The International Federation of Journalists has condemned the murder of an Iraqi journalist who was killed in a terrorist attack in Baghdad on Sunday, 9 June.

According to IFJ affiliate, the Iraqi Journalists' Syndicate (IJS), the body of well-known journalist, Zamel Ghannam al Zoubaie, was found in the al Washwash area of western Baghdad on Sunday.

"We mourn the death of our colleague who was murdered in a cowardly and senseless attack," said IFJ President Jim Boumelha. "This is the second murder of a journalist in Iraq in recent months, a death toll which simply cannot be tolerated. We call on the authorities in Iraq to take urgent steps to bring those responsible for the death of Zamel Ghannam al Zoubaie to swift justice."

Mr Zoubaie was a member of the IJS since the 1980's. He worked for the Iraqi News Agency from the 90's up to 2004 and then worked as a freelancer for a number of media organisations in Iraq.

The IJS has condemned the "cowardly attack," calling for a thorough investigation and for authorities in Iraq to take immediate steps to improve protection and safety for journalists.

"We are deeply concerned about the increase in violence against journalists in Iraq in recent months," said IFJ General Secretary Beth Costa. "It remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists and we urge journalists there to be vigilant and protest themselves."

For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 17

The IFJ represents more than 600.000 journalists in 134 countries