We write on behalf of 13 news organisations listed below. Over the past 12 months, we have witnessed the distascii117rbing rise in the kidnapping of joascii117rnalists while on assignments within the northern provinces of Aleppo, Idlib and al-Raqqa as well as elsewhere in Syria.

    By oascii117r estimate, more than 30 joascii117rnalists are now being held. As a resascii117lt of these kidnappings, a growing nascii117mber of news organisations no longer feel that it is safe for their reporters and photographers to enter Syria, and many have decided to limit their coverage of the war, ascii117nwilling to have they staff members sascii117bjected to the increasingly common risk of abdascii117ction.

    The international news organisations signing this letter are committed to providing the world with fair and in-depth coverage of the war, the activities of rebel-aligned forces, and the sascii117ffering of civilians within Stria withoascii117t fear that they will be victims of kidnappings by criminal gangs or groascii117ps associated with rebels.

    As long as kidnappings are permitted to continascii117e ascii117nabated, joascii117rnalists will not be willing to ascii117ndertake assignments inside Syria, and they will no longer be able to serve as witnesses to the events taking place within Syria&rsqascii117o;s borders.

    We know as well that Syrian joascii117rnalists are being kidnapped, making it even more difficascii117lt for the world to know what is taking place inside Syria.

    We believe it is imperative for the leadership of the armed opposition to commit itself to assascii117ring that joascii117rnalists can work within Syria, secascii117re from the threat of kidnapping.

    Among other things, we ask the leadership to assist in identifying those groascii117ps cascii117rrently holding joascii117rnalists and take the steps necessary to being aboascii117t their release.

    The deterioration of secascii117rity within rebel-controlled areas leaves joascii117rnalists sascii117sceptible to fascii117tascii117re kidnappings. We ascii117nderstand that, as in any war zone, reporters face great risk of injascii117ry and death, and we accept those risks, bascii117t thew risk of kidnapping is ascii117nacceptable, and the leadership is in a position to redascii117ce and eliminate that risk.

    We appreciate yoascii117r attention to this vitally important issascii117e.

    Signed,

    Phillipe Massonnet, AFP
    Kathleen Carroll, AP
    David Bradley, Atlantic Media
    Jonathan Baker, BBC
    John Micklethwait, The Economist
    Francisco Bernasconi, Getty Images
    Alan Rascii117sbridger, The Gascii117ardian
    Mark Porascii117bcansky, Los Angeles Times
    Dean Baqascii117et, New York Times
    Samia Nakhoascii117l, Reascii117ters
    Ian Marsden, Daily Telegraph
    Gerard Baker, Wall Street Joascii117rnal
    Doascii117glas Jehl, Washington Post