Press Emblem Campaign – For the second consecutive time in less than 72 hours one journalist is released, the other killed, both in different countries.

The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) and the International Covenant for the Protection of Journalists (ICPJ) while welcoming the release of Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein (36 years old), more than two years after he was detained by U.S. Marines on suspicions of links to insurgents, condemns in the strongest possible manner the killing of Reuters cameraman during the Israeli attack against Gaza Wednesday.

The Reuters cameraman 24-year-old Fadal Shanaa was killed while filming the Israeli tank attack in central Gaza.

According to Al Jazeera Satellite channel Shanaa was killed when he finished filming and was taking his car to send his footage about the brutal attack.

Fadel Subhi Shana appeared, prior to his death, on the Arabic channel and said that he will never quit his job except if he dies or his legs are amputated.

The two Geneva based organizations presents their sincere condolences to the family of the young cameraman and his loved ones as well as to Reuters.

Shanaa is the 7th journalist killed in April, thus stepping up the number of killed journalists since the beginning of the year to 27 among them three women journalists.

On 15 April the PEC issues a statement with the same spirit of rejoice and condemnation for the safe release of the British journalist and condemns the killing of journalist Khadim Hussain Sheikh in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province.

The release Wednesday of Bilal Hussein, which is long overdue, shows the importance of having a special legal instrument to defend dangerous jobs when the situation is marked by armed conflict as well as in other situations when journalists are arrested under different allegations.

The PEC and the ICPJ wish Bilal Hussein well when reuniting with his family and congratulates the AP for his release.

Hussein - who had been held since April, 12, 2006 - was never brought to trial.

The Iraqi photographer Hussein was a member of an AP team that won a Pulitzer Prize for photography in 2005.

The PEC and the ICPJ wish Hussein a long and productive career to come.

Geneva, 17 April 2008