By The Daily Journalist.
Javier-Espinosa-left-and-Ricardo-García-Vilanova.
Correspondents for the Spanish newspaper EL Mundo, Javier Espinosa and freelance Ricardo Garcia Vilanova have remained captive by Al-Qaeda for over one hundred days. During these holydays their absence weighs especially in their families , friends and fellow journalist for El Mundo. The two reporters were arrested on September 16 in Tal Abyad , in the province of Raqqa , read to leave Syria after two weeks of intense work. That same day Javier Espinosa published a report in El Mundo titled ‘ Back to school in the eve of trouble’ the article included emotional testimonies from families in Deir Ezzor .
Javier had reported in his work on Sunday 15 to announce that the next day he would return to his home base in Beirut. Near the end of his stance in Syria a few reporters in the area were captured by members of ISIS ( Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ) with four other fighters like Ahmad Moustapha , one of the brigades of Free Syrian Army . They released the Syrians 12 days after , but Javier Espinosa and Ricardo Garcia Vilanova were still held, along with an increasingly long list of Syrians and foreign reporters, including other Spanish journalist like Marc Marginedas of ‘El Periódico de Catalunya ‘.
After nearly two months of media silence , at the express wish of the families of Javier Espinosa and Ricardo Garcia Vilanova , the kidnapping of the two reporters was made public on December 10. The day dedicated to Human Rights. In Beirut other journalist like Monica G. Prieto, showed support for Javier Espinosa, to launch an appeal on behalf of the families of the kidnappers : ” Javier and Ricardo are not your enemies Please , honor the revolution that they protected and liberate them . ”
In Madrid , the director of El Mundo, Pedro J. Ramirez spoke of how this kidnapping ” lays a hand of darkness over Syria.” The day after the sad news , 14 international media networks, including The New York Times, The Economist , BBC and ‘El Mundo’ , made a public statement released by the Committee to Protect Journalists ( CPJ) , which condemned the kidnapping and called on the leaders of the armed opposition that would help ” to identify groups that have retained journalists and aided in their release .”
The National Opposition Coalition and its armed wing, the Free Syrian Army , condemned the kidnapping of Javier and Ricardo and pledged to protect displaced journalists in Syria. The heads of the Islamist forum Red Hanein clamored for his release. On a balance of what has led to publicize the news, the family spokesman , Gervasio Sanchez, appreciates the great collaboration of Spanish and foreign media , as the ” most powerful media blast and possible durable in order to reach the kidnappers and their environment, and we’re getting it . “
