The Need to Protect Press Freedom in Syria

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released a report on Tuesday, January 7, outlining measures to protect press freedom in Syria, one month after the fall of the Syrian regime.

RSF called on the new Syrian administration to implement seven key measures to enhance press freedom:

1. Justice for Journalists: Investigate and deliver justice for journalists victimized under the former Assad regime, clarifying their fate and whereabouts.
2. End Obstructions: Abolish all measures and practices by governmental and non-governmental groups that impede the work of journalists and media outlets, especially censorship and surveillance targeting journalists, media professionals, and their sources.
3. Release and Protect: Free journalists detained by opposition factions, including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and seek justice on their behalf.
4. Address Crimes Against Journalists: Locate kidnapped journalists, identify all parties responsible for crimes against journalists, and ensure they are held accountable.
5. Guarantee Safety: Protect local and foreign journalists from attacks or obstruction, facilitate their access to events and locations, and ensure their freedom of movement, including for those from international media outlets.
6. Safeguard Against Intimidation: Protect all media professionals and outlets from intimidation, discrimination, or pressure, regardless of their editorial stance, opinions, race, nationality, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
7. Embed Press Freedom in the Constitution: Ensure press freedom and the right to information are enshrined in the constitution, adhering to international standards and reflecting recommendations from local media and press freedom groups.

RSF welcomed a commitment from Mohammad al-Omar, the Minister of Information in the interim Damascus government, to promote press freedom and improve freedom of expression.

The organization described the minister’s pledge as “a good omen” for Syrian journalists, who have endured significant hardships in a country ranked 179th out of 180 in the Press Freedom Index.

“Despite this encouraging rhetoric, the transitional government has yet to take essential steps,” the RSF report noted, emphasizing the importance of releasing all detained media professionals and ensuring justice for those killed by various parties, including HTS.

Jonathan Dagher, head of RSF’s Middle East desk, remarked, “Freedom for journalists in Syria is long overdue, and the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s oppressive regime presents a historic opportunity to ensure the safety and freedom of media professionals and the Syrian people’s right to information.” He called on the new authorities to fulfill their promise by starting with the release of journalists still held by rebel groups and their allies.

Earlier this year, Minister Mohammad al-Omar vowed to “build a free media,” ensuring freedom of expression in a country where media endured decades of restrictions under the Assad family’s 54-year rule. Al-Omar acknowledged the regime’s severe limitations on press freedom, stating that his ministry would work toward rebuilding a Syrian media landscape grounded in objectivity and professionalism.

On December 17, 2024, a coalition of independent Syrian media outlets (Arta, Al-Jumhuriya, Enab Baladi, Rozna) released a statement advocating for press freedom in post-Assad Syria. The coalition proposed the following measures:

1. Justice and Accountability: Prosecute all perpetrators of crimes against journalists, release detained journalists, and adopt a zero-tolerance approach to impunity.
2. Dismantle Media Censorship: Abolish the Ministry of Information and all forms of media censorship. Establish an independent oversight body through a participatory process involving media organizations, civil society, and independent journalists.
3. Legal Protection: Provide legal safeguards for freedom of expression and the press, and immediately repeal conflicting laws.
4. Constitutional Guarantees: Incorporate unequivocal guarantees of media rights and freedoms, aligned with international human rights standards, into the constitution, with explicit references to relevant conventions.
5. Fair Access to Information: Prevent state monopolization of information and ensure equal opportunities for all media organizations and professionals to carry out their work.

This series of recommendations represents a roadmap toward fostering a free and independent press in Syria during its transition to a post-Assad era.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.