MOSCOW, August 21, /ITAR-TASS/. The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned the “barbaric killing” of U.S. journalists James Foley by militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and said there could be no justification for such actions.

“The barbaric killing by ISIL terrorists of American journalist James Foley, who disappeared in a combat area in Syria two years ago, is outrageous. There is no and can be no justification for such inhuman actions. We express our condolences to the journalist’s family and colleagues,” the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law Konstantin Dolgov said.

He noted “an increasingly growing number of incidents of gross intentional lawlessness and violation of the inalienable right to life” directed against members of the media carrying out their professional duties in various conflict areas.

Dolgov said that the protection of journalists’ rights and interests required “joint and active steps on the part of the international community, relevant human organisations, including the U.N., the OSCE and the Council of Europe, and non-government structures”.

“We are convinced that any steps to prevent journalists from carrying out their professional duties, let alone attempts on their life and health, must be stopped,” the diplomat said. “This is a common task for the international community to tackle.”

A video posted by ISIL on YouTube on Tuesday shows the beheading of tbe American journalist.