The Committee to Protect Journalists, Free Press Unlimited, and Reporters Without Borders urgently called on the Israeli military office responsible for humanitarian coordination, COGAT, to authorize the evacuation of two critically wounded journalists who require immediate, lifesaving medical treatment.
The letter, a rare public plea, follows frustrated diplomatic efforts and direct appeals to COGAT by the three press freedom organizations since the journalists — Ali Al-Attar and Fadi Al Wahidi, camera operators for Al Jazeera — sustained severe injuries while working in Gaza last week.
“The Israeli military’s duty under international humanitarian law is to protect civilians, including journalists, and to ensure the wounded receive timely medical assistance,” the organizations wrote.
This month, CPJ released a Special Report showing the lack of justice for journalists targeted by Israel, despite strong evidence of war crimes. One year into the Israel-Gaza war, 128 journalists have been killed, 126 of them by Israeli fire.
Instead of providing the latest news updates, the homepages of three leading Tanzanian newspapers are focused on their own suspension over a video seen as critical of the president, as concerns mount over deteriorating press freedom ahead of elections.
The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority issued a 30-day suspension order for Mwananchi Communications Limited’s online publications, affecting the websites and social media pages of its three newspapers — the English-language daily The Citizen, the Swahili-language Mwananchi and the sports-focused Mwanaspoti. The regulator accused MCL of publishing prohibited content that “aimed to ridicule and harm the reputation, prestige and status” of the country.
We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.
AlHassan Hamad
Freelance,Al Jazeera,Media Town TV, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Mohammed Abed Rabbo
Al-Manara Agency, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Muhammad Bachal Ghunio
Awaz TV, Pakistan
Ryan Evans
Reuters, Ukraine
Hero Bahadin
Chatr Multimedia Production Company,Sterk TV, Iraq
Gulistan Tara
Chatr Multimedia Production Company, Iraq