(RSF/IFEX) – Journalist Saleem Samad was released from prison on 18 January 2003, after spending 50 days in detention for helping a visiting team of journalists from the British television station Channel 4. On 14 January, the High Court had repeated its ruling that Samad was being illegally detained, after the government ignored a 23 […]
(RSF/IFEX) – Journalist Saleem Samad was released from prison on 18 January 2003, after spending 50 days in detention for helping a visiting team of journalists from the British television station Channel 4. On 14 January, the High Court had repeated its ruling that Samad was being illegally detained, after the government ignored a 23 December 2002 order to release him.
Samad’s family greeted him as he emerged from Gazipur prison, north of Dhaka. Police have harassed several of the journalist’s friends and relatives, notably his wife and son, since his arrest on 29 November.
RSF welcomes Samad’s release and thanks the journalist’s lawyer and the hundreds of journalists and human rights activists who worked towards ensuring his release. Samad is RSF’s correspondent in Bangladesh. However, the organisation deplores the repeated efforts by the authorities, especially the Interior Ministry, to keep the journalist in prison despite the lack of evidence that he was involved in alleged “anti-government activities”.
RSF calls for the dropping of all charges that are still pending against the Channel 4 team, who were also arrested but allowed to leave the country on 11 December. The organisation will support any efforts by Samad or interpreter Priscilla Raj, who was also arrested with the journalists, to obtain damages for the torture to which they were subjected during their detention.
