New York, January 10, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the disappearance in Iraq of French journalist Florence Aubenas, who was last seen in Baghdad on January 5 with her Iraqi translator, Hussein al-Saad.

According to press reports, Aubenas, who was in Iraq working for the French daily Libération, has not been heard from since she and al-Saad left Aubenas’ hotel last Wednesday. In an editorial in today’s edition of Libération, Managing Director Antoine de Gaudemar expressed concern that Aubenas may have been abducted.