Reporter Cenker Tezel, working for the magazine department of Hürriyet newspaper, was attacked by the body guards of Mutasim Gaddafi, son of Libyan leader Muammer al-Kaddafi, on Tuesday night (30 March) at around 1.00 am.
Tezel had learned from the news editor of the nation-wide daily that Kaddafi's son was in Istanbul at the time and having a night out at the Al Jamal, a restaurant that turns into a night club later at night. When the reporter tried to take a picture of Mutasim Kaddafi, he was assaulted by his body guards.
Tezel suffered injuries in different parts of his body; his camera was broken. Emrah Güner, camera man of privately owned Fox TV, was also attacked in the same incident. One of Kaddafi's Lybian body guards, Nagielmas Bahi, was slightly injured on his head.
Turkish Journalists' Society: Chief of Police should take consequences
The Turkish Journalists' Society (TGC) stated that much to their regret, the officious attitude of the police shown towards the aggressors made the incident even worse. "Witnessing the sensitivity of Chief of Police Hüseying Çapkın regarding such social incidents, we would like to believe that he will take the necessary consequences related to the police officers on duty", TGC announced.
TGC conveyed their best wishes for a swift recovery to both victims and continued, "We urge the officials and members of the security in particular to review their attitude towards journalists".
Reporter hand-cuffed and in custody, attackers free
Reporter Cenker Tezel, who was the one attacked and injured, was taken to the Beşiktaş Police Station together with the bodyguards who assaulted him. Tezel complained about body guard Nagielmas Bahi and police officer Abudllah T., who was among Gaddafi's body guards, and they complained about reporter Tezel in return.
Journalist Tezel was taken into custody under charges of assault and remained behind bars till the next morning. He was hand-cuffed when he was taken to court later on. In the meantime, he was restrained from talking to his lawyer and was kept waiting a long time for a report about the assault. Tezel was released after he had given his statement to the prosecutor.
In an announcement Tezel made after his release from court he said that he went to the location for work. He apparently talked to the doormen for a while before entering the place. The journalist stated that he got his camera ready when Gaddafi was about to leave. Then, one of the body guards started to attack him, Tezel recalled.
Tezel said a turmoil between him and the body guards followed and that one body guard jumped at him. Other people at the scene supported the body guard:
"They tried to get hold of my camera and destroyed it. I took the camera and tried to get away but they caught me. They tried to get the pictures from my camera. Five to six people confronted me, there was a row again. Then they told me they were from the police and we went to the police station. There, they accused me of having assaulting them". (EÖ/VK)
