Syria condemns killing of state media photographer

DAMASCUS (AFP): Syria’s transitional government on Thursday condemned the killing of a photographer who had been working for state news agency SANA since before last month’s ouster of longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad.

“The information ministry condemns the assassination of photographer Ibrahim Ajaj, who works for the official SANA news agency, and affirms its full commitment to supporting freedom of the press and protecting journalists,” it said in a statement.

It added that it was working with the interior ministry “to expedite uncovering the circumstances of this crime and to hold the perpetrators accountable.”

The photographer’s body was found riddled with bullets in the central city of Hama after he was abducted by two men, his relatives told AFP.

He had received threats prior to his killing, one of his relatives said, requesting anonymity for their own safety.

Ajaj’s killing marked the first assassination of a journalist who had worked for state media under al-Assad’s rule, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

“Unidentified armed men” killed the photographer, the Britain-based war monitor said.

Armed groups allied with the movement Hayat al-Sham, which led the offensive that toppled al-Assad, have killed a number of suspected supporters of his rule, including in Hama, the Observatory said.

Earlier this month, interim Information Minister Mohamed al-Omar told AFP he was working towards a free press after decades of tight control under al-Assad.