(RSF/IFEX) – In a 13 November 2001 letter to Minister of the Interior Daniel Vaillant, RSF protested the confiscation by police of videotaped images filmed by Zaléa TV journalist Ivora Cuzak. The incident took place on 8 November, during a police operation involving the expulsion of families who were occupying a sports complex in la […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a 13 November 2001 letter to Minister of the Interior Daniel Vaillant, RSF protested the confiscation by police of videotaped images filmed by Zaléa TV journalist Ivora Cuzak. The incident took place on 8 November, during a police operation involving the expulsion of families who were occupying a sports complex in la Courneuve.
“These practices, which we thought were a thing of the past, are shameful, and must by condemned,” stated Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general. “We ask that you remind the police of the limits set out by the respect for the freedom to inform in France,” added Ménard.
According to information collected by RSF, on 8 November, Cuzak, a journalist who works for the Zaléa TV television station, had her videotapes confiscated during a police operation against a gathering of families who were expelled from their residences or whose expulsions were pending, at the Antonin Magne Sports Complex in la Courneuve (Seine-Saint-Denis). The Saint-Denis and la Courneuve police stations participated in the operation. Just as the journalist was filming, well away from the gathering, she was immobilised by police officers against a gate. The officers then confiscated her video camera and grabbed her microphone, throwing it to the ground. A few minutes later, her video camera was returned to her. It had been damaged and the videotapes were not returned. Despite repeated requests to the Saint-Denis and la Courneuve police stations, the videotapes have yet to be returned to the journalist. On 9 November, Cuzak filed a complaint for assault with the Police Complaints Board (Inspection générale des services, IGS). Zaléa TV management is expected to file a second complaint with the IGS for damaging of equipment.
