The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Wednesday urged accountability for the death of Syrian photojournalist Sari Majid Al-Shoufi while reporting on armed combat near the Syrian city of Sweida.
Al-Shoufi was a photojournalist for Suwayda 24, a Druze-focused website. Rayan Marouf, the editor-in-chief of the website, said Al-Shoufi was reporting from a site in Taara, close to Sweida. Marouf told CPJ that, at around 6 AM on July 14, Al-Shoufi sent messages that “the site was under heavy attack by drones and armored vehicles, and that everyone around him had been killed.” Al-Shoufi’s death was confirmed 10 days later.
Armed hostilities between the Druze and Bedouin groups in Sweida was spurred by an attack on a Druze merchant by Bedouin tribespeople on July 13. Various other journalists have been wounded, threatened or harassed since the armed clashes began. The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry expressed “deep concern” over the violence in Sweida and stressed that the Syrian authorities have the responsibility to “ensure the respect, protection and fulfilment of human rights of all its people, free from any form of discrimination, and calls on all parties to cease violence immediately and de-escalate the situation through dialogue.”
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Syrian authorities previously assured that press freedom would be improved. Yet, there have been growing concerns regarding the safety of journalists during Syria’s political transition. For example, in May 2025, RSF criticized the attacks on seven journalists in Sweida.
CPJ’s Levant program coordinator, Doja Daoud, stated that the killing of Al-Shoufi “is a stark reminder of the grave dangers journalists face in conflict zones. Syrian journalists deserve safety and accountability from Syrian authorities.”