Tripoli, 3 April 2013:
There were still no live broadcasts last night . . .[restrict]from Al-Wataniya, the state TV news channel, after staff went on indefinite strike at the behaviour of the militia guarding their building.
According to one broadcaster, quoted by Associated Press, an employee was seriously assaulted by one of the militiamen and the formation’s commander dismissed the complaint and refused to investigate. Another worker at the station, said the assault was the culmination of a string of incidents.
Staff have declared they are no longer content to have their offices protected by an armed group that is supposedly under government control. They have vowed that they will only return to work when police or army units have replaced the militiamen. Yesterday (Tuesday), the station was broadcasting archive recordings. The channel’s management have so far declined to comment.
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