“I strongly condemn the killing of Abdias Jean who appears to have been shot dead for carrying out his professional duty to inform the public,” the Director-General said. “The use of force to deprive journalists and their audience of the fundamental human right of freedom of expression, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is an intolerable attack on democracy and rule of law. If reports that Mr Jean was killed by the police are confirmed, it would be particularly shocking to think that such crimes are perpetrated by the very forces responsible for law and order.”

News agency reports quote eyewitnesses saying that Mr Jean was murdered by police as he was covering their raid on the shantytown of Village de Dieu and their killing of several people there. Police are reported to have beaten Mr Jean and shot him after he identified himself as a journalist.

“I am very concerned about the situation in Haiti, and persistent reports of violence against the media which have an essential role to play if normalcy and good governance are to be established in the country,” the Director-General concluded.