Thursday 11 February 2010

US releases Reuters photographer in Iraq

Press freedom campaign group Reporters Without Borders has welcomed the release of Iraqi photographer, Ibrahim Jassam, of Reuters, who had been held by the US military since his arrest on 1st September 2008.
“This release is excellent news”, RWB said. “However it comes after long months in custody during which the US army never deigned to give any reason for the photographer’s arrest and this despite the fact that an Iraqi court had ordered his release”.
Jassam was arrested by the US military in Mahmudiyah, 30 kilometres south of Baghdad, and was held at Camp Cropper, near Baghdad airport. Iraq’s central criminal court on 30 November 2008 said he had no case to answer and must be released, but the US army refused to free him claiming  he was a “security threat”.

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