(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders voiced relief at the release on 21 January 2006 of Samer Mohammed Noor, a cameraman working for British news agency Reuters, who had been held by the US Army in Iraq since 5 June 2005. Noor was arrested at his home in the Tall Afar district in northern Baghdad during […]
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders voiced relief at the release on 21 January 2006 of Samer Mohammed Noor, a cameraman working for British news agency Reuters, who had been held by the US Army in Iraq since 5 June 2005.
Noor was arrested at his home in the Tall Afar district in northern Baghdad during a routine Iraqi army search. His brother, who was arrested at the same time, was released shortly afterwards.
He reported that Iraqi soldiers had beaten the cameraman until he lost consciousness. He was then handed over to the US Army and was first held at Abu Ghraib prison before being transferred to Camp Bucca, near Basra.
“We are relieved at the release of Samer Mohammed Noor but we do not understand the reasons for keeping him in detention for more than eight months, particularly since there was no concrete evidence against him,” the worldwide press freedom organisation said.
“The American forces should provide an explanation for this and if they have made a mistake they should apologise to the cameraman, his family and the media which employs him.”
Reporters Without Borders added that it was also repeating its appeal for the release of a journalist working for CBS News, Abdel Amir Younes Hussein, who has been held without trial for more than ten months.
Hussein, a cameraman for CBS News, is still being held at Camp Bucca prison. The US Army arrested him in Mosul on 5 April 2005 and he was at first held at Abu Graib before being transferred on 7 July to Camp Bucca.
CBS News has several times condemned the continued detention of its cameraman and the legal confusion surrounding the case. The US military authorities have produced none of the evidence that they say they have against him. He has been denied access to a lawyer and refused visits from his family or employer.
