Statement on detention of our colleague Bassam Safar in Syria’s Damascus

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Thursday, security apparatuses in the Syrian capital Damascus, detained the colleague journalist Bassam Safar, who is working as an editor in the culture section at North Press Agency.

The detention, according to close sources of the Safar, took place at a checkpoint near Bab Sharqi on the entrance of  al-Dwel’iya neighborhood while Safar was on his way back to his house.

This is not the first time Safar was arrested. Two weeks ago, while returning from the city of Qamishli, northeast Syria, to Damascus after completing press tasks assigned to him by the agency. He was detained for two days.

North Press Agency condemns the detention of Bassam Safar and considers it a flagrant violation of press freedom in Syria, especially as the country has become a leader regarding human rights violations of journalists’ rights, as North Press calls on all press institutions and human rights organizations to interfere for releasing Safar and stop the violations against those operating in press field.