Article 34 of the Customary Humanitarian Law that governs the armed conflicts: Civilian journalists engaged in professional missions in areas of armed conflict must be respected and protected as long as they are not taking a direct part in hostilities.
The violations against media activists in Syrian land within the armed conflict between the Syrian regime forces and armed opposition at the same time. Thus, targeting people by direct killing and torturing them to death in prisons is the most known features of Syrian regime. SNHR observed many of these cases continuously throughout the previous years and months of Syrian uprising which is an indicator of the continuation and systematicness of this violence.
The last few months saw an alarmed increase in the violations against tens of media activists in liberated areas. The violations varied between disappearances, arrests, physical abuse which may mount to murder. Evidence suggest that these acts were by ISIS in the most part.
These violations forced SNHR to demand that all parties respect the freedom of media work and to insure the safety of media personnel and to hold all involved parties in these violations against journalists and media activists accountable. SNHR emphasizes the necessary of serious and quick move of the civil community organizations to press on the Syrian government and armed opposition and stop these violations with suitable manners.
