Press freedom groups praise UK photojournalist injured in Afghanistan
Freelancer Giles Duley was injured by a roadside bomb while on patrol with British soldiers last week
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Press freedom organisations have praised the bravery of a British photojournalist who was severely injured in a bomb blast last week.
Reports emerged over the weekend that Giles Duley, a freelance photographer, had been injured while on foot patrol with soldiers on 7 February in Kandahar Province. It is understood that he had been in Afghanistan since 28 January. According to a report by the BBC , Duley had to undergo several amputations in a UN hospital before he returned to the UK.
This week the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), its European group the European Federation of Journalists( EFJ) and its affiliate the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) released a joint report to say they "are shocked and saddened" by the news.
Duley is now undergoing treatment in the critical care unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where his condition is said to be "stable".
"The IFJ applauds the courage of Giles Duley and many others like him who expose themselves to extreme personal risk in order to report the grim realities of war," IFJ general secretary Aidan White said.
"The IFJ sends its best wishes to our colleague for as speedy a recovery as is possible, given the extent of his injuries."
A London-based picture agency which Duley has previously contributed to, Camera Press, said in a statement that his photography was able to "draw the viewer to the subject, creating intimacy and empathy for lives differing from ours only in circumstance".
"Although documenting challenging and at times, horrific situations, Giles captures the strength of those who fight their adversity rather than succumb. Giles is establishing a foundation and magazine dedicated to communicating these tragic yet inspiring stories of the human spirit, stories that would otherwise remain untold in an era of commercialized media and news."
Duley's case follows that of New York Times photographer Joao Silva, who stepped on a landmine in Afghanistan last year and lost both his legs. Last week the NYTimes reported on Silva taking his first steps on new prosthetics.
