Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has condemned reported attacks on journalists by Israeli security forces in the ongoing conflict in Palestine, stressing that the action represents violation of press freedom and human rights.
Idris made the remarks in his speech at the Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers with the theme, “Israeli Government’s Disinformation and Hostilities Against Journalists during the Israeli Occupation of Palestine” held over the weekend in Istanbul, Turkey.
Represented by the Head of Mission of the Nigerian Embassy in Turkey, Ambassador Zayyad Abdul-Salam, the minister noted that since the beginning of the conflict, journalists had been subjected to harassment, intimidation, violence, and even death simply for carrying out their duty to inform the public and uphold the principles of truth and justice.
“From the statistics provided by the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ), about 88 journalists and media workers have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023.
“As ministers of information representing member states of the Islamic Conference, it is incumbent upon us to condemn in the strongest terms these atrocities and censorship against journalists performing their legitimate duties in Palestine.
“We must stand firm in solidarity with our colleagues in the media who risk their lives daily to report the humanitarian crisis in Palestine under occupation and to give voice to the voiceless,” he said.
