The International Press Institute (IPI) today called on Brazilian authorities to fully investigate last Sunday’s killing of photojournalist Walgney Assis Carvalho.
According to the news website em.com.br, Assis, who worked as a freelancer for the newspaper Vale de Arco, was shot while sitting in a fish restaurant in the town of Coronel Fabriciano, in the state of Minas Gerais.
Reports say that on Sunday a hooded person approached the table at which Assis was sitting and fired several shots at the journalist from close range. Assis, who was hit in the head and his underarm, died immediately at the scene.
IPI Deputy Director Anthony Mills said: “Our thoughts are with Mr. Assis’ family, friends and colleagues. It is unacceptable that so many journalists in Brazil continue to be victims of violent crime as a consequence of their job and we call on authorities to conduct a full, transparent and swift investigation to demonstrate that journalists may not be attacked or killed with impunity.”
According to IPI’s Death Watch, Assis is the fourth journalist murdered in Brazil this year. Just last month, IPI reported on the killing of Rodrigo Neto de Faria, who also worked for Vale de Arco.
Like Assis, Neto was known for his efforts to denounce organized crime in Minas Gerais.
The Knight Center for Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin reported that the two murders might be linked. Durval Angelo, a state deputy and president of the Minas Gerais Commission on Human Rights, posted a message on Twitter after the killing indicating that Assis might have had information about Neto’s death.
So far police reportedly have not confirmed the allegation.