By Vivek Thiagarajan
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

BASRA, Iraq- A reporter and his translator were kidnapped at gunpoint in the Qasr al- Sultan Palace Hotel Sunday morning in Basra.  Two SUVs took the men to an unknown place. The men worked for the American television broadcasting channel, CBS.  CBS issued a statement that “[a]ll efforts are under way to find them” and for safety and privacy reasons CBS requested that no one would “speculate on the identity of those involved.” (New York Times)

However, a police source told an independent Iraqi news agency, Voices of Iraq, that the man kidnapped is Richard Butler. The British reporter is a free lance photographer who followed stories throughout the Middle East and Africa, according to his personal website.  He was one of the few photojournalists that covered the Baath party’s fall in early 2003.

The executive director of Committee to Protect Journalists, Joel Simon, expressed his concern for the journalist.  “We are deeply concerned for the safety of our colleagues, and hope they are located swiftly and able to resume their important work covering this critical story.”

“Iraq is the most dangerous country in the world for journalists and the deadliest conflict for the press in recent history. Journalists face incalculable risks in order to bring us the news about what is happening on the ground there.” (AFP- Two CBS journalists missing in Iraq)

The protection of the press is very important.  The media’s presence can prevent some atrocities from possibly happening, because of the media’s immediate accountability.  Thus, it is essential for these men to be returned safely to their families in order to ensure that they and other reporters can safely continue their missions to prevent future unnecessary tragedies from happening.

For more information, please see:

ADNkronos International- Iraq:British Photographer kidnapped in Basra- 11 February 2008

AFP- Iraq launches hunt for kidnapped journalists- 12 February 2008

AFP- Two CBS journalists missing in Iraq- 12 February 2008

Aswat Aliraq (Voices of Iraq)-  British journalist, interpreter kidnapped in Basra-12 February 2008

Guardian Unlimited- British reporter kidnapped in Basra- 12 February 2008

Los Angeles Times- CBS News journalist, Iraqi translator abducted in Basra- 12 February 2008

New York Times- CBS Reports 2 Journalists Missing in Iraq- 12 February 2008