Mobile poster trucks tour Paris marking two months captivity for French journalists and Syrian interpreter

Reporters Without Borders marked two months of captivity in Iraq for French journalists Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot and Syrian interpreter Mohammed Al-Joundi by sending eight poster trucks on a tour of Paris with the message: "Two months already - Free the hostages!". "Despite the days and weeks that have gone by, we call on everyone to keep up the campaign for the release of our three colleagues who have been held hostage for two long months," said Reporters Without Borders. "We must persist with our efforts and continue to tirelessly call for a quick return for these two journalists who were only doing their job." "We also urge reporters working in Iraq to take the greatest care. This country remains the world's most dangerous for journalists. At least 44 have been killed since the start of the conflict in March 2003." The organisation staged a rally on 20 October at the Place de la Bourse in Paris's second district as a starting point for the mobile posters. The trucks were then to spend the day touring the capital, passing in front of the National Assembly, the Champs-Elysées, the foreign ministry, the Senate, the Trocadéro and the Human Rights square, to remind Parisians about the plight of the two journalists and their interpreter. Al-Joundi's family attended the departure of the trucks along with leading French figures such as politician Jack Lang, writers Pascal Bruckner and Fernando Arrabal, mayor of the second district Jacques Boutault and journalist and news presenter David Pujadas, all of whom are also involved in a radio campaign. Reporters Without Borders has since 31 August maintained a daily afternoon vigil in front of the Paris city hall, under giant photos of the three hostages. Members of the public are invited to sign petitions and send messages of support. The vigil will continue until the hostages are freed. Nearly 49,000 signatures have already been collected either at city hall, in town halls across France or on the worldwide press freedom organisation's website www.rsf.org. France's main TV channels are set to broadcast a daily 24-second spot produced without charge by advertising agency Capa until the hostages are released. French radio stations France Inter, France Info, France Culture, France Bleu, RTL and RMC Info already broadcast a daily message of solidarity read by a personality. Singer Alain Souchon, actor Isabelle Hupert, singer Henri Salvador and entertainer Michel Drucker have all already taken part. Georges Malbrunot, 41, freelance journalist working for Le Figaro, Ouest-France and RTL, Christian Chesnot, 38, a freelance with RFI and Radio France, along with their driver and fixer for more than a year, Mohammed Al-Joundi, were abducted by the Islamic Army in Iraq on 20 August 2004.