The Doha Media Freedom Centre (DMFC) will be officially opened on October 10, Arabic language daily Al Sharq has reported.
The centre will be opened in the presence of Sheikh Hamad bin Thamir Al Thani, President of Qatar Television and Broadcasting Corporation and Chairman of Al Jazeera Network.
The centre has already provided a temporary refuge to a young Afghan TV presenter whose life was in danger in Afghanistan.
It is also in the process of providing refuge to two women journalists, one from Somalia and the other from Iraq, who are under physical threat in their respective countries.
The centre, which is the first of its type in the world, aims to secure and defend media persons and the freedom of the press.
It also aims to support and strengthen media freedom and to highlight the media's role in formulating international relations based on constructive dialogue and mutual respect by following the principles of freedom, credibility, independence, responsibility and transparency.
In close cooperation with 'Reporters Without Borders', DMFC will protect the media by conforming to international treaties, carry out press research, create a database that serves the media and build a monument in the memory of media pioneers and media persons who have suffered to uphold the freedom of the press.
The DMFC has been established to defend people working in the media who are subjected to harassment, detention and ill-treatment because of their professional activities, especially in times of crises.
The Pen
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