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Alert

Photographer assaulted by police during carnival

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF condemns the use of violence by police officers against photographer Víctor Hugo Moreno, of the magazine "Política", while he was covering a carnival in Xalapa, in the eastern state of Veracruz, on 6 March 2005.

"We condemn this abuse of authority by police officers and their brutal treatment of a journalist who was just doing his job," the organisation said. And we expect to see the implementation of the disciplinary measures promised in this case by the Veracruz State Public Security Department."

Moreno described the incident to RSF as follows: "I was five metres in front of a carnival float that I was photographing. I crossed over to get a different shot when one of the people responsible for crowd control began to insult me. I ignored him but he pushed me and shouted obscenities. I told him, in a non-confrontational manner, that he was bothering me and should let me work."

When Moreno turned back towards the crowd, he found himself surrounded by police officers. "I asked them why they were doing this to me, I told them I was with the press, but they did not care and threatened to detain me. Ten other police officers then arrived. A number of my colleagues, fellow photographers, saw what was happening and tried to intervene. In all, there were five of us against 15 police officers." During the ensuing altercation, Moreno was kicked several times in the ribs and struck on the ear with a police club, and his camera was damaged.

Moreno was treated at a Red Cross post and, the next day, with the support of his colleagues, he submitted a complaint to the head of the Veracruz State Public Security Department. "General Rigoberto Rivera Hernández promised me he would punish those responsible and compensate me for my medical expenses and damaged equipment," the photographer said.