Report: Hamas Tortured Cameraman
Hamas released Sawah Abu Saif, the cameraman man working for Germany’s ARD public broadcaster, and ARD charges that he was tortured. AFP reports:
The head of ARD’s Tel Aviv bureau, Richard C. Schneider, told German radio that Sawah Abu Saif, who was released overnight after being held for five days, had been badgered for information about the network’s reporting in the region.
“He was tortured during his detention,” he said. “We was questioned about the work of ARD. They wanted to know everything about the staff and correspondents and why ARD reported so much negative news about Hamas.”
Schneider said Saif had been told that he would remain under surveillance after his release and that the cameraman was afraid of further mistreatment. . .
The head of the broadcaster, Fritz Raff, said he was shocked by the abuse of Saif and his condition when he was released.
“If Hamas wanted to know while interrogating Saif why ARD reported news that was supposedly negative about it, they certainly gave us another reason to do it,” he said.
Raff said ARD would now have to examine how it could continue to report from Gaza while Hamas “trampled on freedom of the press”.
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