European Broadcasting Union condemns Qatar’s stance and demands respect for journalists
The European Union News Union urged Qatar on Saturday to respect freedom of expression and the right of journalists to work, after Doha arrested two journalists from Norwegian Public Radio, members of the European Broadcasting Union, last week in Doha.
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According to EBU, the two journalists were arrested and imprisoned in Doha for nearly 32 hours on 21-23 November, all of their equipment was seized and they were not allowed to contact anyone.
The network noted that while doing their work just one year before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the two journalists visited a construction site after obtaining the required license, stressing that they strictly followed the rules requested by Qatari officials and the local manager of the site.
Later that evening, however, they were arrested in their hotel by men who presented themselves as policemen. While in custody, someone confiscated the journalists’ computers and mobile phones, thereby gaining access to classified content and information.
According to the network, the two journalists were released on the morning of November 23 without being charged, but without having their equipment returned. They left Qatar late the following night.
The EU News Committee said that this incident represents a serious violation of freedom of the press and the legitimate right of journalists to carry out their work in accordance with the principle of freedom of expression, as stipulated in international conventions such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, article 19, adopted by the United Nations, and the European Convention on Human Rights, article 10.
According to the network, Qatar has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted by the United Nations, and article 19 of the Covenant is in line with article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The European Network stated that according to case law, the arrest of journalists in such a case constituted a flagrant violation of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, even though the authorities considered that the journalists had photographed without permission, even though they had photographed and interviewed publicly and with the consent of the participants.
The European Broadcasting Union strongly condemned this Qatari behavior towards journalists, stressing that it is unacceptable, calling on Doha to respect freedom of expression and to ensure that the international press can carry out its work without such interference from the authorities in the future.
