12 Apr 11 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, News and features
Members of CNN’s news team were arrested by the government’s security forces as they were visiting the house of Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.
Twenty men in black ski masks are reported to have surrounded the news team and confiscated their recording equipment. Government officials have alleged that the team was detained at a checkpoint for not having the proper identification paers. CNN denies the claim and insists its reporters were subject to intimidation and censorship.
04 Apr 11 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, News and features
Syrian authorities have released Reuters photographer Khaled al-Hariri. The Syrian national had been held for six days. He was arrested as he reached his Damascus workplace last Monday. Three other Reuters journalists have also been detained this week, but they have been released and forced to leave the country.
04 Apr 11 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, News and features
Al Jazeera reporter Lotfi Al Masoudi has been released after being detained by Libyan forces. He was one of four journalists who were arrested on 19 March. They were released on the 31 March, then rearrested later the same day. The Libyan officials offered no explanation as to why they were detained and would not reveal where they were held. Al Masoudi has now returned to his native Tunisia, and has said that they were not mistreated.
22 Mar 11 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Four New York Times reporters being held by pro-Gaddafi forces have now been released, but a further 13 journalists from various media organisations are still missing or in detention. The New York Times reporters were released to Turkish diplomats on Monday and have reported mistreatment including death threats and sexual assault on the only female reporter. The driver for the two AFP reporters and the Getty Images photographer who went missing in Libya said that they are being held by pro-Gaddafi forces after being intercepted by soldiers.
