IFJ Condemns Attack on French Reporter in Kurdish Region of Iraq

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned an attack on Cécile Hennion, a French reporter working for Le Monde, who was stabbed in her hotel in Irbil in the Kurdish region of Iraq.

“This brazen attack shows how dangerous the situation is for journalists in Iraq,” said IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. “Foreign correspondents are vulnerable to attack and local journalists face constant danger.”

The Le Monde reporter has returned to France and is being treated for her injuries, according to the newspaper. Police have said that her attacker has been arrested the culprit and the case has been sent to court.

The IFJ has campaigned for an end to impunity for those who attack journalists in Iraq. Over 250 media workers have been killed since the start of the war in 2003. In February, the President of the Iraqi Union of Journalists died after he was shot multiple times after leaving a planning meeting for a journalist safety seminar.

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

The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries worldwide