Reporter Andrei Netto, Libya correspondent of O Estado de São Paulo newspaper, was freed by government forces Thursday after being held for eight days. He was expected to return soon to Paris, where he lives, Reuters reports.
An Iraqi journalist with whom he was traveling, Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, who works for Britain’s The Guardian, remained missing.
Netto, who had been in Libya since Feb. 19, was arrested in the city of Sabrata, about 37 miles from the capital, after his capture by troops loyal to leader Muammar Gaddafi, EFE explains.
He had been held in a prison that was attacked last Sunday, and he had no contact with the outside world, Reuters adds, quoting his newspaper. Before his abduction, Netto was struck in the head, and his face was hooded, his paper adds.
At least seven journalists covering the conflict in Libya were unaccounted for, the Committee to Protect Journalists reports. Earlier in the week, three BBC staff members in Libya were detained, beaten and subject to mock executions by pro-government soldiers. See this BBC report.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
