Five journalists and media workers killed since start of month

Organisation:

RSF_en

Reporters Without Borders says it can no longer find words to express its horror at the tragedies constantly suffered by the press in Iraq, where 93 journalists and media assistants have been killed since the start of the war, 18 of them since the start of this year. "We appeal again to Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki to set up a special group of investigators to shed light on the murders of journalists in Iraq," the organisation says.

Reporters Without Borders voiced shock today at the death of five journalists and media assistants in the space of a few days in Iraq. “The first few days of May have been exceptionally murderous for the Iraqi news media,” the press freedom organisation said. “We can no longer find words to express our horror at the tragedies constantly suffered by the press in Iraq, where 93 journalists and media assistants have been killed since the start of the war, 18 of them since the start of the year.” Reporters Without Borders added: “We appeal again to Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki to set up a special group of investigators to shed light on the murders of journalists in Iraq.” The body of freelance journalist Abdel Magid Al Mohammadaoui was found in Baghdad on 5 May. He was identified thanks to his press card. The body of TV Reporter Saud Mazahem Al Hadithi of satellite station Al-Baghdadia was found the same day. He had been kidnapped a few days before. His family told Reporters Without Borders the state of his body indicated he had been tortured. A car bomb went off in the garage of the Baghdad-based newspaper Al-Sabah on 7 May, killing printing shop technician Ismail Mohammad Khalaf and injuring more than 20 other employees, including journalists. The bodies of reporter Muazaz Ahmad Barud and soundman Leith Al-Dulaimi of Iraqi TV station Al-Nahrain were found on 8 May in Al-Wihda, 40 km southeast of Baghdad. Witnesses had told the police their car was stopped the day before by men in police uniform at Jisr Diyalah, a bridge on the way out of Baghdad. A total of 42 journalists and media assistants have been kidnapped since the start of the war. Five of them (four Iraqis and Enzo Baldoni of Italy) were killed. Twenty-six of these abductions have taken place in or near Baghdad. Three journalists are currently been held hostage: Reem Zeid and Marwan Khazaal of the Iraqi TV station Al-Sumariya and Salah Jali al-Gharrawi, an employee of the Baghdad bureau of the Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Published on 10.05.2006