Three Iraqi journalists killed in three days in Baghdad

Reporters Without Borders today condemned the murder of three Iraqi radio and TV journalists - two of them women - in separate incidents in the capital in the past three days. “Journalists are no longer just collateral victims of the war,” the press freedom organisation said. “They are also often carefully chosen targets, and this has been so for some time, but three journalists killed in three days is too much. The total number killed since 2003 now stands at 158.” Reporters Without Borders added: “We again call on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government to do everything possible to protect journalists and to prosecute those who persecute them. The work of the media in war-torn Iraq is vital, and everything possible must be done to protect it.” Former TV presenter kidnapped and killed Khamel Mohsin, who was well-known to Iraqis as a TV and radio presenter during the Saddam Hussein era, was kidnapped by gunmen as she left her office in the university district on 3 April. Her body was found the next day. She had worked for Radio Sawa since Saddam's removal. Deputy director killed in suicide attack on Baghdad TV Baghdad TV deputy director Thaer Ahmed Jabr was killed and at least 12 people were wounded in an attack on the satellite TV station yesterday in which a truck laden with explosives was driven at the building and then gunmen opened fire. The station is owned by the Iraqi Islamic Party, the largest Sunni political party, and is run by Vice-President Tareq al Hashemi. Its regular programming was suspended all day, replaced by readings from the Koran. Jabr was the fifth Baghdad TV employee to be killed since 2003. Radio reporter's body found three days after she went missing The body of Khamail Khalaf, a freelance journalist who had worked for the Arabic-language service of the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) since 2004, was found today, three days after she went missing. She had been shot. Prime Minister Maliki yesterday paid tribute to the Iraqi journalists who have fallen victim to the war since 2003. At the same time he again defended the restrictions imposed on the media, which included a ban on Al-Jazeera two years ago. “To protect our territory and in the public interest, the government has had to take limited measures against a number of media... that use a provocative and partisan language, full of arrogance and hate,” he said.