Journalists Missing in Libya

Added by Annika L. Krugel on March 11, 2011

Two journalists have not been heard from since Sunday and there are fears they have gone missing in Libya, their newspapers said on Thursday.

The journalists, Guardian correspondent Ghaith Abdul-Ahad and Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo correspondent Andrei Netto, were reportedly travelling together and were last heard from on Sunday when they were close to the city of Zawiya, west of the capital Tripoli.

“We are obviously concerned for his safety and well being and hoping that the authorities in Tripoli will do all they can to locate him and ensure his safety,” said Guardian Middle East Editor Ian Black.

While the Brazilian newspaper said they had received “indirect information” that indicated that Netto was doing ok up until Sunday, they on Wednesday received information suggesting that Netto had been taken prisoner by Libyan government forces. The source also cited a Libyan official saying such information is “probably correct.”

The government of Brazil and its embassy in Libya, along with the Red Cross and other groups, are trying to establish Netto’s situation.

Meanwhile, the situation for journalists in Libya is worsening. The BBC has reported that three of its reporters have been detained, beaten and subjected to “mock executions’ while trying to get to Zawiya.

Muammar Gaddafi has made several attempts at controlling the flow of information, including inviting journalists to visit Tripoli under government escort to be presented with scores of pro-Gaddafi loyalists.