News - Middle East: The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) World Service has condemned the Israeli regime's targeted strikes on journalists, saying missiles cannot silence the independent media's cry for justice. 

Ahmad Norouzi made the remarks in an address to the 62nd General Assembly and Associated Meetings of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Sunday.

He condemned international silence on Israel’s killing of Palestinian reporters in the Gaza Strip and the regime’s attack on the IRIB’s headquarters in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on June 16, which killed two journalists.

"It is essential to form a legal working group to support and defend the immunity of the media,” Norouzi said.

He added that the ongoing ABU General Assembly is an opportunity to increase interaction and synergy among independent media outlets. 

He emphasized that he is speaking on behalf of the IRIB, an important broadcaster in the region and the world, whose "cry for justice and freedom" was met with missiles.

He pointed out that Israel's "brutal" missile attacks on the IRIB headquarters were acts of revenge against independent media and the voices of freedom seekers who courageously expose the regime's crimes against the oppressed people of Palestine and other Muslim nations in the region.

Norouzi described the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union as the "largest media community" in the world, emphasizing its effective and sustainable role among Eastern media, rooted in the rich heritage of Asian civilization, integrity, honesty, and the courage of Eastern culture.

He said that prominent radio and television personalities from around the world have gathered at this esteemed media assembly to forge a new vision for a bright future in global media.

He emphasized the critical need to ensure the security of the media, which has been more threatened than ever before.

Notably, he mentioned that in the past 23 months, at least 250 Palestinian journalists have been martyred in Gaza, including 31 women journalists.

Norouzi reiterated that the martyrdom of journalists and the alarming silence of relevant global organizations in response to this crime have set the stage for the attack on "one of the oldest and largest media organizations in the world," referring to the IRIB headquarters, which was struck by 11 missiles from the Israeli regime in front of live broadcast cameras.

The head of IRIB World Service expressed gratitude to the ABU Secretary-General for condemning the military strikes against Iran and for the union's denunciation of Israel’s missile attack on the IRIB headquarters.

He once again called on media workers and the ABU to take serious, cohesive, and effective steps to protect the security and immunity of the media against military attack and economic sanctions.

Source: Press TV