17 Mar 11 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Gaith Abdul Ahad, a Guardian reporter, has been released after being detained for a fortnight by Libyan authorities. Ahad, along with Andrei Netto, a Brazilian journalist, were held after entering Libya from Tunisia. Netto was freed a few days ago. The New York Times reports that four of its journalists have been missing in Libya since 15 March.
14 Mar 11 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Ali Hassan Al Jaber, an Al Jazeera cameraman, was killed in Libya on 12 March after being shot by unknown attackers, in an ambush by forces loyal to Gaddafi.
After covering an anti-government protest, the Al Jazeera team was on its way to the city of Benghazi, when the car they were travelling in came under fire. Another journalist in the car received minor gun shot wounds. Al Jaber is the first journalist to have been killed while covering the recent unrest in Libya.
Wadah Khanfar, the director-general of Al Jazeera, condemned the attack on its journalists: “Al Jazeera reiterates the assault cannot dent its resolve to continue its mission, professionally enlightening the public of the unfolding events in Libya and elsewhere.”
It is also reported that Brazilian journalist, Andrei Netto, who was being held by Libyan authorities has now been released. However, Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, a Guardian journalist who was detained at the same time as Netto, is still in custody.
