UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today strongly condemned the "horrendous" and "unjustifiable" attack on a French satirical weekly that claimed 12 lives, saying the international community must stand strong for freedom of expression and tolerance.
"I want to express my outrage at the despicable attack today against the French magazine Charlie Hebdo. It was a horrendous, unjustifiable and cold-blooded crime. It was also a direct assault on a cornerstone of democracy -- on the media and freedom of expression," Ban told reporters here.
Expressing solidarity with the families of the victims and the French government, Ban said the horrific attack is "meant to divide" and "we must not fall into that trap."
He expressed hope that the French authorities would ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice quickly.
"This is a moment for solidarity. Around the world, we must stand strong for freedom of expression and tolerance and stand against forces of division and hate," he said.
The UN chief was joined by other senior UN officials who also condemned the attack on the offices of the French satirical magazine in Paris in which 10 media workers and two police officers were killed.
"This attack is an attack against the media and against freedom of expression," Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),
Said.
Masked gunmen opened fire with assault rifles in the office of Charlie Hebdo in central Paris, killing four of the magazine's cartoonists and its editor.
The unidentified gunmen then fled the scene, exchanging shots with police in the street, killing two officers.
Bokova said she was horrified by the incident, which was more than a "personal tragedy" and which provided more motivation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
