Pakistan: Three journalists beaten by police

17 May 2012 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost

Three journalists have been beaten by police officers in northwest Pakistan. Sher Ali Khan from TV station News One, Siraj Ali of Geo News, and Shabir Ahmed from Pakhtunkhuwa News daily were targeted by police officers while trying to cover a demonstration in the Charsadda district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhuwa province. As police attempted to disperse protesters with batons, the journalists began filming the clash. Police then turned on them, beating them and snatching their cameras in an attempt to destroy their footage. All three of the reporters sustained injuries from the attack, with Khan being admitted to hospital.

Kashmir: Two photojournalists beaten and detained during protests

24 Aug 2011 | Index Index, minipost

On August 19, two photojournalists, Narciso Contreras and Showkat Shafi, said they were beaten by police and detained for several hours while covering a protest in Srinagar, in Jammu and Kashmir. The protest, which was a demonstration against Indian rule, escalated into a violent clash between protesters and police forces. According to Shafi, officers continued to beat him, even after identifying himself as a journalist. Reports say both photojournalists were treated for multiple bruises in a local hospital.