Dorothy’s friends, colleagues call on Syria to free her
From coast to coast, friends and colleagues of Al Jazeera reporter D. Parvaz are calling on Syria to return her home safely. Dorothy, or “D,” as she was known to her many friends in the Seattle area, has been missing in Syria since last Friday afternoon, according to Al Jazeera, which has demanded her immediate return.
Today is World Press Freedom Day. It’s time for governments everywhere to release journalists and respect Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Be sure to send a tweet today with #FreeDorothy.
Here’s a copy of a letter AAJA National President Doris Truong and I sent this morning. Feel free to adapt it to your needs and email your own to as1@syrembassy.net. The more people they hear from the better!
—
Ambassador Imad Moustapha
Embassy of Syria
2215 Wyoming Ave N.W.
Washington D.C. 20008 USA
                                                                                                                     May 3, 2011
Dear Sir:
We have learned that one of our friends and colleagues, Dorothy Parvaz, has been missing in Syria since Friday afternoon. Al Jazeera reports that it sent her there to cover news and lost contact with the 39-year-old after she arrived in Damascus on a Qatar Airways flight.
By now, the Syrian government is well aware that Dorothy’s family, friends and colleagues are concerned for her safety. We are alarmed by the government’s silence on her status, especially at a time when so many journalists in the Middle East are being killed or attacked.
The disappearance of a journalist should be troubling to all who long for peace. We rely on journalists as honest brokers of information and perspectives. They keep us aware of what is happening on the ground. They are our wise eyes.
Dorothy wrote for The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, was a member of the Asian American Journalists Association and received fellowships to study at Harvard University and Cambridge University in England.
Today is World Press Freedom Day. The Syrian government has an opportunity to do the right thing. The Director-General of UNESCO put out a statement worth repeating:
“Silencing the media or attempting to intimidate them is an unacceptable assault on the right of citizens to be informed. I call on all countries in the world to respect the right to free expression, as laid down in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the right to freedom of information.â€
On behalf of the 1,500 members of the Asian American Journalists Association, we respectfully call on your government to release Dorothy Parvaz and allow her to return safely to her family and colleagues. If she is not in custody, we respectfully ask that you cooperate with the U.S. State Department’s request to locate her. We will remain vigilant in monitoring your government’s actions and reporting on her status.
Sincerely,
Doris Truong
National President, Asian American Journalists Association
Sanjay Bhatt
Seattle chapter president, Asian American Journalists Association
