Italian journalists were held hostage in Syria. According to Reuters, Italian media reported that four Italian reporters were kidnapped in the north of Syria. Syria is said to be the world’s most dangerous place for journalist according to The Malasyian Insider.
One of the kidnapped victims works for RAI news channel while the other three journalists are freelancers. Amedeo Ricucci, Elio Colavolpe, Andrea Vignali, and Susan Dabous were identified as the abducted journalist by Corriere della Sera newspaper.
The Union of Syrian Journalist estimates that 153 journalist and media activist have been killed since 2011 including The Sunday Times’ correspondent Marie Colvin, New York Times' correspondent Anthony Shadid, and freelance French photographer Remi Ochlik.
The civil war in Syria began in March 2011 and has taken the lives of more than 70,000 people, according to The UN. The Committee to Protect Journalists claims that Syria is the most dangerous place in the world for journalists in 2012.
The parents of the abducted journalist have been notified and the Syrian government offered kidnappers a deal, offering them 15 days to hand over victims or face sentences ranging from life in prison to execution, if their victims were murdered or sexually abused, AFP reports.