FRANCE, Marseille, February 6, 2020 – A Syrian rebel commander, who was suspected in the disappearance of journalist Razan Zaitouneh, has been arrested on charges of war crimes and torture. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism appreciates the efforts of the French authorities and human rights groups who have invested their efforts to arrest Razan’s abductor. However, we now demand that intensified search efforts are carried on to recover Razan and all others abducted along with her.

Islam Alloush, a former spokesperson for Jaish al-Islam, was detained in Marseille on Friday January 31. He was arrested as a result of criminal complaints filed against Jaish al-Islam last year by human rights groups. The Syrian armed group was accused of torture and kidnapping.

Islam has been suspected in the disappearance of journalist and human rights activist Razan Zaitouneh, her husband Wael Hamada, and her two colleagues and human rights activists Samira Khalil and Nazem Hammadi. They were all abducted on December 9, 2013 and have been missing ever since.

After three years of research, human rights groups were able to inform French authorities in January about the presence of Alloush in southern France.

We, at The Coalition, urge relevant authorities to find all the journalists and human rights activists immediately. We also demand a safer environment for journalists across the world.

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The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org