Six media activists killed in Syria since beginning of 2016

Six media activists were killed in Syria during the month of January – 2 of whom died by the hands of Russian forces and 4 by ISIS, including a women – Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) reported.

Liwaa al-Mandeel, 28 year-old media activist, died on January 12, 2016, after he was targeted by a Russian air strike. He was a photographer and the manager of “Maret al-Numan and its countryside” page, in addition to having a wife and 2 kids.

On the same day, Ahmad Samer al-Mandeel also died due to shrapnel entering his body after Russian air strike targeted Maaret Numan town. The 18 year-old was a journalist for the Jaysh al-Sham opposition fighting faction.

One of the leaders of ISIS announced that the militant group had killed the Syrian media activist, Ruqia Hassan, in the ISIS de facto capital of Raqqah after they had captured her on August 11, 2015 on charges of her collaborations with “infidels.” The 31 year-old media activist was from Kobani (Ayn al-Arab) and had majored in Philosophy in Aleppo Univeristy.

Further, on January 3, 2016, ISIS Media Bureau published a short video viewing the killing of Syrian media activists, Faisal al-Jaafar and Aby Mohammad al-Ghanay, on charges of filming ISIS headquarters. Al-Jaafar was a 25 year-old from the town of Raqqah, managing an internet café. While al-Ghanay was an 18 year-old photographer also from Raqqah.

Lastly, media activist Mohamad Dahkool was killed by a bullet to his chest as he was reporting an intense battle between opposition fighters and ISIS militants in northern Aleppo countryside.