The Syrian Journalists Association (SJA) documented four violations against the media in September.

The association stated that systematic shelling, along with ongoing cases of restrictions on media freedoms and the associated threats affecting the safety of journalists and the freedom of media work, constituted direct reasons for the documented violations during September 2023. The Syrian Center for Journalistic Freedoms in SJA recorded a relative change in the types of committed violations compared to the rest of the current year, and the number of the numbers of these violations was close to those committed in previous months.

For the first time this year: documenting injuries to journalists during media coverage.

In detail, the Syrian Center for Journalistic Freedoms in SJA documented the injury of journalist Hussein Al-Zeraai, known as “Hussein Abu Ali,” by shrapnel from artillery shelling by the Syrian regime forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces, while covering media events on the outskirts of Manbij, east of Aleppo. Journalist Mohammed Al-Daher was also injured while covering the shelling by Syrian regime forces, targeting a camp for internally displaced people south of Idlib. This marked the first time this year that shelling was identified as one of the main reasons for the violations.

In addition, the Syrian regime security authorities arrested journalist Ali Dawood in the city of Jableh, in the countryside of Latakia, due to his criticism of the decision to raise fuel prices in a post on Facebook. He was released in early October.

Last month also witnessed threats of arrest and security pursuits against journalist Ibrahim Al-Hussein by the Syrian Democratic Forces affiliated with the Democratic Union Party. The forces raided his house in the town of Abu Hamam in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor due to his media activities.

The violations in September took place in the governorates of Idlib, Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, and Latakia, with one violation in each.

In September, the Syrian regime forces were responsible for committing two violations, returning to the forefront of the violating parties, according to SJA reports. Meanwhile, the Democratic Union Party’s forces were responsible for one violation, while the party responsible for the last violation, originating from joint shelling by the Syrian regime forces and the Democratic Union Party’s forces, was not identified.

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تقرير-شهر-أيلول-2023