At least five journalists were killed and nearly 14 more injured in military operations by regime forces in the liberated areas during the month of February, while one was killed by the ISIS extremist group, a rights group has said.
According to a report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), two journalists were detained by Fateh Al-Sham Front. One of them was released afterwards. Militias of the PYD detained a journalist in the areas under their control in February.
The Network said that the status of media work in Syria “is going from bad to worse.” It added that a media office in the rebel-held areas was hit by regime airstrikes.
Despite the ceasefire in place since December 29, 2016, attacks on journalists and media workers continued unabated during the month of February. The attacks increased considerably, exceeding all attacks in the past few month, the report added.
The SNHR called for condemning all violations against journalists and media workers, stressing the need to report all violations regardless of the identity of the perpetrators. It called upon the international community and the UN Security Council to shoulder their responsibilities to protect journalists in Syria.
As of early February, a total of 348 journalists and media workers had been killed in Syria since the start of the Syrian revolution in 2011, according to the Syrian Center for Press Freedom. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
