The Journalistic Freedoms Observatory condemns the aggressive behavior of a police officer against the (Turkmen Ele) satellite channel team in Kirkuk.

Ali Al-Qassab, news section chief in (Turkmen Ele) satellite channel, told the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory that the work team consists of: Sami Ez Al-Deen, (reporter) and Esam Omar, (cameraman); headed on Saturday morning, to the headquarters of the Police Academy to cover the ceremony, which will be held on the occasion of Iraqi police day, when they were stopped by police officer, captain Samad Mustafa Abdullah, who pushed the cameraman, Esam Omar, with his hands, hardly.

Al-Qassab added, “The cameraman did not react violently on the captain’s assault, but he only talked to him in a way that failed in calming the situation. But things turned nasty when the ceremony began; the captain was looking angrily towards the cameraman, the thing that made the cameraman worried and uncomfortable. Then the captain went to the cameraman and threatened him by saying: why are you looking towards me? If you look again, I will behead you and disconnect it at the courtyard of the academy.” -“The cameraman did not respond but he filed complain to Maj.Gen. Jamal Taher, general director of the province’s police”.

The Journalistic Freedoms Observatory expresses regret for such unjustified violations and threats against journalists by people who are supposed to be protectors of journalists and calls the authorities of Kirkuk province to keep the journalists away from political competition and sectarian or ethnical tensions.