The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) demands an immediate investigation into allegations that police verbally and physically abused a journalist as he attempted to report on public disruption caused by an unannounced curfew in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka’s east.
According to the Free Media Movement (FMM), an IFJ affiliate, Kalmunai media house journalist Mohamed Hussein was beaten by officers from the Eravur police as he tried to talk with members of the public about the sudden 6am to 6pm curfew imposed by police at the Chathurukondan check-point.
Two police officers armed with rifles and baton sticks reportedly stopped Hussein on his bicycle near Eravur town and, despite his presentation of his media identification, beat him with the baton and yelled abusively.
Earlier, Hussein was traveling to work at Kalmunai media house, run by Internews, when his bus was stopped at the Chathurukondan checkpoint. Passengers were informed of the curfew and the bus was forced to return to town.
A correspondent with Thinakaran daily and a colleague of Hussein, Mohamed Ismail Farook, lodged a complaint about the incident with the officer-in-charge at the Eravur police station.
However, while the officer reportedly accepted the complaint and requested Hussein return to the station later in the evening, Hussein was then told he was not available.
“It is baffling why police would physically attack a journalist who is trying to gather information to inform the public about an unannounced curfew,” IFJ Asia-Pacific said.
“Verbal or physical assaults by police against members of the media must not be tolerated.”
The IFJ joins the FMM in requesting the authorities take immediate disciplinary action against the two police officers and stress to them the importance of journalists’ right of passage to report on any emergency situation that affects the safety of the general public.
For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries worldwide