22 October 2004

Alert

Photographer assaulted by parliamentary guard


Incident details

photographer(s)

assaulted
(PINA/IFEX) - The following is a PINA statement:

PINA expresses concern over journalist's assault by parliament guard

SUVA: The Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) has expressed concern at the assault of a Daily Post photographer by a guard at the Fiji parliament in Suva this week.

The photographer, who covers the Fiji Senate, left his vehicle to open the gate himself, having waited for some time for the gate to be opened by a guard for him to exit the grounds. The guard showed up later, spat on the photographer and assaulted him.

PINA President Faumuina Lance Polu says he hopes the incident was a mistake and a misunderstanding as there was no room for such treatment of the photographer, who was only doing his job, and there was no way he should have been treated the way he was.

Faumuina acknowledges the immediate response by the Parliamentary Secretary, Mary Chapman, who dealt with the issue appropriately and apologized for the incident.



Source:

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