The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today called for an
investigation into the attack on Lara Logan, a reporter for the American TV cable network CBS, last Friday in Tahrir square, Cairo. CBS has confirmed
that Logan was the victim of "a brutal and sustained sexual assault and
beating."
"This is a shocking attack which must not go unpunished," said Jim
Boumelha. "The Egyptian Prime Minister has promised to investigate attacks on
media during the protests and this is one the most serious incidents which need
to be looked into."
Media reports say Logan, who works on the CBS "60 minutes" programme, returned to Tahrir square on
Friday evening to report on the crowd's reaction to news of former President
Mubarak's stepping down. She got separated from her team and security detail
before she was attacked by a group of protesters.
The IFJ says this tragic incident was the latest in a series of attacks
on media during the crisis in Egypt, where journalists were arrested, suffered
beatings and had their equipment damaged. The Federation, which led the
campaign to end these attacks and asked the authorities to provide protection
to journalists, says the attack on Logan should not have happened and lessons
must be learned from it to improve the safety of journalists working in hostile
environment.
"Circumstances surrounding Logan's vicious attack are still unclear,"
added Boumelha. "But it is clear she was a victim of a situation which must
serve as a lesson both for journalists and their organisations to better prepare for high risk assignments."
The IFJ wished Lara Logan, who is also campaigner for media safety and a
board member of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), full and prompt recovery.
Safety Guidelines for Women Working in War Zones (in English & Arabic)
INSI Safety Advisory for Women Journalists
For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 07
The IFJ represents more than
600.000 members in 125 countries