The Assad regime came first in terms of the violations against media workers over the past year, according to the annual report by the Syrian Centre for Journalistic Freedoms of the Syrian Journalists Association.
According to the report, the violations included murder, physical assault, detention, torture, preventing journalists from working freely, confiscation of the equipment of media institutions, and shutting down media institutions.
The Center said that the violations reflected the crackdown on journalistic freedoms in Syria compared to other countries in the world.
The report indicated that the majority of violations recorded in 2018 were in the form of arrest, detention and abduction, pointing to decrease in the number of physical assaults on journalists.
The first quarter of 2018 witnessed many violations because of the violent bombing campaign the Assad regime launched against eastern Ghouta and the sporadic bombardment on different areas across Syria.
The report said that one of the most prominent developments in Syria last year was the displacement of a large number of media workers from eastern Ghouta, Homs and Dara’a towards the Syria’s north and neighboring countries following the regime forces’ recapture of these areas.
The report indicated that at least 15 journalists were killed in Syria in 2018, which has brought to 445 the number of journalist who have been killed in Syria since mid-March 2011.
Reporters Without Borders classified Syria as the second most dangerous country for journalists in 2018 in its annual report published on December 18 on violations against journalists across the world. Syria came second after Afghanistan as the most dangerous country for journalists. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
