Press freedom organisations have heaved a sigh of relief at the release early Wednesday morning local time of BBC correspondent Alan Johnston, who had been held captive for over four months in the Gaza Strip. In the same breath, all have called for global action to protect journalists working in hostile environments.
Johnston was abducted while on his way home from his office in Gaza City on the evening of March 12. At the time of his abduction, Johnston, who had been the BBC correspondent in Gaza for three years, was the only Western broadcast journalist both living and working there.
Johnston was abducted by the Army of Islam, a Gaza-based militant group. Johnston’s release, on the early morning of July 4, came about after an intervention by the Popular Resistence Committees, a group of senior Muslim clerics, paved the way for direct negotiations between Army of Islam leader Mumtaz Dogmush and Hamas representatives.
"This tremendous outpouring of support for Alan demonstrates not only the care of all decent people for the safety of a human being in great danger, but a worldwide recognition of the vital importance of a free press," said International News Safety institute (INSI) Director Rodney Pinder. "Freedom of expression cannot exist where journalists must work in fear of their lives or liberty. We hope this will persuade other potential kidnappers that ultimately they only damage themselves and their cause by kidnapping and threatening the reporters who seek to keep the world informed."
CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said, "We are relieved that Alan Johnston has finally been freed after this cruel ordeal. Now it is up to Palestinian authorities to see that those responsible are located and swiftly brought to justice. As long as those who abduct journalists continue to enjoy impunity, journalists will remain increasingly vulnerable to future attacks."
Sixteen journalists have been abducted in the Gaza Strip since 2004; all have been released. Johnston was held captive longer than any other journalist abducted in Gaza, according to CPJ research. None of those responsible for abducting journalists have been brought to justice.
"Seeing Johnston free and in good health is an immense relief and a great joy," Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) said. “During the 16 weeks he was held, we became more and more concerned at the increasingly grave threats from his abductors and the apparent inability of the Palestinian authorities to find a solution. We hail the international campaign waged for his release, which did not flag during all that time, and our thoughts go out to Johnston's parents and sister who showed great courage throughout this ordeal."
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined journalists around the word in welcoming the release of Johnston. "Today will be a great moment of joy for journalists and media workers who have seen a peaceful end to this terrible ordeal," said IFJ President Jim Boumelha. "We send our best wishes to Alan, his family and his colleagues."
International Press Institute (IPI) Director Johann P Fritz said, "During IPI’s recent mission to the Palestinian Authority to advocate for Johnston’s release, we witnessed the extraordinary efforts taken by journalists in both Gaza and the West Bank to support their abducted colleague. We again express our gratitude to these Palestinian journalists and civil society groups who played an instrumental role in maintaining public pressure on Johnston’s kidnappers to release him."
IFJ said that the worldwide campaign to secure Alan’s release was symbolic of the fight to free all journalists kidnapped and held hostage. According to INSI, 84 journalists have been kidnapped in Iraq. Of those, 30 have been murdered and six are still being held. Forty-seven journalists have been freed and the condition of one is unknown. Worldwide, 29 journalists have been held by kidnappers.
"All these cases must now be followed-up and given top priority," said Boumelha. "Alan’s release must inspire the international community to take fresh action to end all kidnappings and hostage taking of media staff."
RSF said, "Johnston’s departure leaves the Gaza Strip with no foreign journalists based there. We hope the security situation will be stabilised sufficiently for foreign correspondents to return and for Palestinian journalists to be able to work without being obstructed or harassed. The Palestinian Authority must now take measures to ensure that this does not happen again. Abductors have never been arrested or punished although many of them are known to the security forces. This generalised impunity must end."
"Palestinian journalists are delighted by the news of Alan’s release," leader of Palestinian Journalists Syndicate Naim Toubassi said. "We have sent a strong message that kidnapping journalists is an evil practice that must be ended. We salute all those who have joined us in demanding that Alan be set free."
"We congratulate our colleagues at BBC, at the National Union of Journalists of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Palestine Journalists Syndicate who led the campaign for Alan’s release in Gaza," said Boumelha. "Their campaign has been magnificent. Now we must focus on freeing all journalists who have been kidnapped and we must make sure this never happens again."
"Johnston’s ordeal has demonstrated how seriously deteriorating security conditions in Gaza have affected the work of journalists in the Palestinian Authority, many of whom have serious concerns for their safety while practicing their profession. No foreign journalist has been based in Gaza since Johnston’s kidnapping, and local journalists have been limited in their efforts to report due to increased risk of violent attack. The result has been a severe breakdown in the free flow of news and information," Fritz said.
"Johnston is one of 15 journalists who have been kidnapped in Gaza since 2005. Although many of the perpetrators of these attacks are known to the authorities, to date, none have been arrested or prosecuted. We call on the Palestinian Authority to end the culture of impunity that exists for those responsible for attacks on journalists. It is essential for all parties in the Palestinian Authority to recognise press freedom as a fundamental component of a democratic society and an essential element for building lasting peace," the IPI official said.
Amnesty International pointed out, ""Unfortunately, Alan Johnston is only one of hundreds of journalists who have been kidnapped, attacked and killed in recent years. These journalists should not be forgotten. As in captivity he was a symbol of journalists in danger, Alan Johnston's release should bolster the calls for greater protections for journalists around the world."
Johnston was fortunate to have the resources and determination of a global news giant, BBC, behind him, INSI said. BBC is one of the most assiduous of news organisations in looking after the safety of its staff in hostile environments. Unfortunately the majority of journalists killed and kidnapped around the world do not enjoy such support and too frequently suffer and even die in relative anonymity.
