Yesterday Syrian officials released information on the whereabouts of Dorothy Parvaz, 39, an Iranian-born US citizen and Al-Jazeera reporter who went missing for two weeks while covering the uprisings against President Bashar Assad. The Syrian officials reported that Parvaz was deported from Syria after being detained in Damascus and is currently being held in Iran.
A representative from Al-Jazeera stated, “We have now received information that she is being held in Tehran. We are calling for information from the Iranian authorities, access to Dorothy, and for her immediate release. We have had no contact with Dorothy since she left Doha on 29 April and we are deeply concerned for her welfare.”
Parvaz attended the University of British Columbia and earned a masters from the University of Arizona. She has completed fellowships in journalism from both Harvard and Cambridge.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, based in New York, indicated that Syria is currently detaining at least five journalists as a means to limit the media.
