UNESCO deplores killing of journalists in Libya

UNESCO deplores killing of journalists in Libya

2011-04-23 04:31:42 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Friday deplored the killing of two journalists in the Libyan city of Misrata last Wednesday.

"Photographer Tim Hetherington and filmmaker Chris Hondros had paid the ultimate price for their bravery and commitment to their profession," said Irina Bokova, UNESCO's Director General.

The two photojournalists were killed in a mortar attack while on a reporting mission in the troubled North African nation. Two other journalists, Guy Martin and Michael Christopher Brown, were seriously injured in the same attack.

Hetherington, 40, and Hondros, 41, were covering the battle for Misrata in Libya, where opposition groups have taken up arms in a bid to oust Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi, who has been in power for over four decades.

"Their deaths serve as a tragic reminder of the dangers of this profession, and, at the same time, the critical role of the media in providing accurate and timely information on events that impact on so many lives and influence the course of history," added Bokova.

Hetherington, who held dual British and United States citizenship, was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year for his 2010 documentary 'Restrepo', which followed U.S. troops in Afghanistan. It won the Grand Jury Prize for best documentary at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Hondros was an award-winning United States war photographer. He worked for the photo news agency Getty Images. His last photographs, published just hours before his death, showed rebel fighters in a burning home during house-to-house fighting in downtown Misrata.

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