The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has strongly condemned the murder of well-known
TV journalist Anibal Barrow whose remains were found in northern Honduras this
week.
According to media
reports, Honduran authorities on Wednesday, 10 July, confirmed that the remains
discovered in a neighbourhood in the city of Villanueva are those of Anibal
Barrow, a highly respected journalist in the country. Barrow, 58, a popular morning news anchor on Globo TV, one of Honduras's
largest broadcasters, was abducted by armed men in San Pedro Sula on June 24.
"We
express our shock and deep sadness at the loss of our highly respected
colleague Anibal Barrow," said IFJ President Jim Boumelha. "His brutal murder
is a reminder of the highly dangerous situation that journalists in Honduras
face on a daily basis.
"We
call on the Honduran authorities to ensure that those responsible for this
horrific crime face the full
weight of justice."
Media reports say that four people have been arrested in
connection with the killing, and police are looking for further suspects.
The IFJ
regional group in the region, La Federación de
Periodistas de América Latina y el Caribe (Fepalc), also condemned the killing
and urged Honduran authorities to do more about media safety.
"The killing of Anibal Barrow
means that 28 journalists have now been murdered in Honduras since 2010," said
IFJ Vice President, Celso Schröder. "This is a figure that simply
cannot be tolerated. We call on the authorities in Honduras to step up their
efforts to protect the safety of journalists there and put an end to impunity
and violence against journalists in the country.
"Honduras is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for
journalists and we urge media staff working there to ensure they protect their
own safety and remain vigilant."
For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 17
The IFJ represents more than 600.000 journalists in 134
countries