Two Channel8 journalists, Akram Saleh and Cudi Haj Ali, have gone missing while covering clashes between Druze fighters and Syrian government forces in Damascus. The news organization lost contact with its reporting team on Wednesday evening at 6:00 PM, prompting concerns from multiple press freedom organizations including Kfuture.Media and human rights groups who are calling for immediate action.
Urgent Search Underway
Channel8 based in Sulaimnaiya, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, issued a formal statement Thursday regarding their missing journalists who were last heard from while reporting from the neighborhoods of Ashrafiya and Sahnaya in Damascus. According to the statement, both journalists maintained regular communication with the newsroom until 6:00 PM on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, when all contact suddenly ceased.
The news organization emphasized their professional approach throughout the Syrian conflict: “Since the onset of the Syrian conflict, Channel8 has upheld a professional and impartial standard in its coverage. Our unwavering commitment to journalistic integrity has guided our reporting throughout.” They noted their team has diligently covered developments in Syria over the past five months with dedication and accuracy.
Despite coordinated efforts with relevant authorities, organizations, and independent media professionals, the whereabouts of the two journalists remain unknown.
International Response and Concerns
Multiple press freedom organizations and journalists’ unions have expressed grave concern over the disappearance. The Free Media Union issued a statement indicating they are anxiously monitoring the situation and called on responsible parties to quickly disclose the journalists’ status.
Kfuture.Media has released a statement urging serious efforts from all sides to ensure the protection of Channel8’s journalists in Syria, emphasizing the critical importance of press safety in conflict zones and the responsibility of all parties to respect journalistic neutrality.
The Free Media Union has also appealed to international organizations dedicated to journalist protection to take responsibility for determining the fate of Saleh and Ali. They emphasized the need to ensure the safety of journalists in Syria and guarantee free media operations, noting the current situation poses a dangerous threat to all journalists’ security and safety.
Detention Reports and Calls for Release
The Kurdish Journalists Network in Syria also released a statement expressing concern about their colleagues who went missing while covering events in Ashrafiya and Sahnaya. They’ve called on Syria’s Ministries of Information and Interior, along with security and military authorities, to urgently disclose the journalists’ location.
The Brjav Organization for Media Freedom has reported that both journalists are allegedly being held by Syrian General Security forces. The organization has demanded the journalists be protected from any actions that would violate their dignity or prevent them from performing their journalistic duties, and called for their immediate release.
The Syrian Perspective on Human Rights has characterized the disappearance as a dangerous violation that impacts freedom of expression and media operations. They noted that Syria faces significant challenges, with journalists routinely facing arrest, torture, and even death for covering political and social events. The organization stressed the necessity of protecting journalists, strengthening freedom of expression, and ensuring journalists’ right to report freely, while holding those who violate journalists’ rights accountable.
