Artists are increasingly coming under attack, UNESCO says

Musicians, authors and other artists are being attacked in increasing numbers, the UN cultural organization UNESCO's German branch announced Thursday, citing the organization's 2018 Global Report.

During the past year, 430 artists were attacked, marking a 26-per-cent increase on the previous year, said a spokeswoman for the German Commission for UNESCO in Bonn.

In 2014, only 90 attacks had been reported. The spokeswoman added that not only physical attacks had been included in the figures, but also personal online attacks.

According to the report, musicians are most often targeted, although many authors have also been singled out for attacks. In the Asia-Pacific region, there were 80 incidents in the past year, with 51 cases reported in the Middle East and Africa and 47 in Europe.

There are currently several initiatives designed to protect artistic freedom, which includes legislative changes in various countries, the establishment of safe havens in artist residences, or the creation of emergency assistance funds.