United Nations sources have reported that condemning the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and leaders of human rights and journalism groups have added their voices to calls for Indian authorities to bring the attackers to justice.
Bokova said "He condemns the murder of Gauri Lankesh. Any attack on the media is an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of expression of each member of society. He urges the Indian authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and this crime is punished.” Meanwhile the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler said: “We urge police in Karnataka to thoroughly investigate the murder of Gauri Lankesh, including whether journalism was a motive.”
Moreover the Human Rights Watch South Asia Director Meenakshi Ganguly
said: “The motives for Gauri Lankesh’s killing are not yet known, but the
possibility of politically motivated shooting needs to be fully and promptly
investigated.” Further the organization described Lankesh, the editor of Gauri
Lankesh Patrike weekly, as a campaigner “for democracy, secularism, and civil
liberties” and “a vocal critic of militant Hindu nationalism promoted by
supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).”
