The Secretary-General strongly condemns the killing, in a bomb blast in Beirut, of Samir Kassir, a prominent and outspoken Lebanese journalist, and another person in Beirut earlier today. He expresses his condolences to the families of both victims.

The Secretary-General calls on the Lebanese Government to bring to justice the perpetrators and the instigators of today's terrible crime and to ensure an end to impunity and the continuation of press freedom. He urges all parties to preserve national unity and calm during this important electoral period.