The IFJ supports its affiliate in Tunisia in its search for the two Tunisian journalists missing in Libya

January 14, 2015

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has today declared its full support to its member union in Tunisia, the National Trade Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) in its efforts to investigate the claim made by the Islamic State (IS) in Libya that they had killed two Tunisian journalists, Sofiene Chourabi and Nadhir Ktari, which were kidnapped last September in Libya.

In a statement published yesterday on jihadist websites, the Libyan branch of IS said they have executed these journalists, accused of working for "a satellite channel that fights religion".

"We condemn these horrible acts of kidnapping innocent journalists that are simply doing their job and of blaming them for the media they work for", said the IFJ's president Jim Boumelha. "Our thoughts are with their families and colleagues who are worried about their fate. We ask Libyan and Tunisian authorities to work together and do their best in order to locate these colleagues and clarify their worrying situation."

The IS group also posted some pictures of the hostages that have not been officially confirmed yet.

The IFJ remains in close contact with its affiliate in Tunisia and fully supports its ongoing efforts to verify this claim.

Sofiene Chourabi, an investigative journalist and blogger, and photographer Nadhir Ktari, who were working for Tunisian Frist TV, went missing in Libya last September.


For more information contact:
International Federation of Journalists
Phone: + 32 2 235 22 17
Website: www.ifj.org