Thursday

Un cameraman tué et un photographe grièvement blessé

AP cameraman killed, photographer wounded


Français: Un cameraman tué et un photographe grièvement blessé
Country/Topic: Iraq
Date: 25 April 2005
Source: Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Person(s): Saleh Ibrahim, Mohammed Ibrahim
Target(s): journalist(s) , photographer(s)
Type(s) of violation(s): injured , killed
Urgency: Flash

Both men were badly injured in the attack. Their colleague drove them to Mosul's Al-Jumhuri hospital, but Saleh Ibrahim, who had three bullet wounds to the chest, died shortly after being admitted. A doctor at the hospital, Rabei Yassin, said Mohammed Ibrahim had shrapnel wounds to the head and was treated there before being transferred to an undisclosed destination under American military escort.

"We are appalled at the death of Saleh Ibrahim, which brings to 55 the number of journalists and media assistants killed in Iraq since the start of the war in March 2003," said RSF, adding that it was "extremely worried about Mohammed Ibrahim's condition."

"We appeal to all belligerents to finally guarantee the safety of all journalists, who have the courage to cover this particularly bloody conflict, whatever their nationality and for whichever media they work", the organisation said.

The exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear. Mosul's deputy police chief, Colonel Wathiq Ali, said the explosion, which also killed two Iraqi civilians, was aimed at American forces. The journalists' colleague said American soldiers were present in the area of the explosion.

Saleh Ibrahim was 30 years old and the father of five children.

AP President and CEO Tom Curley said in a statement, "Our deepest sympathy goes to his family," promising a full investigation of the circumstances of the tragedy. He also saluted Saleh Ibrahim's "fervent dedication to reporting the complete story of Iraq at this historic moment, which inspired all who knew and worked with him."

He was the second AP journalist to be killed since the beginning of the Iraqi conflict. On 2 September 2004, Ismail Taher Mohsin was killed close to his Baghdad home for unknown reasons.


MORE INFORMATION:

For further information contact RSF, 5, rue Geoffroy Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51, e-mail: moyen-orient@rsf.org, Internet: http://www.rsf.org

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