Arresting NRT Arabic in Baghdad

2019/6/16 

Laith Jwameir NRT Arabic correspondent and escorting staff was arrested by the Medical City security forces near the bridge facing the medical complex.

Laith told Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq that while filming the program (their voice) near the bridge opposite to the city of medicine, he was surprised by a group of security elements of the regiment protecting the city of medicine attacking the team, prevented him from completing filming, and when the team objected the ban, One of the soldiers approached his colleague in a cynical way, and  they were joined by a lieutenant.

He said he had asked the officer to disclose the reason behind the ban, he replied that they were acting beyond procedures and ordered the soldiers to arrest the team, in a humiliating language, and after appealing to allow his followers to the regiment’s headquarters in the group’s personal vehicles, adding “when we arrived at the regiment headquarters they told us that We violated shooting regulations and did not provide them with a letter of Baghdad operations, even though we filmed in a public place approximately 100 meters from the street that leads to the medical City building. It wasn’t only till the incident showed on breaking news and many sides interfered that we were released to complete our mission.

Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq, which deplores cases of arrest, prohibition and verbal attacks on journalists, considers the violation to be an explicit constitutional violation.

While surprised of individual arrests by officers of the security forces, the Association demands that Baghdad operations immediately intervene to prevent the recurrence of such attacks, and demands that security commanders circulate to its forces that Iraqi law allows journalists to shoot in Public places with the exception of military items for special security approvals, in addition to the fact that Baghdad operations letter claimed by most of the controls was cancelled by a previous decision by Mr. Al Abadi’s government