(IPYS/IFEX) – On 20 February 2008, reporter Carlos Vargas and cameraman Victor del Castillo, of Canal 19 television station, were detained by police captain Luis Sandoval while videotaping two police officers sleeping in a squad car while on duty at a jail in the city of Iquitos, Loreto region, northeastern Peru. Sandoval asked Vargas and […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 20 February 2008, reporter Carlos Vargas and cameraman Victor del Castillo, of Canal 19 television station, were detained by police captain Luis Sandoval while videotaping two police officers sleeping in a squad car while on duty at a jail in the city of Iquitos, Loreto region, northeastern Peru.
Sandoval asked Vargas and del Castillo for their identification papers and accused them of videotaping inside the prison without permission. After holding them for two hours, police commissioner Óscar Cortez apologised to the journalists and released them.
A citizen had alerted Vargas and del Castillo to the fact that the officers were sleeping while on duty.
Canal 19’s press director, Nancy Alarcón, said that she will file a complaint against the police for abuse of authority.
