Maria Zakharova commented on the report of the UNESCO Director-General on the safety of journalists for 2024–2025. The diplomat stated that the document does not take into account the facts of the deaths of dozens of Russian correspondents over the past 13 years and outlined Moscow’s demands.
Official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova criticized the recently published report of the UNESCO Director-General on the safety of journalists for 2024–2025. According to her, the document ignores the facts of the deaths of dozens of Russian correspondents over the past 13 years.
In a comment on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the diplomat stated that the report prepared by the organization’s Director-General Khaled al-Anani does not mention the names of many Russian journalists. Zakharova placed responsibility for their deaths on the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), emphasizing that such crimes have no statute of limitations.
The representative of the foreign policy department also criticized the position of the former UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, who, in her opinion, did not condemn these crimes. Zakharova warned that Russia does not intend to retreat from its legitimate demands within the framework of UNESCO and other international platforms. Moscow will continue to defend the professional rights of media employees, seek the creation of safe conditions for their work, and the fair punishment of those responsible.
In addition, Maria Zakharova linked the increase in the number of attacks on media workers to the attempts of Western countries to “suppress dissent.” She pointed to the inaction of international organizations on issues of repression against Russian media outlets in Ukraine, Moldova, and the Baltic countries.
