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March 10, 2011

BBC News Crew Detained, Beaten by Libyan Forces 
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A BBC news crew has described being subjected to torture and a mock
execution at the hands of Libyan government forces. Three journalists
say they were held for 21 hours after being arrested at a checkpoint
south of the city of Zawiya on Monday. A crew member of Palestinian
descent was singled out by a security officer and beaten severely. The
reporters were caged and hooded. At one point they were forced to face a
wall, a man in plain clothes placed his gun on the necks of the detained
journalists and fired two shots next to one reporter's head. Camera
operator Goktay Koraltan said they were detained along with other
prisoners who had been tortured.

Goktay Koraltan: "I can't describe how bad it was. Most of them were
hooded and handcuffed really tightly, swollen hands and broken ribs.
They were in agony, screaming. There was a big operation going on there
and from the second floor I heard a lot of screaming and I can't
describe, it was horrible, the worst thing I have ever seen in my life
and I have seen a lot of bad stuff."



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