Kidnapped Spanish journalists have spent months in captivity

Kidnapped Spanish journalists have spent months in captivity

BEIRUT: Javier Espinosa, bureau chief of EL MUNDO in the Middle East with 25 years of front line reporting, and Ricardo Garcia-Vilanova, award-winning freelance photographer, were abducted on the 16th of September at a check-point near Tal-Abyad, northern Syria, alongside four Free Syrian Army escorts who were accompanying them. Both journalists and the FSA members were taken to facilities belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Raqqa.

The four FSA members were released after 12 days but Espinosa and Garcia Vilanova remain in the custody of ISIS. ISIS has continued to refuse to negotiate their release or put forward any allegations against the two journalists.

“We have reached an impasse with the captors after many weeks of attempted mediation”, said Monica G. Prieto, Javier Espinosa’s wife, herself an award-winning freelance journalist covering the Middle East for over a decade. “Today we appeal to the Syrian people and all armed groups to help release Javier and Ricardo who have always been committed to show the human face and suffering of the Syrian people during these very difficult times.”

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a media watchdog, Syria is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists with more than 55 journalists killed and approximately 30 journalists currently missing. “Despite the immense dangers, Javier and Ricardo have repeatedly entered Syria to report on this war that has devastated the Syrian people,” said CPJ’s Executive Director Joel Simon. 

“Al Qaeda made Syria one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists through abducting journalists, like what happened to our friends Javier Espinosa and Ricardo García Vilanova and many others who paid high price for the sake of truth and for our cause of freedom and justice. Syrians feel so sad about these brave brothers and hope they get their freedom back as soon as possible”, said Mousab al Hamadee, Syrian journalist.“We call for their immediate release, as we call for the immediate release of all journalists who are held against their will.”

“Javier is more loved by Syrian activists than the foreign takfiris and Jihadis that kidnapped him, and this is one of the reasons they kidnapped him”, said The 47th, a Syrian citizen very active in social networks.

“Ricardo is a highly experienced and respected freelance journalist, who has been committed to covering events in Syria. His photographs and footage have played a significant role in raising awareness of the conflict since it began. We are deeply concerned about Ricardo’s welfare, and appeal for his – and Javier’s – safe and immediate release”, said Tina Carr, Director of the Rory Peck Trust, an international organisation dedicated to the safety and welfare of freelance journalists.

Both Espinosa and Garcia Vilanova are award winning journalists who have long standing experience in covering crises and revolutions in the Arab World and beyond.

Javier Espinosa, has been living in the Middle East for the past 11 years. He is currently based in Lebanon with his wife and two young children. He was in Baba Amr during the attack on the media centre in 2012 which resulted in the tragic death of Journalists Marie Colvin and Rémi Ochlik. 

Javier refused to leave until the last civilian convoy fled the besieged city and lead two injured civilians to safety. Because of his dedication, he has since been back to Syria many times.

Ricardo Garcia Vilanova was previously held and interrogated by ISIS in Aleppo after spending a few months in the North on assignment for various organizations such as the International Committee for the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières and Human Rights Watch. He was released after further interrogation that cleared his name.

Both journalists have been dedicated to tell the story of the Syrian people amidst a devastating humanitarian crisis. Their work has been recognized globally through international awards such as the Bayeux-Calvados Award and Rory Peck’s.

Appeal from the Families

My name is Monica Prieto and I am the wife of Spanish journalist Javier Espinosa, who along with my friend Ricardo Vilanova has been kidnapped for 11 weeks. I want to tell their kidnappers what their captives and what my family has done for Syria ever since the start of the revolution. From the first months of the uprising, we crossed borders illegally in order to report on the suffering of the population. Javier didn’t only survive the bombardment of Baba Amr, which killed two of his colleagues right before his eyes. He even chose to stay in the neighbourhood until the last civilian was evacuated.

When I asked him to leave before the fall of Homs, he told me he had the obligation to stay and report. 

Despite the risk, we have placed your tragedy before our own lives, with the sole objective of raising the world’s awareness on the situation in Syria. We have dedicated the past three years to giving voice to the victims. We have worked in Homs, Aleppo, Idlib, Deir Ezzor, Hama and Raqa, but also in the refugee camps in Turkey, Jordan and Idlib. We have distributed humanitarian aid, given shelter to civilians and made your freedom our cause.I reminded him that our children needed him alive, and he replied by telling me that the children of Syria needed the world’s attention. I didn’t argue, because three months earlier I had chosen to spend Christmas in Baba Amr ather than with my family, and I had the same objective: to tell the world about Syria’s suffering.