Monday, April 23, 2012

Channel 4 journalists arrested and deported from Bahrain



A Channel 4 News crew has been deported from Bahrain after they were arrested while covering the controversial Formula One grand prix

guardian.co.uk, Monday 23 April 2012

"A group of Channel 4 News journalists, including foreign affairs correspondent Jonathan Miller, has been deported from Bahrain after they were arrested while covering the controversial Formula One grand prix.

Miller, his cameraman, a producer, their driver and a prominent human rights campaigner were arrested by Bahrain authorities while filming a demonstration in the Gulf city on Sunday.
In an audio dispatch from the back of a police car, Miller said the police were very aggressive and violently attacked the group's driver.

The three Channel 4 News journalists were released from detention after nearly six hours and deported to the UK late on Sunday. The driver, named Ali, and human rights activist, Dr Ala'a Shehabi, were released later......

Miller said: "So when we were caught filming a planned demonstration in one of the Shia villages, they [the police] have not been particularly pleasant. They've been very aggressive towards me, my crew and driver and Dr Ala'a Shehabi, a prominent human rights activist.
"We were actually heading back to where we were staying to edit the piece we'd compiled for tonight – we'd met villagers in a Shia suburb off the main city, who were demonstrating night after night."

Bahraini authorities refused to give back the cameras and computers of the Channel 4 News crew, Miller tweeted late on Sunday......"

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