Reporters Without Borders queries fate of three journalists in Iraq

[leftchick]

http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=747203

<snip>

Cyrus Kar, a US national of Iranian origin and his Iranian cameraman Farshid Faraji, were both arrested in Iraq on May 2, 2005, while making a documentary called, "In search of Darius the Great." And only yesterday, Ahmed Wael Al Bacri, a producer on local Al-Sharkiya television, died at the wheel of his car while he was shot upon returning to his home in Baghdad.

"We ask for light to be shed on the circumstances of the arrest of documentary-maker Cyrus Kar and his cameraman Farshid Faraji" the Reporters' body said in a statement.

"The US and Iraqi authorities should quickly investigate to find out the reasons for their detention," the organisation said, adding, "We are particularly worried for Faraji about whom we have had no news since his arrest on 2 May." The US national, Kar, was apparently spotted in a US army transport since his arrest.

"We have found out that Kar was seen in a US Army vehicle. It is not the first time that US forces have arbitrarily detained journalists in Iraq. The extremely sensitive context in the country does not justify this detention and it is important the US forces continue to respect the work of journalists, the RWB statement said.

"We demand the full truth about this case and the murder of Ahmed Wael Al Bacri. We ask the competent authorities to take all necessary steps to investigate the circumstances of his death. Iraqi journalists are frequently the target of attacks and pay a high price for reporting the news," the organisation added.

[BeFree]

1. It's about time...

Time that the free press began asking questions about the occupation and how it treats our one remaining avenue of fact finding. Too bad it takes the death of way too many journalists and film makers before they cry in pain. One would think two or three discriminate murders of their family would have been enough, eh?

[maddezmom]

2. and all they will get are

*crickets*

:(

[MrPrax]

3. RWB knocks one out of the park...

It's good to see them look up from their serious study of Cuba's press freedom 'abuses' to notice all the dead/'detained' reporters in Iraq's gulags?

I am sure with them on the job, we will know just as much about these murders/detentions as we do about Abu Mazen's murder and all the other one's.

The US will simply claim: 1) their terrorists, move along or 2) we don't have them, they must have been kidnapped...satisfied, RWB will write a press release to tell us.