Iraqi Society to Defend Journalists’ Rights in its annual statement announced 54 Iraqi journalists were killed during last year, 2007, and most of them were killed in the provinces of Naynawa and Baghdad. Four journalists are missing, Al-Rafidain T.V. reported.

According to statistics published in the statement, 31 Iraqi journalists are in prison that their fates are not known.

Sarmad Abdul-Karim the head of Iraqi News Agency said in this regard: “the journalists reflect the reality of Iraq, and the Iranian regime, as the second occupation force of Iraq, is against the exposure of the realities by them, therefore thorough armed militias, commits murder and abduction to prevent realities to be revealed.”