Family of Lebanese Cameraman Abducted in Syria Holds Sit-in to Demand his Release

George Kassab, the brother of a Lebanese cameraman who disappeared in Syria, reiterated on Saturday calls for the release of Samir, lashing out at Lebanese officials for failing to act.

“The fate of Samir and his colleagues remains unknown amid a carelessness to reveal their fate or to safely release them,” George said during a sit-in at the Samir Kassir Garden in downtown Beirut.

George stressed that his brother was “doing his job professionally and impartially as he is not involved in the conflict,” in Syria.

He called politicians, journalists, civil society groups, international organizations and all parties who have influence on the events in Syria to help secure the safe return of Kassab and his colleagues.

George also pleaded the kidnappers of his brother and colleagues to release them, denouncing the attacks on journalists.

He called on Lebanese officials to address the case.

For his part, the representative of caretaker Information Minister Walid Daouq, Broadcasting Director Mohammed Ibrahim announced the establishment of an agenda that includes several measures through media outlets to impact the kidnappers.

Three-crew members, Kassab along with reporter Ishak Moctar, a Mauritanian national and a Syrian driver whose name is being withheld at his family's request, were on an assignment in northern Syria when the Sky News lost contact with them in October.

The Abu Dhabi-based Sky News Arabia said it had lost contact with its crew on assignment in the north Syria province of Aleppo, where abductions have been on the rise.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says at least 16 foreign journalists are missing in Syria, although many cases have not been made public at the request of their families.

RSF says that since the conflict erupted in Syria in March 2011, at least 25 professional journalists and 70 citizen journalists have been killed.

Though journalists have been killed while reporting from the regime side, most deaths and kidnappings have been among those behind rebel lines.