A/HRC/17/44 Specific actions by Government forces were taken to restrict reporting. On 4 March, for instance, authorities prevented international journalists from reporting on a Government crackdown on protesters in Tajurah District. 135. According to media reports, on 16 February, Libyan security forces reportedly arrested four persons being interviewed by a journalist in Al-Izba al-Khadrah, Tripoli. The detainees were subsequently transferred to an undisclosed location. One person interviewed by the Commission reported that he was forced to flee Libya upon receiving threats of attack or arrest by Government forces after having spoken with international media. The treatment of journalists at the event in which Iman al-Obeidi shared her account of being gang-raped by Government forces has been well-publicized. Security guards were said to have physically assaulted some journalists who attempted to protect her and destroyed the cameras and recording equipment of those who had recorded her statement. 96 136. Journalists and media personnel have themselves been subject to arbitrary detention and disappearance. Foreign journalists were constantly watched by Government officials and routinely detained by security forces. Staff working for eight news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Agence FrancePresse, were detained on 5 March outside Az-Zawiyah for nearly seven hours.97 During a visit to Al-Jdaydah Detention Centre, the Commission interviewed a Tunisian-Canadian journalist and correspondent of the Canadian newspaper, who had been arrested on 17 March 2011 after crossing into Libya from the Al-Dehiba crossing point, south-east of Tunisia. This journalist was eventually released on 19 May, after spending over 60 days in prison.98 The journalist informed the Commission that, upon his entry into Libya, the Libyans took him to prison. Although he did not report ill-treatment while inside the prison, there were concerns about his psychological and physical integrity. He was not brought before a competent court nor were charges levelled against him. He was allowed once to make a phone call. 137. Attacks against journalists and media professionals continue to be reported and are escalating. This has included killings, expulsion and enforced disappearances. There have been reported cases of the authorities being viewed as inciting violence against journalists.99 On 24 February, in an interview with Al-Jazeera, Saif al-Islam attacked the Arab media for broadcasting what he referred to as “lies”, adding that it was a media war. He stated “the conspiracy does not come from Libyans but from your Arab brothers who 96 96 97 98 99 38 Protect Journalists, “Journalists under attack in Libya: The tally”, available from www.cpj.org/blog/2011/05/journalists-under-attack-in-libya.php (accessed on 27 May 2011). See for instance, Human Rights Watch, “Immediately Release Woman Who Alleged Rape”, 28 March 2011, available from www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/03/28/libya-immediately-release-womanwho-alleged-rape, and Amnesty International, “Libya: End campaign to discredit Eman al-Obeidi”, 31 March 2011, available from www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/libya-end-campaigndiscredit-eman-al-obeidi-2011-03-31. Committee to Protect Journalists, “Libya must free Guardian reporter; obstruction continues”, 11 March 2011. Available from www.cpj.org/2011/03/libya-must-free-guardian-reporter-obstructioncont.php. Ibid. Canoe.ca, “Lotif Ghars: Journaliste Tuniso-canadien libere”, 19 May 2011, available from http://fr.canoe.ca/infos/quebeccanada/archives/2011/05/20110519-110608.html, and Press TV, “AlAlam reporter gives account of Libya ordeal”, 26 May 2011, available from http://www.presstv.ir/detail/181763.html. UNESCO, “Director-General condemns violence and intimidation of journalists in Libya”.