10 May 2006
JOURNALISTS' DEATH TOLL MOUNTS
In Iraq, the highly unstable security situation shows no signs of improving, and journalists attempting to report the news continue to pay the price.
In the past two weeks, as many as six have been killed, according to reports by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).
On 8 May, the bodies of Laith al-Dulaimi, a reporter for the Iraqi TV station Al-Nahrain, and Muazaz Ahmed Barood, a telephone operator for the station, were discovered in the al-Wihda district, south of Baghdad, reported CPJ and IFJ.
Both men had been kidnapped by men disguised as police officers at Diyala Bridge while driving to the town of Mada'in. Al-Dulaimi began reporting for Al-Nahrain four months ago. Barood had been working at the station since its establishment more than a year and a half ago.
CPJ says the motive behind the murders is unclear. Al-Nahrain's manager told CPJ that neither the station nor the journalists had ever received threats.
IFJ reported that on 5 May, Iraqi police discovered the body of Saad Shammari on the side of a road in Baghdad. He was a journalist who hosted a show on the Al-Iraqiyah television channel. Shammari was apparently strangled. On the same day, Saud M'Zahim Al-Hedaithi of Baghdadiyah TV was also killed. IFJ is continuing to investigate these cases.
IFJ also reported that on 7 May, gunmen in the southern city of Basra shot dead photographer Abed Shaker al-Delaimi. He was an active member of the Iraqi Journalists' Syndicate who worked for the newspapers "al-Jumhureyya" and "al-Qadeseyya" and occasionally freelanced for Reuters.
On 24 April 2006, gunmen in Baghdad shot and killed Koussai Kahdban, an Iraqi journalist who worked for local radio station Al-Bilad, according to RSF.
According to IFJ, 120 journalists and media support staff have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led occupation began in March 2003.
Visit these links:
- CPJ: http://www.cpj.org/news/2006/mideast/iraq08may06na.html
- IFJ: http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=3905&Language=EN
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17336
- CPJ File on Iraq: http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/Iraq/Iraq_danger.html
- RSF File on Iraq: http://www.rsf.org/special_iraq_en.php3
- Iraq Media Hotline: http://www.newssafety.com/stories/insi/hotline.htm
RSS