The President of the Federation of Arab Journalists, Muayyad Al-Lami, called for liberating the press and media from government bureaucracy as a result of the severe restrictions and freedom-depriving penalties, and accelerating the launch of freedom of the press, opinion and expression to be a real introduction to comprehensive reform. Al-Lami, in a statement to the Federation of Arab Journalists, on the occasion of World Press Day on the third of May and Arab Press Day, on the sixth of the same, praised the honorable positions of the unions and press organizations that are members of the Federation in the Arab countries in defense of freedom of opinion and expression. The President of the Federation of Arab Journalists warned that the Arab press in some Arab countries has entered stages of suffocation during the recent period as a result of severe restrictions on freedoms and penalties depriving of freedom. He stressed: 'The crimes of killing, detaining, and kidnapping journalists while performing their work, as is currently the case in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, constitute a crime against humanity, in addition to being a flagrant violation of freedom, democratic principles, international law, and the four Geneva Conventions.' Al-Lami added: 'On the occasion of World Press Day, May 3, and Arab Press Day, May 6, the General Federation of Arab Journalists demands the following: - *Accelerating the launch of freedom of the press, opinion and expression as a real introduction to comprehensive reform. *Purifying Arab laws and legislation from penalties depriving of freedom, abolishing the penalty of imprisonment in cases of opinion and publishing, liberating the press and media outlets from government control, unleashing the freedom to publish newspapers, and establishing independent and free media organizations. *Strengthening union organizations for Arab journalists and media professionals, protecting them from infiltration, and ensuring their freedom and independence to ensure the protection of jour nalists. *Considering the murders, kidnappings, and forced disappearances of journalists as crimes against humanity, and bringing their perpetrators to the International Criminal Court. He continued: 'The General federation of Arab Journalists confirms on this occasion its determination to move forward in waging the battle for freedoms in general and freedom of the press in particular. Source: National Iraqi News Agency