UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN OVER THE MURDER OF LEADING NORTHEN IRELAND JOURNALIST

2 October 2001




The Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights for the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Abid Hussain, has expressed his deep concern over the murder in Northern Ireland on 28 September of Martin O'Hagan a journalist of the newspaper "The Sunday World".

Mr. O'Hagan was killed near his home, in front of his wife, in Lurgan County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The Red Hand Defenders, a paramilitary group, claimed responsibility in a telephone statement for the murder of the 51-year old journalist. He was the first journalist to be killed in the past 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland.

The Special Rapporteur noted with great concern that this assassination raised to 14 the number of journalists killed worldwide since the beginning of 2001 while carrying out their professional duties. Two were killed in Africa, four in Central and South America, one in Western Europe, four in Eastern Europe, and two in Asia. This murder as well as the other thirteen is "an attack on one of the fundamental principles of any democratic society: the freedom of the press," he emphasized.

Mr Hussain has visited Northern Ireland in the past in connection with his mandate.


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