The National Commission for Human Rights in Libya (NCHRL) has expressed dismay at the arbitrary arrest of four journalists including three women while covering Hun Cultural and Touristic Festival.
The arrest was conducted by fighters from Al-Jufra Operations Room, which is part of Khalifa Haftar's forces in east Libya.
In a statement on Wednesday, the NCHRL condemned in the strongest terms the beating of Libya Alaan news website correspondent, Fatima Al-Abedi, over her coverage of a protest at the House of Representatives' headquarters in Tobruk last Monday.
"Those are additional crimes to be added to the series of violations against journalists, media figures and civil societies' activists, especially in east Libya as part of the crack down on freedom of press in Libya." The NCHRL remarked.
It also reiterated that kidnaps and arbitrary arrests as well as forced disappearances against journalists, media figures and civil societies' activists in Libya are blatant violation of Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adding that the perpetrators will never escape justice.
Meanwhile, journalists from Tripoli were arrested while covering Autumn Festival in Hun town by a group dressed in military police uniforms, who are part to Haftar’s forces, who used swear words to insult the journalists. The military police personnel gave no clear charges against the journalists, who were released the next day and then went back to Tripoli.
