The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), together with
regional journalism organizations, has organized demonstrations in
Iraq for today to highlight the growing number of journalists killed in
Iraq.
IFJ General Secretary Aidan White told RFE/RL that the past three years in Iraq have been the deadliest ever for journalists.
"It
is unquestionably the most dangerous and difficult period experienced
by any group of journalists in modern history," he said. "We have a
situation where more than 130 journalists and media staff have been
killed in the last three years, journalists are regularly targeted,
they've been taken hostage, they're subject to political pressure,
there's never really been anything like it."
The IFJ said the
event has three main goals: providing humanitarian support to Iraqi
journalists and their families, creating an international group to
protect journalists in Iraq, and urging the international community to
provide more assistance for Iraqi journalists.
White said
more than 100 national associations and unions of journalists have
signed an appeal for support for Iraqi journalists, and money has been
donated to an international humanitarian appeal fund for the victims
of violence in Iraq.
Two local media unions, the Iraqi Syndicate
of Journalists and the Kurdish Association of Journalists, have joined
with the IFJ to organize today's demonstrations.