The International Federation of Journalists today condemned the death of Ali Halil, a security guard for Al Irakiya TV, who was shot as he was on his way to work.

Halil worked as a security gaurd for Al Irakiya and for others in an area in northwest Baghdad, according to the Iraqi Journalists’ Syndicate. He was killed by unknown gunmen on 16 October.

He is the 15th media worker to be killed this month and the 153rd media worker to die in Iraq since the start of the war in 2003.

The IFJ believes the security situation in Iraq is sliding out of control as journalists risk being killed by any number of groups. These threats make critical or investigative reporting impossible. The daily attacks on media constitute a terrible assault on press freedom and democracy in Iraq.

The IFJ is calling on the Iraqi government and the US government to make a commitment to protecting journalists and freedom of the press and bringing to justice those who target journalists in violent attacks.

For more information contact the IFJ at +32 2 235 2207
The IFJ has more than 500,000 members in over 100 countries worldwide