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Alert

Photographer assaulted while trying to photograph first lady, detained overnight

(IAPA/IFEX) - The following is a 17 August 2006 IAPA press release:

IAPA protests attack on photographer in Dominican Republic

MIAMI, Florida (August 17, 2006) - The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) today expressed concern about an incident Tuesday evening in which photographer Orlando Ramos, from the newspaper Clave Digital in the Dominican Republic, was roughed up by the head bodyguard of the country's First Lady when he tried to photograph her during a cultural event, and was then held in custody for several hours.

According to Clave Digital, Ramos was about to take photos of Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, President Leonel Fernández' wife, as she was chatting at the National Theater with banker Alejandro Grullón, when her bodyguard stepped in and objected.

He was pushed backwards downstairs and pinned to the floor. His glasses were damaged and his shirt ripped. In addition, without any court order to the effect or any charge being laid, he was held in custody overnight.

"It is regrettable to have to record episodes such as this in a country like the Dominican Republic, which enjoys a good reputation as far as press freedom is concerned," said Gonzalo Marroquín, chairman of the IAPA's Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information. "But when there is a hint of intolerance such as occurred in Santo Domingo, we can do no less than raise an alarm so that incidents of this kind are not repeated."