MOSCOW, September 3 (RIA Novosti) - The Committee to Protect Journalists in a statement condemned the murder of US journalist Steven Sotloff, whose execution by Islamic State (IS) militants was documented in a video released Tuesday.
“We condemn in the strongest terms possible the murder of journalist Steven Sotloff. He, like James Foley, went to Syria to tell a story. They were civilians, not representatives of any government. Their murders are war crimes and those, who committed them, must be brought to justice swiftly,” the statement said.
Washington said it was sickened by this act of violence.
Sotloff was kidnapped in Syria in 2013. Prior to the video of his execution, he appeared in the video that documented the murder of another US journalist James Foley. According to IS militants, the deaths of the journalists come in retaliation for US airstrikes hampering the advance of IS fighters in Iraq.
The Islamic State is a Sunni group that has been fighting against the government forces in Syria before launching an offensive in Iraq in June. Later that month, the group announced the establishment of an Islamic caliphate on the territories that had fallen under its control.
