UN agencies to look into the issue of missing Sri Lankan journalist

The United Nations agencies that deal with the disappearances and detentions will look into the matter of missing Sri Lankan journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, the UN Secretary-General's Spokesperson said today.

Responding to a query at the press briefing on Wednesday on the missing cartoonist and columnist for LankaeNews, the Spokesperson Martin Nesirky said the UN has received the letter from the five organizations requesting UN assistance to find the journalist.

The agencies responsible for the matter UNESCO and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) will look into the matter and report back to the UNSG with an assessment on how best to deal with the case, the Spokesperson said.

He added that the Secretary-General is concerned about the disappearance or detention of any journalist.

"We take it extremely seriously," the Spokesman said.

Five media rights groups, including the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Paris-based Reporters sans fronti'res (RSF) in a letterdated March 07, urged the UN to act on Eknaligoda's disappearance 14 months ago.

"Eknelygoda's disappearance and the failure of the government to conduct a credible investigation underscore the degree of impunity in crimes against journalists that is all too common in Sri Lanka," the letter said asking the UN to intervene "considering its human rights mandate and the government of Sri Lanka's glaring failure to take action on thi [...]