shot wound inside his home on 15 April while Mr. Buzyna, a journalist and writer, was killed outside his home by unidentified assailants the following day.

Mr. Ban urged that all other such crimes be “urgently investigated” by authorities, stating that such an approach would be “critical in order to ensure the rule of law and the need to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

At the same time, Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN agency mandated to defend press freedom, condemned Mr. Buzyna’s murder, stating that journalists must be able to practice their professions “without fearing for their lives.”

“Society as a whole suffers each time a journalist is silenced,” Ms. Bokova declared in a press release. “The authorities must spare no effort in shedding light into this killing.”