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Syria: Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham finally disclosed the location and fate of journalist Nour Al-Shalo.

November 27, 2020, Idlib, North Syria— Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham allowed the Aleppo Media Coalition to interview Nour Al-Shalo. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) remains concerned about Nour’s safety and calls for her immediate release.

On November 26, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham allowed journalists of Aleppo Media Coalition to meet with journalist Nour Al-Shalo and interviwe her, alongside a picture of the meeting. This interview aims to assure Nour’s family and friends of her wellbeing. An international organization led a campaign on social media platforms inquiring about Nour’s safety after receiving news that HTS decided to execute Nour.

Following the interview, Aleppo Coalition released a statement confirming Nour’s safety, promising that Nour’s family will be able to visit her soon. The statement also denied the news circulating about Nour’s looming execution or her indictment with moral crimes, explaining that she is still pending interrogation in other cases.

Journalist Nour was arrested in September over allegations of collaborating with international organizations by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. The journalist was arrested at the courthouse and moved to an undisclosed location two months ago. Neither her family nor her lawyer had access to her. The allegations against Noor were claimed by the family of her belated husband, with whom she is fighting over custody of her children.

Noor used to work for several media outlets and human rights organizations and has recently been focusing on women empowerment and gender issues. Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham claims that Noor is involved in criminal and ethical cases, as well as many other cases pending interrogation. Noor’s mother stated to the press that she is concerned about her daughter’s destiny as she received news about Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham's intention to execute her. The news urged Noor’s family and friends to launch a social media campaign calling for her release.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism released an alert a few days ago calling for Nour’s discharge and urged HTS to disclose her location and ensure her safety. CFWIJ is relieved that the calls for justice and the social media campaign to free Nour compelled HTS to reveal Nour’s location and allowed her to speak with the media. CFWIJ remains concerned about Nour’s safety and calls for her immediate acquittal.

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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

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