Governments should strengthen safety of journalists: Unesco

New Delhi: Unesco on Thursday called on all governments to strengthen the safety of journalists after Sunni militant group Islamic State (IS) beheaded second American journalist Steven Scotloff.

"I condemn deeply the execution of Steven Scotloff," said Irina Bokova, Unesco director-general, in a statement.

Scotloff, a 31-year-old, Florida-based freelance journalist, who had gone missing in northern Syria over a year ago, was executed on September 3, two weeks after the IS beheaded American photo journalist James Foley.

"He, like James Foley, was a brave man who worked as a journalist committed to telling the world what was happening on the ground," she added.
Condemning this incident, Irina said: "It is outrageous that these brave professionals, who are driven by their desire to find out how people are affected by war, and share their stories with the world, should suffer such inhuman treatment."

Bokova also called on all "governments to strengthen the safety of journalists by ensuring that those responsible for such violence are held accountable."