BOARD OF DIRECTORSArnold Amber
The Newspaper Guild
President
Mori Abdolalian
CJFE Journalists in Exile
Alison Armstrong
Journalist/writer
Bob Carty
CBC-Radio "The Sunday Edition"
Havoc Franklin
CBC Radio
Peter Jacobsen
Bersenas Jacobsen Chouest Thomson Blackburn LLP
Alice Klein
Now Magazine
Donald Livingstone
Promeus
Anita Mielewczyk
Journalist/Law Student
John Norris
Criminal Law Lawyer
Sharda Prashad
Canadian Business
Mary Deanne Shears
Journalist
Kelly Toughill
King's College School of Journalism
Anna Maria Tremonti
CBC Radio "The Current"
Philip Tunley
Lawyer, Stockwoods LLP
ADVISORY BOARDPeter Desbarats
Maclean-Hunter Chair for Communications Ethics, Ryerson
Parker Barss Donham
freelance
John Honderich
The Toronto Star
John Macfarlane
Toronto Life
Joe Matyas
Southern Ontario Newspaper Guild
Ann Medina
freelance
Rick Moffat
Radio-TV News Directors Assn.
Lynda Powless
Native Journalists' Association
Lloyd Robertson
CTV News
Robert Scully
Télémision Information Inc.
Julian Sher
Canadian Association of Journalists
Keith Spicer
Institut du Monde anglophone Université de Paris III Sorbonne nouvelle
Norman Webster
Montreal
Media Release
CJFE Concerned about Four Canadian Journalists Captive in Iran, Pakistan and Somalia
(Toronto, July 23, 2009) Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) remains extremely concerned that at this date, four Canadians are captive in different parts of the world. These journalists are very much in our thoughts as we work to gather information and continue campaigning to bring about their release.
Today, July 23, marks the 11-month point in the long captivity of Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout and her Australian colleague, Nigel Brennan. They were taken hostage by kidnappers near the Somali capital of Mogadishu. In Pakistan, Canadian Beverley Giesbrecht, also known as Khadija Abdul Qahaar, was reportedly captured at gunpoint on November 11, 2008. In a video appeal made by Giesbrecht in February she claims she is still being held against her will by the Taliban.
Two other Canadian journalists are being held in prison by the government of Iran. Blogger Hossein Derakhshan was imprisoned in November 2008. Still no charges have been laid against him. And in the aftermath of the Iranian election, journalist and internationally acclaimed filmmaker Maziar Bahari was arrested on June 21, 2009. CJFE, CPJ and Index on Censorship are currently appealing for his release with the 100 Journalist Petition. Click here for more details.
One Canadian journalist being held prisoner is one too many. To have four Canadian journalists denied their freedom is a blight for press freedom in Canada and internationally. We hope that the release of these four journalists is imminent. And we strongly urge anyone with the ability to bring them to safety to do everything in their power to do so.
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) is an association of more than 300 journalists, editors, publishers, producers, students and others who work to promote and defend free expression and press freedom in Canada and abroad.
For more information, contact CJFE Manager, Julie Payne at (416) 515-9622 x. 226