RWB condemns continued attacks on Libyan journalists by “still powerful militias”

Tripoli, 19 September 2013:

As Libya prepares to mark the second anniversary of  dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s removal, Reporters Without Borders (RWB) voice  . . .[restrict]alarm about the repeated cases of violence against journalists, which  testify to the difficulties the country is encountering in its  transition to democracy.

“Although the democratic transition is clearly proving  hard to manage, we remind the new Libya that it is subject to national  and international obligations to ensure respect for freedom of  expression and information,” RWB said.

“We urge the authorities to do whatever is necessary to  make sure that journalists are able to work with complete safety.  The protection of the offices of newspapers and TV stations is a minimum  obligation that must be satisfied without delay.”

Ahmed Abosnina, the Benghazi-based correspondent of privately-owned Al-Nabaa TV, was attacked Tuesday morning while driving to Benghazi airport in the TV station’s vehicle. Two men stopped him, insulted him and hit him  with steel bars. Fortunately, he managed to escape, said RWB.

Abosnina has received repeated threats on his Facebook account because of his work for Al-Nabaa and, previously, for satellite TV stations Al-Jazeera and Libya Al-Ahrar, they added.

Two weeks ago, on 4 September, Al-Wataniya TV chief Tareq Al-Houni and two of his journalists were insulted and hit by members of a local  militia who were supposed to be providing security at the TV station’s  headquarters in Tripoli during a visit by parliamentarian Mohamed Younes Al-Toumi.

The militiamen insulted and attacked Toumi before turning on the three journalists. Houni filed a complaint about the violence but no action has been taken and the militiamen are still occupying Al-Wataniya’s headquarters, claims RWB.

Al-Wataniya’s employees went on strike for several days in April in an attempt to get the government to send members of the regular  armed forces to guard the station instead of this militia, which has  been the station’s self-appointed protector ever since Gaddafi’s  overthrow.