On March 24, 19 Members of the European Parliament sent a letter to the European Commission.

In light of the disappearance of the two journalists Eva Maria Michelmann and Ahmet Polad, they addressed Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Vice President Kaja Kallas.

The letter states that their disappearance “is not only of vital concern to those involved but also has major implications for press freedom and the protection of journalists in war zones, and for the evolution of the Syrian state, with which European countries have been building connections.”

Thousands are missing

Furthermore, the letter clarifies that in the cases of Michelmann and Polad – as well as thousands of others – their whereabouts remains completely unknown. As stated in the letter, despite significant public attention and the German Foreign Office’s awareness of the situation, there is still no information from the Syrian Transitional Government.

The Members of Parliament called on the European Commission to make the following demands of the Syrian transitional government:

• Immediate clarification of the fate of the missing journalists Eva Maria Michelmann and Ahmet Polad and their immediate release

• Transparent information on the health of all missing persons in Raqqa (estimated to be approximately 4,000)

• Access for the International Committee of the Red Cross and for human rights organisations to people abducted or detained by the Syrian Transitional Government.

The politicians make it clear: “This case goes beyond the two individuals; it is a test of Europe’s commitment to press freedom and human rights. The EU must act with urgency, consistency, and courage to protect those who have risked their lives to report firsthand on the developments on the ground in Syria. The EU’s credibility is on the line, and so are lives.”

Signatories:

Katrin Langensiepen, MEP, Greens/EFA, Germany

Özlem Alev Demirel, MEP, The Left, Germany

Rudi Kennes, MEP, The Left, Belgium

Francisco Assis, MEP, S&D, Portugal

Martin Schirdewan, MEP, The Left, Germany

Damien Carême, MEP, The Left, France

Isabel Serra Sánchez, MEP, The Left, Spain

Per Clausen, MEP, The Left, Denmark

Leoluca Orlando, MEP, Greens/EFA, Italy

Jaume Asens Llodrà, MEP, Greens/EFA, Spain

Andreas Schieder, MEP, S&D, Austria

Mounir Satouri, MEP, Greens/EFA, France

Pernando Barrena Arza, MEP, The Left, Spain

Thomas Waitz, MEP, Greens/EFA, Austria

Leila Chaibi, MEP, The Left, France

Danilo Della Valle, MEP, The Left, Italy

Catarina Martins, MEP, The Left, Portugal

Costas Mavrides, MEP, S&D, Cyprus

Rima Hassan, MEP, The Left, France