Statement by the Syrian Kurdish Journalists NetworkRegarding the Disappearance of Reporter Akram Saleh and Photographer Joudi Haj Ali in Sahnaya, Rural DamascusThe Syrian Kurdish Journalists Network (SKJN) expresses its deep concern over the disappearance of our colleagues Akram Saleh, correspondent for CH8 TV, and Joudi Haj Ali, a photographer, who went missing at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday while on assignment covering ongoing clashes in the Sahnaya area in the Damascus countryside.
Amid the uncertainty surrounding their fate, we urgently call on the Syrian Ministries of Information and Interior, as well as all relevant security and military agencies, to act immediately to determine their whereabouts and to exert all possible efforts to locate them and ensure their safety.
The disappearance of journalists while performing their professional duties represents a dangerous precedent and a grave violation of press freedom rights guaranteed by the constitutional declaration and international conventions.
It is imperative that all concerned parties act swiftly to uncover the truth about their situation.We also urge all official and unofficial actors in the region to cooperate and provide any information that could help clarify the fate of our colleagues, who were working with licenses issued by the Ministry of Information and its affiliated media offices.
The Network calls on local and international media and human rights organizations to show urgent solidarity and exert pressure to end this state of uncertainty, ensure the safety of our colleagues, and secure their safe return to their place of residence in Damascus.
Violations Monitoring and Documentation OfficeSyrian Kurdish Journalists Network Damascus – May 1, 2025