Dorothy Parvaz

Dorothy Parvaz is an Al Jazeera journalist who entered Syria at Damascus on Friday, April 29, 2011, to cover the Syrian protests and has not been heard from since. Campaigns are underway on Twitter and on Facebook to press the Syrian government to free her.

An American citizen born in Iran, she holds multiple passports: Iranian, Canadian, and United States.

She joined Al Jazeera in 2010.

Early life

Homa Dorothy Parvaz was born in October 1971 in Iran to an Iranian father and an American mother. She spent part of her childhood in Iran, then moved to Canada with her family, ultimately graduating from a Canadian high school.

Education

Parvaz obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of British Columbia. She subsequently obtained a master's degree in journalism from the University of Arizona.

She has been the recipient of journalism fellowships at Harvard and Cambridge.

Career

After obtaining her degree from the University of British Columbia, Parvaz worked for the English language edition of the Asahi Shimbun in Japan.

Following her sojourn in Japan, Parvaz obtained her master's degree in journalism from the University of Arizona. She then moved to Seattle, where she worked first for The Seattle Times, then as a columnist and feature writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. After the latter ceased to exist as a print newspaper, and following her journalism fellowships, she accepted employment with Al Jazeera, for whom she reported on the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami .

She is based in Doha, Qatar.

Current crisis

Parvaz arrived in Syria on Friday, April 29, 2011, via Qatar Airways to cover recent protests there for Al Jazeera. She has not been heard from since landing at the airport, and it is suspected that she has been detained at the airport. Her family fears for her safety. Syria's efforts to limit foreign media coverage of recent events has led to the detention of numerous journalists.

On May 2, 2011, Parvaz's family released the following statement:

"Dorothy Parvaz is a dearly loved daughter, sister and fiancée. We haven't heard from her in four days and believe that she is being held by the Syrian government. Dorothy is a global citizen – she grew up in Iran, UAE, Canada and the United States, where she became a determined journalist.

"She is dedicated to the profession as a force for peace and justice in the world. She has worked at newspapers across the globe, from Japan to Arizona, from Seattle, Washington, to Doha, Qatar, where she now works for Al Jazeera English online.

"She has always known who she was, whether buying groceries for her grandmother in Tehran or covering the aftermath of the tsunami in Japan. She is tough and she is a fighter – no doubt, she is stronger than us. We need to know where she is. We need to know who is holding her, and that she is comfortable. She is very loved. We need to know that she is safe."

— x, x

Voices calling for her release include her immediate family, her fiancé (Luxembourg-based attorney Todd Barker), Cambridge University, Al Jazeera, and the Iranian government. With friends around the world, Parvaz's story has been widely reported, with press freedom advocacy groups also taking up her cause. Other voices that have added theirs to those calling for her release include Amnesty International, the Doha Centre for Media Freedom, Al Karama for Human Rights, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and the U.S. State Department.

It was reported on May 5, 2011, that Parvaz is being held by the Syrian government, which Syria has confirmed. Her family and friends are calling for her release. Facebook and Twitter campaigns are also underway.

It was further reported on May 7, 2011, that U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford has met with a senior Syrian official in an attempt to obtain more information about Parvaz. the Iranian Foreign Ministry has also asked for information about Parvaz.

The family has released the following additional statement:

"Our family has not heard from Dorothy in six days. While the Syrian government has confirmed that they have detained her, we demand that Dorothy is returned to her loved ones.

"We know that Syria will continue to treat her with the respect she deserves. We will continue to work tirelessly for her return, as will her friends and colleagues across the globe - as will concerned public officials, citizens and journalists who hear Dorothy's story.

"Dorothy Parvaz is a dearly loved daughter, sister and fiancée, and a committed journalist. Dorothy firmly believes that journalism is a force for justice across the globe. We know that Dorothy is staying strong. She is doing her part. Let's do ours to ensure her safe return. We need her released immediately and returned to us."

— x, x

Syrian newspaper Al Watan has reported that the Syrian government claims Parvaz left Syria on May 1, 2011, after being denied entry to the country because she held a tourist visa instead of a journalist visa. This claim is unconfirmed, most notably by Parvaz herself.

As of May 11, 2011, unsubstantiated reports have emerged indicating that the Syrian government handed Parvaz over to Iranian authorities and that she may now be held in Tehran.