The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called for a swift investigation into the murder of radio journalist Facundo Labata, who was shot while playing dominoes with a friend in the Dominican Republic.
Labata, who was a correspondent for several radio stations, was shot on September 25 by unidentified men, according to the IFJ’s Dominican affiliate Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Prensa (SNTP).
The motive for the killing is still not clear but Labata’s daughter told the SNTP that her father had been reporting on drug trafficking in his neighbourhood in recent months and she believed that those reports were the cause of his murder.
“We urge the Dominican authorities to act quickly to find the killers and their motive,” said Gregorio Salazar, Director of the IFJ Latin America office. “If Facundo was killed because of his coverage of drug trafficking, then the Dominican government needs to bring those responsible to justice and show its commitment to journalist safety and freedom of the press.”
To read a press release from the SNTP on this issue in Spanish, click here.
For more information, contact the IFJ at +32 2 235 2207
The IFJ has more than 500,000 members in over 100 countries worldwide