Calls mount for release of 2 Kurdish journalists missing near Damascus
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Two Kurdish journalists working for the licensed Iraqi-Kurdish outlet “Channel 8” have gone missing near Ashrafiyat Sahnaya town in Damascus countryside, prompting urgent calls for their release from press organizations on Thursday.
The Free Media Union, a journalists’ syndicate based in the city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria, issued a statement saying that reporter Akram Saleh and cameraman Judy Haj Ali lost contact with their team on Wednesday while covering ongoing clashes in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after security forces took control of the area.
The union called on relevant authorities to “immediately disclose their whereabouts,” urging international press freedom organizations to take responsibility for protecting journalists in Syria and ensuring safe conditions for media professionals.
Akram Saleh’s sister, Sherin Saleh, wrote on Facebook that both Akram and Judy are believed to be detained by Damascus’ General Security forces.
In a separate statement, the Syrian Kurdish Journalists Network appealed to the Syrian transitional government’s Ministries of Information and Interior, as well as security and military bodies, for immediate action to determine the journalists’ location and ensure their safety.
The organization expressed “deep concern” over the disappearance, noting that both journalists were last heard from at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday while reporting from the conflict zone in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.
“The disappearance of journalists during the course of their professional duties sets a dangerous precedent and constitutes a violation of press freedom, which is protected under both Syria’s constitutional declarations and international conventions,” the statement added.
As of the time of publication, Syria’s Ministries of Information and Interior had not issued any comment on the incident.