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Alert

Press organisations call for thorough investigation into photojournalist's death

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is an abridged version of a 6 July 2005 press release:

IFJ, INSI and SNTP call for a thorough investigation into death of photojournalist Gustavo Acevedo

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the International News Safety Institute (INSI) and the Venezuelan National Press Workers' Union (Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Prensa de Venezuela, SNTP) are calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the murder of photojournalist Gustavo Acevedo, of the daily "El Globo", so that those responsible can be identified.

"We are extremely concerned by our colleague's death and call on the Venezuelan authorities to ensure that the case is solved and the perpetrators do not go unpunished," said Robert Shaw, Adrien Collin and Gregorio Salazar, on behalf of the three organisations. They were speaking from Popayán, Colombia, where a journalists' safety training workshop is currently being held.

The representatives of the three press organisations noted that Acevedo's body was in the morgue for more than ten days. They wondered how it was possible that he had not been identified earlier using forensic techniques, especially fingerprinting, particularly given the fact that his disappearance had been reported since 27 June by his wife, his colleagues and the SNTP.

They stressed that governments have a responsibility to combat impunity in cases of murders and attacks against journalists and urged the authorities to act swiftly and launch a transparent investigation into the journalist's death.