(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 26 May 2000 letter to the general prosecutor of Romania, Mirea Cristea, CPJ stated that it is troubled by the brutal assault on Valentin Dragan, a journalist with the weekly newspaper “Cuget Liber” in Constanta, and urgently requested further information about the status of the investigation. On 12 May, Dragan was […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 26 May 2000 letter to the general prosecutor of Romania, Mirea Cristea, CPJ stated that it is troubled by the brutal assault on Valentin Dragan, a journalist with the weekly newspaper “Cuget Liber” in Constanta, and urgently requested further information about the status of the investigation.
On 12 May, Dragan was attacked by four off-duty policemen who had been celebrating their chief’s promotion at a private party at the Pirates’ Inn in the town of Mamaia. Dragan and other newspaper staff members were trying to recover a colleague’s camera that had been confiscated earlier that day by police officials who were attending the party.
With his own camera, Dragan was trying to photograph a police officer holding the confiscated camera when four policemen from the party attacked him and beat him severely, according to the paper’s deputy chief editor, Sinziana Ionescu. The four attackers destroyed Dragan’s camera and broke his leg. According to the paper’s editor, the four policemen did not want to be photographed in an intoxicated state.
Ten days after the beating, Dragan is still in the hospital recovering from a complicated surgery that involved the implantation of a pin into his leg. He is expected to undergo additional surgery in a few months.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the general prosecutor:
– urging him to ensure this violent attack by the Constanta police is thoroughly investigated, and that the perpetrators are brought to justice
– requesting that he keep you informed about any progress in this investigation
– noting that while you understand that concerns have been raised about whether or not journalists had the right to enter a private club to cover such an event, you do not see what could possibly justify a violent and severe physical assault
– stating that if the incident is not investigated, the repercussions on Romanian journalism could be serious
– expressing your concern that this attack constitutes not only an assault on Dragan, but also on press freedom in Romania
– suggesting that at the very least, such incidents foster a climate of fear and intimidation that inhibits the work of the press
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
Mirea Cristea
General Prosecutor of Romania
Bucharest, Romania
Fax: + 401 410 54 35
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
