Preventing and beating the staff of Fallujah TV in Baghdad

2/2/2020

An armed group in Tahrir Square beat a fallujahcorrespondent and cameraman and prevented them from completing the coverage there.

TV cameraman Hassan Al-Khafaji told the Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq that the attack was carried out by an armed group during their direct coverage of the events following the announcement of the appointment of Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi as Prime Minister, which prompted the staff to stop the coverage and get out of Tahrir Square to ensure their safety. 

Live footage showed the group breaking into the camera site and ordering the cameraman to stop, and demanding that the staff end his conversation, after it scrambled with one of the protesters who was recounting the break-in at the Turkish restaurant building by “blue berets.”

The Press Freedom Advocacy Association in Iraq condemns what the staff of Fallujah TV has been subjected to, a violation of press freedom, a mouth-muzzling attempt, and a constitutional and legal violation.

The association also calls on the security services in the demonstration squares to provide the necessary protection for journalists and to prevent attacks by armed groups during duty.