The names of two Japanese journalists assassinated in Iraq in May 2004 will be etched on a panel of a memorial dedicated to journalists who died in the line of duty, the operator of the memorial said Thursday.
Shinsuke Hashida and Kotaro Ogawa are among 78 journalists whose names will be added to the Freedom Forum Journalists Memorial on May 3, the Freedom Forum, a nonprofit organization based in Arlington, Va., said.
Hashida, Ogawa and an Iraqi driver were killed May 27 in an ambush while traveling south of Baghdad.
The organization said 2004 was the third most deadly year for journalists since 1812. The memorial pays tribute to 1,528 reporters, editors, photographers and broadcasters who died or were killed while on assignment since that year.
The names of 33 journalists from Japan are already on the panel.
The organization said 25 of the 78 journalists who lost their lives last year died in Iraq, adding that the figure raises the two-year total of journalists who died while covering Iraq to 45.
The memorial is located in Freedom Park near the organization's office.
