User:Crtew/Missing journalists in Syria

Missing Journalists in Syria

As part of its civil war, Syria has been a hot spot for the abduction of both native and foreign journalists during 2012. Robert Mahoney, who is deputy director for the Committee to Protect Journalists, called Syria "the most dangerous assignment for journalists in the world." Abductions reached a peak in August 2012 as more journalists have gone missing during this month in comparison with the outset of the war. At the beginning of September, around thirty-one journalists and citizen journalists were known to be held by the government side. The Syrian government is hostile to journalists as the Bashar Al-Assad regime has prohibited foreign journalists from legally entering Syria and journalists have had to enter the country through porous border areas.

Mete Çubukçu, who is a veteran Turkish war correspondent, said journalists in Syria are "targeted" by all factions of the civil war, which is confirmed by the CPJ. In addition, both sides of the war have been accused of violating international humanitarian and the human rights law. Journalists are protected under the articles of the Geneva Conventions as civilians in both national and international armed conflicts. The Syrian government has jailed foreign journalists. Two Turkish journalists Adem Ozkose and camera operator Hamit Coskun were held in a Syrian prison for two months before their release May 12. The rebels have also abducted journalists who work with media outlets that are aligned with the government. For example, members of the Haroun al-Rashid Brigades abducted a Syrian state television camera operator. In addition to the Syrian military and the rebels, foreign fighters also are a threat to journalists. British photojournalist John Cantlie of The Sunday Times and Dutch photojournalist Jeroen Oerlemans were abducted for one week by foreign fighters and later one of the suspects was apprehended and charged in the UK.

Press free organizations responded by calling for journalists to be released.

Dorothy Parvaz
See the article on Dorothy Parvaz. (You cannot cite a Wikipedia article (a text cannot cite itself), but you can look at the references used there, read them and adapt them for your own segment for this article, in which case the references would be placed here.)

Al Hurra team
Turkish correspondent Bashar Fahmi and camera operator Cuneyt Unal were reported missing Aug. 20.


 * Al Jazeera
 * Radio Free Europe

Orwa Nyrabia
See the article on Orwa Nyrabia


 * Guardian
 * AFP

Austin Tice

 * Doha Centre for Media Freedom
 * Houston Chronicle
 * Miami Herald (Notice the headline is "may be". That is the cautiousness behind describing a situation as best you can but not wanting to get it wrong.)
 * Guardian

Austin Tice was a captain in the U.S. Marines. He spent six years in the service and after returning home, he felt it necessary to go back. Tice has not been heard of since 11 August 2012. As of August 31, 2012, he is believed to be alive but it is not known in whose custody he is in. Some people believe that if he has been missing this long and he is alive, then someone is probably taking care of him. There is no source confirming that he was abducted by the government. The government has not confirmed they are holding him. He was, after all, spending time with the rebels.

Others

 * Ahmad Sattouf
 * Anhar Kochneva, a Ukrainian reporter, went missing in October.