The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the shooting in which cameraman Gelson Domingos da Silva was killed on Sunday 6 November 2011. Gelson, who worked for several TV stations, including Andeirantes TV, was shot in the chest while covering the police operation against drug dealers in Antares, a slum area of the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

"We mourn the tragic death of Gelson, a consummate professional, who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the job he loved and convey our sympathy to his family and colleagues," said Beth, Costa, IFJ General Secretary. "But we also urge media owners in Brazil to review all measures taken to provide the safety and security of journalists who are sent to dangerous assignments in order to prevent the repeat of such tragedy."

Media reports say that the fatal shooting came when elements of the Special Operations Battalion of the federal police in City of Rio were pursuing armed groups involved in drug dealings deep inside the slum of Antares. A fire fight broke up and Gelson was hit in the chest by a bullet which pierced his flak jacket as he stood filming behind the police.

The Death of Gelson, an award winning cameraman, has sparked a debate in Brazil about the working conditions of journalists, including their safety following reports that many media had voiced concerns over the risks of embedding journalists with police to report on their operations.

In a statement, the Federaçao Nacional do Jornalistas (FENAJ), an IFJ affiliate, paid tribute to Gelson who last year with his team won the Vladimir Herzog and Human Rights Prize for their report on killings in northeastern region of Brazil. The Federation called on the government to hunt down Gelson's killers and bring them to justice while ensuring that journalists are provided with adequate protection.

FENAJ says that Gelson's killing should serve as a wake- up call for all media companies to review their existing protocol for the safety of journalists and work with the Federation to agree on the credible measures to provide media with a safer environment and better working conditions.

The IFJ supports FENAJ which has also asked the authorities to investigate the circumstances of the cameraman's death after TV companies in Brazil were accused of resorting to pooling in news gathering and sharing of material on dangerous activities which allows them to deploy fewer journalists and pay them less. It was reported that Gelson was also driving his TV van, something FENAJ considers to be a breach of safety standards in high risks situations while a colleague is quoted as saying that the flak jackets available to Brazilian journalists are of inferior quality.

"The loss of Gelson is made much worse by claims of lack of adequate preparation for dangerous reporting," added Costa. "We support FENAJ's call for a thorough examination of all the facts of this tragic death in full transparency to provide answers which should serve as a lesson for the future."

For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 07

The IFJ represents more than 600.000 journalists in 131 countries