‘Save Our Journalists’

Members of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) issued a joint statement Tuesday expressing concern over the safety of journalists and media workers and the impact of escalating regional tensions in the Middle East on access to information.

The coalition said independent media play a critical role during armed conflicts by providing accurate and timely information to affected communities and the international public.

In the statement, the signatories said they were concerned about what they described as an increasing number of journalists being killed, arrested or detained across the region.

“The safety of journalists and media workers, and the access to information are under serious threat,” it said.

The statement accused the Israeli government of preventing independent international journalists from entering Gaza for over two years, saying the restrictions have limited independent reporting on the conflict.

“We strongly condemn all forms of violence directed against journalists and media workers, including media infrastructure, press facilities, and clearly marked media vehicles,” it said.

The coalition further expressed concern over what it described as a crackdown on journalists and freedom of the press in Iran, including internet shutdowns.

The statement said the reported incidents raise concerns about the protection of journalists under international humanitarian law and press freedom in conflict situations.

It called on all parties involved to comply with international humanitarian law and to ensure the protection of civilians, including journalists.

The coalition also said deliberate attacks on journalists are unacceptable and may constitute war crimes, while stressing that detained journalists should be treated in accordance with international law.

The statement was signed by Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Ghana, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Anadolu

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

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Nelson Mandela: ‘A Winner is a Dreamer…’

CrossFireArabia
July 28, 2026

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years behind bars, much of it confined to a damp concrete cell on Robben Island. For decades, his name was banned from public mention in South Africa, and he was forced into grueling labor in a lime quarry. Most people would have let their vision of a free society wither away under the crushing weight of isolation and silence. Mandela did the opposite. He used those years to study, to understand the psychology of his captors, and to refine his vision for a democratic future.

His life serves as the ultimate proof for his own conviction: A winner is a dreamer who never gives up. It was not mere optimism that carried him through nearly three decades of imprisonment. It was a disciplined, unwavering commitment to a dream that most of the world had written off as impossible.

When he was finally released in 1990, he did not seek revenge. He sought reconciliation. He understood that a true winner does not just overcome their circumstances but transforms them.

#NelsonMandela #Resilience #Leadership #Persistence

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