(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 23 April 2002 letter to Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz al-Saud, CPJ protested an incident on 21 April in which Saudi authorities confiscated videotapes and a laptop computer from Bob Arnot, a reporter for the U.S. cable television channel MSNBC. On 21 April, security officials at the Riyadh airport escorted […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 23 April 2002 letter to Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz al-Saud, CPJ protested an incident on 21 April in which Saudi authorities confiscated videotapes and a laptop computer from Bob Arnot, a reporter for the U.S. cable television channel MSNBC.
On 21 April, security officials at the Riyadh airport escorted Arnot off a flight to Dubai, in the neighboring United Arab Emirates. The officials demanded video footage that Arnot had gathered during his reporting trip to Saudi Arabia, which the journalist undertook with Saudi government permission.
After Arnot declined to surrender his footage, the officials proceeded to confiscate 18 videotapes and a laptop computer, according to NBC. Arnot and the other passengers were delayed for five hours before being allowed to board the plane and continue on the flight.
Saudi authorities gave no reason for confiscating Arnot’s materials. However, the journalist had worked on several potentially sensitive stories, including one in which Saudi schoolboys expressed anti-American sentiments. Officials at the school had asked Arnot to hand over the tapes after those interviews, but the journalist refused, an NBC source said.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the crown prince:
– noting that this incident is an act of censorship and a flagrant violation of the right to free expression, which is guaranteed under international law
– calling on Saudi authorities to provide a public accounting of this incident and to return the tapes and computer to NBC immediately
– further asking him to ensure that all journalists in Saudi Arabia may carry out their duties without future interference from the government
Appeals To
H.R.H. Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz al-Saud
C/o H.R.H. Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz al-Saud
Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
601 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20037
U.S.A.
Fax: +1 202 944 5983Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
