Iraqi TV presenter shot dead by gunmen

Baghdad - An Iraqi TV presenter known for his efforts to reduce sectarian differences was killed in Baghdad on September 7. Riyad Assariyeh (also reported as al-Saray)presented religious and political programs.

Reporters Without Borders reported: “Riyad Assariyeh, a 35-year-old journalist working for state-run Al Iraqiya TV, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen as he was leaving his home in Baghdad this morning. This clearly targeted murder brings to 15 the number of Al Iraqiya journalists who have been killed since Saddam Hussein’s removal.” According to France 24, television journalist Ahmed al-Mullah said traffic police in the area of the attack did not hear gunshots but saw Saray's vehicle go off course and crash. Assariyeh, who was a lawyer, joined Al Iraqiya TV in 2005. He was also a member of a neighbourhood council. Reporters Without Borders is calling for a proper investigation capable of identifying and arresting both the perpetrators and instigators of the murder. The organisation stated that 230 journalists and media workers have been killed in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003, and that in 99 per cent of the cases no one was punished. It reported that “the second U.S. war with Iraq was the most lethal for journalists since World War II.”