The Syrian Journalists Association has condemned the ongoing violations against the media in Syria during the month of August 2023, affirming that the freedom of media and the safety of journalists remain under threat across the country.
In its monthly report on violations, the association stated that last month witnessed two violations against the media in Syria, with the Syrian regime security forces and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) committing the violations.
In detail, the team from the Syrian Center for Journalistic Freedoms within the association documented the arrest by the Syrian regime’s information crimes branch of journalist Mudar Ibrahim in Damascus. He was arrested due to a post he made on his personal Facebook page and was released the following day, with no details provided about his detention.
Additionally, an armed group affiliated with the PYD’s General Security detained journalist and member of the Syrian Journalists Association, Mohammed Zaki Hussein, known as “Barzan Hussein Liani,” in the town of Ma’bada in Al-Hasakah province, where he remains in detention as of the report’s publication.
Furthermore, the Syrian Center for Journalistic Freedoms within the association reported that during August, two incidents occurred against media institutions and centers in northeastern Syria. There were reports of the Turkish forces targeting a vehicle belonging to “Jin TV – Women,” on August 23, 2023, while it was traveling on the road between Qamishli and Amuda in northeastern Syria. The targeting resulted in the death of the driver, Najm al-Din Faisal, and the injury of the channel’s correspondent, Dalila Akid .
Additionally, there were reports of the PYD’s General Security forces raiding the office of the “Baz” agency in Al-Hasakah on August 27, 2023, and detaining four individuals working for the agency, including the agency’s director, Ahmad Al-Ajour, journalist Melhem Al-Muayshi, journalist Nidal Aliwi, and administrative employee Fahd Al-Ta’i, in addition to the closure of the agency’s office and the confiscation of all its equipment.
The Syrian Center for Journalistic Freedoms within the association emphasized that it is following investigations into the aforementioned incidents and their alignment with the documentation standards it follows in documenting violations. This is particularly crucial as there have been reports and narratives that the center has been unable to verify or favor any particular one, along with difficulties in accessing sources from relevant parties to obtain necessary and essential details to ensure the documentation is legally sound and in line with the standards adopted by the Syrian Journalists Association.
The Syrian Journalists Association urged the United Nations and the international community to do their utmost to prevent violence against journalists and media workers in Syria, ensure accountability, bring perpetrators of crimes to justice, and ensure justice for the victims. It stressed the need to create a safe environment and empower journalists to carry out their work independently and without interference, as a fundamental step in protecting freedom of expression in the country.
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تقرير-شهر-آب-2023
