Washington, D.C. — The Broadcasting Board of Governors calls on the Syrian government to release any information they have on the capture and whereabouts of Alhurra correspondent Bashar Fahmi and cameraman Cüneyt Ünal.

Fahmi and Ünal have been missing since August 20, when they entered Syria to report on events there. On Sept. 4th, the Syrian Information Ministry released a statement saying that Fahmi is not with the Syrian authorities.  This follows an August 26th video on a Syrian government channel of Ünal giving a brief statement in which he describes himself as part of an international militant force. The Turkish Foreign Minister has said that Ünal was forced to make the statement.

“Fahmi and Ünal were captured together in Aleppo on August 20th. Ünal alone appeared in the disturbing video on Syrian Television. Now the Syrian government claims to have no responsibility of Fahmi,” said Michael Meehan, a member of the BBG board and Chairman of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. “We remain concerned about the lack of information as to the whereabouts and well-being of both journalists.”