Another 52 men and women journalists working in Iraq have completed safety training courses as part of a programme to reduce the risks facing Iraqi reporters ahead of the next parliamentary elections next March.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has welcomed the successful conclusion of the training which lasted for five days and finished yesterday in Basra and gathered journalists from the three southern Iraqi province - Basra, Amarah and Nasriya.

"Safety training is of paramount importance for the protection of journalists facing the challenges of covering upcoming elections in Iraq," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "We are delighted our colleagues in Iraq have acquired skills that will help them reduce the risks they face and it is particularly useful that this programme has benefited provincial journalists in the south of the country."

The IFJ and the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate met ahead of the meeting with officials from the Iraqi election commission and local government and security officials and encouraged them to cooperate with the union during the election campaign.

The journalists, all working for media covering the conflict which has claimed the lives of more than 290 Iraqi media staff over the past five years, attended two training courses, organized by the IJS with the support of the IFJ and the International News Safety Institute (INSI). The first session took place on 21 and 22 January followed by the second one from 24 to 25 January.


For more information contact the IFJ at   +32 2 235 2207   

The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 125 countries worldwide