A Syrian journalist has been arrested by security forces in Damascus. Amer Matar, from pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat was arrested on Saturday, though reasons for this are still unclear. Before his arrest, Matar emailed a friend a copy of his will, stating “I may not come back from Friday prayers.” Matar, who is also a political activist, called for peaceful anti-regime demonstrations via Facebook, much like journalist Omar al-Assad who was arrested in July. The condition and whereabouts of both journalists remain unknown. Meanwhile, the Syrian government recently announced a new media law, proclaiming freedom of speech as a fundamental principle.
NEWS
Syria: Journalist arrested, held without charge
A Syrian journalist has been arrested by security forces in Damascus. Amer Matar, from pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat was arrested on Saturday, though reasons for this are still unclear. Before his arrest, Matar emailed a friend a copy of his will, stating “I may not come back from Friday prayers.” Matar, who is also a political activist, called for peaceful […]
07 Sep 11
READ MORE
-
The week in free expression: 5–11 April 2025
Index rounds up of some of the key stories covering censorship and free expression from the past seven days
-
Contents – The forgotten patients: Lost voices in the global healthcare system
Contents
-
The week in free expression: 29 March–4 April 2025
Index rounds up of some of the key stories covering censorship and free expression from the past seven days
-
The Kurdish journalists being targeted in Syria
Media workers in the Kurdish-led autonomous region in northern Syria have long suffered attacks by Turkish forces and extremist groups