Reporter attacked by officer in Basra

 

9/6/2023

A security officer in Basra province detained Maher Al-Rubaie, correspondent of AlItijah channel, inside a gas station where he was beaten on Friday afternoon.

Al-Rubaie told the Press Freedom Advocacy Association that he was on a special coverage, at the gas station, after the worsening of the fuel crisis in Basra, and was surprised by a security officer who demanded him to stop filming, pointing out that the officer took him inside the station with the help of two other policemen, and detained him for more than half an hour of severe beatings, and a torrent of insults.

The reporter added that the officer confiscated his equipment, erasing everything documented by the reporter.

The reporter said he would file a lawsuit against the officers and associates who assaulted him.

The Press Freedom Advocacy Association considers the incident as a flagrant violation of the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of journalistic and media work.

The association considers the repeated cases of assault by the security services on media workers to be an unjustified transgression.

The association calls on the governor of Basra and security leaders to abide by the constitution, and urge members of the security services to stop attacks against journalists, and to abide by the principles of the constitution and the law.