Reuters Journalists Freed in Iraq

Two journalists working for Reuters in Iraq have been freed by the US military after being held without charge for several months.

Ali al-Mashhadani, a television cameraman who was arrested in August 2005, and Majed Hameed, a correspondent for Reuters and broadcaster al-Arabiya who was detained in September 2005, were released from Baghdad’s notorious Abu Ghraib prison yesterday. Some 500 other detainees were released at the same time.

The Reuters global managing editor, David Schlesinger, said he was "delighted" the two men had been freed but still had "grave doubts" about their detention.

Another freelance cameraman working for Reuters, Samir Mohammed Noor, remains in custody. He has been held without charge since his arrest by Iraqi troops at his home in Tal Afar seven months ago.

"We are delighted that Ali and Majed are now free although we continue to have grave doubts about the way in which they were held for so long without charge," said Mr Schlesinger. "We hope that Samir will also be able to rejoin his family soon."

Reuters and international media rights groups have repeatedly voiced concern at the unexplained detention of journalists by US troops, and criticized the military’s refusal to deal more quickly with cases involving reporters covering the insurgency.

In an interview with al-Arabiya, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt of the US military’s central command, said of the detentions: "We have to make sure whether this person is really a journalist and whether he is a threat to Iraqi security or not."