National Press Club Statement On Death of Nineteen Year-old Cameraman in Syria

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following statement was issued today by John Hughes, President of the National Press Club:

"We have today received very sad news out of Syria that Mohammed al-Asfar, an Al-Jazeera cameraman working in the Syrian province of Daraa was killed by shelling while covering the battle between government forces and rebels. Sadly, Mr. al-Asfar was 19 years old. He had worked for Al-Jazeera Arabic since early Spring 2015. This incident, along with the death of another Al-Jazeera cameraman in Syria within the year, underscores for all of us just how dangerous coverage of conflict is and the tremendous risks taken by journalists to bring news of the conflict in Syria to readers and viewers around the world."

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists with more than 3,100 members worldwide.

Contact: John Donnelly, 202-650-6738 or [email protected] for the National Press Club

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SOURCE National Press Club