Joint Statement: Secure safe passage for all media workers wishing to leave Aleppo

*original statement as published on the website of International Media Support, December 13.

As forces loyal to the Syrian government are taking over territories within the city of Aleppo, International Media Support (IMS) and other international media assistance NGOs and press freedom organisations call on all parties of the conflict to ensure that steps are taken to safeguard the lives of all civilians, including media workers living and working in Aleppo and those media workers choosing to leave the city.

Throughout the conflict, Syria’s media workers and other news providers have directly and deliberately been targeted by multiple parties in the conflict. Despite the risks, those media workers chose to stay reporting directly from the streets of the besieged city and informing the outside world of atrocities committed by all sides.

The undersigned organisations recognise and respect that the Syrian civil society and media have chosen not to accept any special safety assurances and arrangements regarding their evacuation. This further underlines the urgency for the United Nations to facilitate immediate evacuation of all civilians to areas outside regime control.

The undersigned organisations therefore call on all parties to ensure the safe passage of civilians, including media workers and show respect for the work and the physical integrity of media personnel, who are ensuring that the outside world and citizens within Syria are being kept informed of developments and can make informed decisions on the basis of this.

The United Nations have reported that civilians in Aleppo have gone missing as they have tried to seek safety by crossing territories held by opposing sides. For this reason, the undersigned organisations also reminds all parties to the conflict that media workers and other news providers are to be protected alongside civilians as stated in the Geneva Convention.

Names and identities of Aleppo’s media workers are known to international media assistance and press freedom organisations and any harm to their personal safety will be considered a breach of international conventions put in place to ensure the safety of journalists and must be independently investigated.
 

• Jesper Højberg, Director of International Media Support
• Ayman Mhanna, Executive Director of Global Forum for Media Development
• Cyprien Ndikumana, Directeur Général de l’Institut Panos Grands Lacs
• Courtney Radsch, Advocacy Director for the Committee to Protect Journalists
• Owais Aslam Ali, Chairman of Pakistan Press Foundation
• Steve Buckley, Managing Director of Community Media Solutions
• Gisèle Khoury, President of Samir Kassir Foundation - SKeyes Center for Media & Cultural Freedom
• Remzi Lani, Executive Director of Albanian Media Institute
• Johan Romare, International Director, Fojo Media Institute
• Lucie Morillon, Programme Director of Reporters Without Borders
• Petra Berner, Head Strategy and Consulting Service, Deutsche Welle Akademie
• Jeanne Bourgault, President and CEO, Internews
• Leon Willems, Director of Free Press Unlimited
• Kateryna Myasnikova, Executive Director, Independent Association of Broadcasters
• Armand Hurault, Executive Director, Media Libre
• Joyce Barnathan, President of International Center for Journalists
• Tihomir Loza, Executive Director of the South East European Network for Profession¬alization of Media
• Tina Carr, Director of Rory Peck Trust
• Kristin Lord, CEO and President of IREX