Italian journalist and co-founder of the Italian daily Il Manifesto Luciana Castellina in Athens Wednesday called on the media in Greece and worldwide to continue applying pressure for the release of all reporters kidnapped in Iraq.

Her comments were made during a press conference held at the Foreign Press Association in Athens under an initiative of the Greek-Italian group Prospective and a French group the Democratic Union of French Living Abroad (ADF) along with several Greek newspapers.

Italian left-wing female journalist Giuliana Sgrena, French journalist Florence Aubenas of the newspaper Liberation and her interpreter Hussein Hanoun El-Saadi are still under custody of Iraqi militants.

"Don't forget them; fight for their liberty, which coincides with the Iraqi people's liberty," Castellina told reporters, adding that journalists are "hostage to all the consequences of the military occupation and the commercialization of war."

"It is important for people - especially journalists - to pressure governments" for the release of the kidnapped journalists, Bernard Jenkins of ADF Jenkins said.

A demonstration was also held in front of the Italian embassy in Greece, calling for the release of 57-year-old female Giuliana Sgrena and withdrawal of Italian troops from war-torn Iraq.

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2005)