IRAQ

SEPTEMBER 20, 2005
Posted: September 21, 2005

Firas Maadidi, As-Saffir

KILLED—CONFIRMED

Firas Maadidi, 40, Mosul bureau chief for As-Saffir and chief editor of the local daily Al-Masar, was killed by unidentified gunmen in the al-Noor neighborhood, Slayhe Jowiree, As-Saffir deputy editor, told CPJ. Maadidi was shot six times, including twice to the head. He was taken to hospital, where he was placed on life support for four hours before dying, Jowiree said.

As-Saffir, based in Baghdad, has a strong pro-democracy editorial position and is running a campaign to educate Iraqis on the importance of the new constitution and the upcoming general elections, local journalists said. It also criticizes insurgent attacks against Iraqi civilians calling them terrorist operations, they said.

“We are an independent newspaper serving the Iraqi people, and we have no political or factional affiliations,” Jowiree told CPJ.

On Monday, CPJ reported the murder of Hind Ismail, a 28-year-old reporter for As-Saffir. Police in the southern suburb of al-Muthana found her body on Saturday with a single bullet wound to the head.