Geneva, 11 January 2012 - The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) condemns the killing of a journalist in Syria working for France 2 (France Télévisions group).
French journalist Gilles Jacquier was killed when a rocket exploded during a demonstration near a hospital in the city of Homs, 162 kilometres north of Damascus. A number of other people were killed and wounded.
President Jean-Paul Philippot expressed the EBU's extreme regret and sincere condolences to the Jacquier family and urged the Syrian government to fulfil their duty to protect the media in the course of their work.
"Syrian authorities and every other government must protect freedom of expression and guarantee the security of international journalists," said Mr. Philippot.
"Syrian authorities and every other government must protect freedom of expression and guarantee the security of international journalists," said Mr. Philippot.
"Every year, media professionals are killed, injured and detained while on the job. This is unacceptable. The ongoing harassment and intimidation of journalists, and interference with newsgathering must end.”
"The Syrian authorities must offer guarantees that our members and all journalists can operate freely and safely." he concluded.
23 journalists died in the past year while working in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria while reporting on the Arab Spring. 107 journalists died while carrying out their reporting duties worldwide in 2010.
(Source: Press Emblem Campagin (PEC) via EBU)
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