PARIS, Jan. 23, 2008 (RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has voiced concern about the continuing detention of Rashid Majid Al-Sari, the editor of the biweekly newspaper "Al-Fatah", who was arrested by United States troops at his
Baghdad home on 18 January 2008.

"Five days have gone by and we still do not know why Sari was arrested," the press freedom organisation said. "Unfortunately there has been no letup in arbitrary arrests and searches by U.S. soldiers. Several journalists detained in the past ended up being freed without ever being tried or convicted of anything. One who is still in detention, Bilal Hussein, was recently taken before the Iraqi judicial authorities after being held by the Americans for 19 months. We call on the U.S. authorities to either produce evidence against Sari or free him at once."

It is not known where Sari was taken after U.S. soldiers arrested him at his home in the northeast Baghdad district of Al-Shaab on January 18, confiscating his computer and personal files. His colleagues think he could have been taken to the Al-Shaab military base.

His newspaper, "Al-Fatah", is affiliated with Sayyid Al-Shuhada, a Shiite party founded in 1991 which is calling for a federal system in Iraq.

Bilal Hussein, a 36-year-old photographer employed by the Associated Press, has been held by the U.S. military since April 2006. The U.S. Defense Department waited until November 2007 before formally filing a complaint against him before a Baghdad court, which is supposed to issue a ruling on the case soon. Hussein is being held at Camp Cropper, near Baghdad airport .

For further information contact Hajar Smouni, RSF, 47, rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51, e-mail: mideast@rsf.org, Internet: http://www.rsf.org

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