The journalist support committee condemns the murder of Bahraini journalist Eman Salehi, who worked as a sports journalist for Bahrain’s state-run TV broadcaster.

On the night of the 23rd of December 2016, in the city of Riffa, in Bahrain, a community popular with members of the ruling Al Khalifa family and the military, a man headed towards Salehi’s car and pulled the trigger, he shot her once in the head as her six-year-old son watched from inside their car, then immediately turned himself into authorities. The causes of the crime remain unknown.

It was known from Mr. Youssef Almuhafaza, from Bahrain institute for human rights, and activist Faten Boushahri from “Bahrain Watch” organization, that Salehi’s killer serves in the military, this information was gathered from the locals.

Hence, the journalist support committee has issued the following statement:

“The Bahraini journalists and media outlet have witnessed repetitive assaults imposed by the State, from murder, arbitrary arrest, harassment and gross breaches of human rights, freedom of press, freedom of expression and opinion, and most recently the murder of journalist Eman Salehi, 28-year-old in front of her son, alongside with other recent violations, such as the charges pressed against the journalist Naziha Said for practicing journalism without a license after the ministry of information refused to renew her contract with France 24, in addition, journalist Ahmad Rahdi was banned from traveling for the third time without a reason, despite confirmation of lifting the ban from prosecution.

Therefore, the journalist support committee demands the international community and human rights organizations to take actions and necessary measures to put an end and to condemn these violations against journalism and freedom of press in Bahrain, and to exercise pressure on the Bahraini government to cease its constraints on journalists, and to take actions and serious measures to bring the perpetrators to a fair trail.”