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By Nihal Zaroug.
Tripoli, 2 February 2013:
A crew from Alassema TV has reportedly been subjected to assault by General National Congress . . .[restrict](GNC) security personnel on Friday, with the television station releasing a video of a man being beaten within hours of the incident.
The video of a young man, said to be a cameraman, being pushed and kicked by unidentifiable men dressed in civilian clothes, quickly made rounds on social network sites, gaining condemnation at the indiscriminate use of force. In the footage, someone is heard shouting “Is this the way to treat journalists after the revolution? Journalists have immunity in other countries!”.
The attack comes at a fragile time, with the uncertainty of calls for 15 February protests and the second anniversary of the 17 February Revolution approaching, an attempt to silence the media, fuels fears of what is to come.
Several media outlets, including Radio Zone, Odysseia Magazine, Misrata TV and Libya Al-Hurra TV have offered sympathy and shows of solidarity, with the latter holding a vigil, where employees demanded greater protection for journalists and unrestricted freedom for the press.
Protesters from varying backgrounds, including journalist, media professionals and activists, gathered at the headquarters of Alassema TV today, demanding for conclusive investigations, and for the GNC to pass legislation for the protection of media personnel and assaults criminalized. According to Libyan News Agency LANA, protestors have also called for the formation of a trade union for journalists and for greater freedom of information.
It is not yet clear why the beating occurred, however according to a statement released on the GNC media office Facebook page, the assailants are members of the Presidential Guards, as initially claimed by Alassema TV. The statement highlights that the assault occurred while a closed-door meeting was in session on Friday evening at the GNC, and that news of the meeting had been leaked. The meeting lasted over five hours, during which the attendees had no knowledge of what was unfolding out side the meeting room. President of Congress Mohamed Magarief, heads of political blocs and a number of committee chairs, attended the undisclosed meeting.
Magarief, released a separate statement condemning the attack via Twitter, stressing that “all necessary measures to investigate the matter” would be taken by the GNC, adding that repression of the press and freedom of expression, were a thing of the past.
Hassan Al-Amin, head of the GNC commission for culture and media, strongly denounced the attack and has labelled it as “blatant abuse” without any security merit, legal or moral justification. Al-Amin says that the incident must be investigated and the perpetrators punished, falling to do so would allow for “dangerous precedent” to go unaddressed.
However, it appears that this is not the first time GNC security personnel have crossed the line. A post on the Facebook page of Alassema TV, claims that congresswoman Ola Senussi, has also been subject to attack. According to the post, Senussi says that it is not only journalists that have been exposed to assault by the Presidential Guard, but that she too had been attacked a few days prior. Senussi reportedly filed a complaint with the office of the GNC presidency, but she was told her complaint had disappeared. The nature of the alleged attack is not recounted.
Deputy Prime Minister, Awad Al Barassi, has stated that he was disturbed by the news, more so, it represented a failure to uphold the dignity and rights of citizens, a right to know the truth, let alone for the media itself to “convey the truth to the people”. Barassi’s statement touches on the growing culture of “violence in society”, as apparent by the incident, which he says must be rejected. [/restrict]
