Tripoli: The closing statement of the Press Freedom Day celebration expresses deep concern over the restrictions on freedom of opinion and the Libyan press. The General Syndicate of Libyan Journalists – Tripoli and the Western Region – articulated its deep concern about the increasing pressure on freedom of opinion and the press in Libya. Journalists and bloggers face threats, abductions, and interrogations without regard for laws intended to protect their freedom, dignity, and their right to express opinions and pursue information.
According to Libyan News Agency, this statement emerged from a celebration organized by the Journalists Syndicate on World Press Freedom Day. The event was attended by Abdullah Al-Lafi, a member of the Presidential Council, along with the President of the Supreme Council of State, the Minister of Economy from the Government of National Unity, a representative from the Office of the Attorney General, and numerous journalists from various press institutions and the independent press.
In their statement, the journalists declared solidarity with any journalist threatened or intimidated. They urged the competent authorities to first file a complaint with the Syndicate against any journalist, ensuring the Syndicate’s presence through a representative in any legal summons or investigation. Any proceedings outside this framework were deemed null and void, violating the law.
The statement encouraged journalists to unite within their Syndicate, forming a pressure group to defend the profession, its institutions, and its workers. It also urged journalists in private media, especially those working abroad, to prioritize the homeland, aiming for its unity and elevation.
At the statement’s conclusion, the journalists expressed solidarity with fellow journalists globally, supporting constructive and responsible media that celebrates human progress and rejects violence, racism, war, injustice, and oppression.