Steven Sotloff

Steven Joel Sotloff was born in Miami, Florida, in 1983. He graduated from the University of Central Florida and moved to the Middle East in the late 2000s to pursue journalism. He contributed to publications including Time, Foreign Policy, and The Jerusalem Report, often focusing on the human impact of regional conflicts.

Sotloff was kidnapped near the Syria-Turkey border in August 2013 while reporting. He was held captive by the Islamic State militant group for over a year. On September 2, 2014, the group released a video showing his execution by beheading. The video followed a similar one showing the killing of journalist James Foley two weeks earlier.

Sotloff's death occurred during the Syrian civil war, a multi-sided conflict that began in 2011. The Islamic State (ISIS) emerged as a major faction, seizing territory in Syria and Iraq in 2014. The group systematically targeted journalists and aid workers, using their killings for propaganda.

The U.S. government confirmed Sotloff's death on September 2, 2014. President Barack Obama condemned the killing, stating Sotloff's death was a loss for all who value freedom of the press. His family established The 2Lives Foundation in his memory, dedicated to supporting press freedom and aiding hostages' families.

Sotloff is remembered as part of a generation of journalists who took significant risks to report from conflict zones. His death, along with those of other journalists killed by ISIS, highlighted the extreme dangers faced by reporters covering the Syrian war and the use of media as a weapon by militant groups.

Steven Sotloff was killed during Journalist Deaths - Syria (concluded November -0001). See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Gilles Jacquier, Anthony Shadid, Marie Colvin, R?mi Ochlik.

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