(RSF/IFEX) - 17 July 2012 - Syrian security officers have seized citizen-journalist Salim Qabbani, who has played an active role in first-hand reporting on the country's conflict.

Qabbani, 23, was arrested on July 14 while on assignment in Damascus. A member of the Local Coordination Committee in Homs, Qabbani has made regular appearances on news broadcasts, as we can see on this video on Al-Jazeera. He was an important source of news, reporting on the repression and fighting taking place in his city, a centre of the Syrian insurrection.

Reporters Without Borders expresses its grave concern for Qabbani's safety. These concerns also apply to dozens of other citizen-journalists and media professionals who are detained in Syria – a country where security services are notorious for torturing prisoners.