Young Journalists Association
February 12, 2008, in Baghdad, Iraq

Police discovered the body of Hamdan, 27, a board member of the Young Journalists Association, according to Haidar Hasoun, founder and head of the association. He told CPJ that the journalist was shot in the head and chest, and that the body showed signs of torture.

Hamdan's family lost contact with him on the morning of February 10 when he went to buy stationery supplies from a Baghdad market, Hasoun said.

Hamdan was active in an association campaign to support families of journalists killed in Iraq, and he had called on the Iraqi government and civil society organizations to do more to assist, Hasoun told CPJ. Hamdan was also part of a committee formed to collect financial contributions for the families of slain journalists. Hamdan had appeared on Iraqi satellite channels advocating on behalf of the families, which may have made him a target, Hasoun said.

Hamdan worked as a political reporter for the bimonthly paper Al-Siyassa al-Karar, published by the Young Journalists Association. The paper had recently halted production of its print edition but had maintained an online version, according to Hasoun, the editor-in-chief.

The Young Journalists Association was launched in January 2004 and held journalism seminars in cooperation with Baghdad University's media college.

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