11 December 2008

Alert

US military refuses to comply with court order to free Reuters photographer


Incident details

Ibrahim Jassam

photographer(s)

imprisoned

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(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders deplores the US military's refusal to comply with the Iraqi central criminal court's order to release Reuters photographer Ibrahim Jassam.

Maj. Neal Fisher, a spokesman for detainee operations, said on 10 December 2008 that the US military was not bound by Iraqi court orders and would continue to hold Jassam on the grounds that he posed "a threat to Iraq security."

"You cannot proclaim your commitment to the rule of law in Iraq and at the same time reject Iraqi court decisions," Reporters Without Borders said. "The US military must put an end to this contradiction by freeing Jassam."

Jassam was arrested at his home by US and Iraqi soldiers on 1 September and was taken to the US military at Camp Cropper, near Baghdad airport. On 30 November the Iraqi central criminal court dismissed all charges against him and ordered his release.

Updates the Jassam case: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/99065



Source:

Reporters Without Borders
47, rue Vivienne
75002 Paris
France
rsf (@) rsf.org
Phone: +33 1 44 83 84 84
Fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51
 

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More on this case

US military releases Reuters photographer after 17 months in detention 11 February 2010 One year on, Reuters cameraman remains jailed without charge by US forces in Iraq 3 September 2009 Journalist begins hunger strike to protest continued detention by US forces 2 July 2009 Court orders release of Iraqi journalist, charges withdrawn 4 December 2008 Cameraman freed by U.S.; another still held 9 September 2008 Two journalists taken into custody by American military; CPJ concerned by recent spike in detentions 5 September 2008

Iraq

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