Christophe Deloire, the head of media freedom group Reporters Without Borders, has died. He was 53

PARIS (AP) — Christophe Deloire, the head of media freedom group Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, died Saturday. He was 53. Deloire negotiated to free imprisoned journalists and offered refuge to reporters under threat around the world. He had been battling sudden and aggressive cancer and died in Paris surrounded by loved ones. Media freedom activists around the world shared condolences. Deloire travelled constantly, to Ukraine, Mali, Turkey and beyond to lobby governments and defend journalists behind bars or under threat. In his 12 years at the helm of Reporters Without Borders, he expanded the group’s reach and activism and raised its profile with governments. The group said Deloire fought for the freedom and independence of journalist “with unshakeable conviction.”