While the New York Times celebrated Monday's release of four journalists (pictured) captured while covering the unrest in Libya, several other media companies are anxiously awaiting word on the fate of own.
At least 13 journalists remain missing or are being held by the Libyan government, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
"Four journalists from Al-Jazeera, two from Agence France-Presse, and one from Getty Images are either being detained by Libyan authorities or are missing," CPJ executive director Joel Simon said in a statement posted on the organization's website. "Six Libyan journalists are also missing and unaccounted for. We call on Libyan authorities to release those journalists in their custody and to assist in efforts to locate those who are missing."
The Al-Jazeera correspondents — Ahmed Vall Ould Addin and Lotfi al-Messaoudi, and cameramen Kamel Atalua and Ammar al-Hamdan — were detained in western Libya late last week, Al-Jazeera said on Sunday.
The news service Agence France-Press said journalists Dave Clark and Roberto Schmidt and Getty Images photographer Joe Raedle are unaccounted for. They went missing on Friday.
At least six Libyan journalists are also missing amid "wide speculation that they are in the custody of forces loyal to leader Muammar Qaddafi," according to CPJ.
There have been more than 50 documented on attacks on journalists in Libya since February, the committee said — and two were fatal.
The Times' reporters — Beirut bureau chief Anthony Shadid, reporter Stephen Farrell and photographers Tyler Hicks and Lynsey Addario — were captured last Tuesday while covering the conflict in the city of Ajdabiya. They were released into the custody of Turkish diplomats, the Times said. They were unharmed.
Late last week, the State Department recommended news organizations not send their journalists into Libya.
