Mrs Arleen Foster MLA,
Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Mrs Michelle O’Neill MLA,
Leader of Sinn Féin in the Northern Ireland Assembly

[Cc: George Hamilton,
Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland]

24 April, 2019

Dear Mrs Foster, Dear Mrs O’Neill,

We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries, to express our grave concern at the murder of journalist Lyra McKee.

Ms McKee was covering violence that had broken out in Londonderry/Derry on 18 April. She was standing next to a police vehicle when a masked gunman shot her. Ms McKee was taken by ambulance to hospital but died soon after. It appears that the gunman may have been shooting in the general direction of the police, rather than deliberately targeting Ms McKee as a journalist. A republican organisation calling itself The New IRA has admitted responsibility for her murder.

Regardless of the motive behind Ms McKee’s death, her killing has provoked immense shock and revulsion amongst our member editors as well as throughout the international journalistic community.

We acknowledge and welcome the swift and thorough condemnations from all sides of the political spectrum. We respectfully call on you to do everything possible to ensure that Ms McKee’s murderer is swiftly brought to justice. Identifying and prosecuting the killer - and those who facilitated the violence that led to Ms McKee’s death - will deliver a clear statement that the safety of journalists is a priority and that there is no impunity for anyone committing such an act.

We hope you will keep us informed of progress in the investigation.

Sincerely,

Michael Golden
President
World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers

David Callaway
President
World Editors Forum

ABOUT WAN-IFRA: WAN-IFRA is the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers. Its mission is to protect the rights of journalists and publishers across the world to operate free media and provide its members with professional services to help their business prosper in a digital world and perform their crucial role in open societies. With formal representative status at the United Nations, UNESCO and the Council of Europe, it derives its authority from its global network of leading news publishing companies and technology entrepreneurs, and its legitimacy from its 80 national association members representing 18,000 publications in 120 countries. www.wan-ifra.org