(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has voiced concern over the disappearance in Iraq of two Indonesian television journalists, reporter Meutya Hafid and her cameraman, identified only as Budiyanto. There has been no word of them since midday on 15 February 2005. The two work for Metro TV, Indonesia’s only 24-hour television news station. The organisation said it […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has voiced concern over the disappearance in Iraq of two Indonesian television journalists, reporter Meutya Hafid and her cameraman, identified only as Budiyanto. There has been no word of them since midday on 15 February 2005. The two work for Metro TV, Indonesia’s only 24-hour television news station.
The organisation said it was extremely worried that the number of journalists going missing in Iraq is on the increase again. “We do not yet know if the two Indonesian journalists have been kidnapped, but we are following the situation closely and we are trying to ensure that all journalists in Iraq can work freely,” RSF said.
Iraq continues to be the world’s most dangerous country for journalists, with at least 32 killed and 15 kidnapped since the start of the war in March 2003, RSF said. “We call on the foreign media that are continuing to cover Iraq to take extreme care,” the organisation added.
There are conflicting reports about the disappearance of the two Indonesian journalists. Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said, “We have received information (. . .) from the owner of a car rented by the two Metro TV journalists indicating that their vehicle, which was heading toward Ramadi, was intercepted by an armed group on 15 February. The car, driver and two journalists have been taken to an unknown location. However, I will not use the word ‘abduction’ yet.”
Another witness reportedly said the two journalists were stopped by armed men wearing Iraqi army uniforms as they were on their way to Baghdad. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for an abduction.
Hafid and Budiyanto have been in Iraq since 31 January. They rented a car in Amman and were heading towards Baghdad when they were “intercepted.” Their disappearance comes 44 days after that of French journalist Florence Aubenas and her interpreter Hussein Hanoun Al-Saadi, who have been missing since 5 January, and two weeks after Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was kidnapped.
