11 people being held in Iraq for providing tape of an interview of a woman who says she was raped

http://www.heraldnewsdaily.com/stories/index.php?action=fullnews&id=123257

Journalists criticize Iraqi detentions

BAGHDAD - The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Friday to free 11 people detained by authorities for providing Al-Jazeera television with a videotape of an interview of a woman accusing three security officers of raping her.

"If the people from the Committee to Protect Journalists want to come and learn the truth for themselves, then they can request this through official and legal channels," Khalaf said.

The statement from the New York-based CPJ said the group was "gravely" concerned about the 11, whom it said were being held "on specious criminal charges and without due process."

The statement quoted Mohammed Shekhly, whom it identified as a lawyer representing the company, as saying the detainees were charged with incitement to terror for allegedly producing footage for Iraq ‘s insurgency and of working for the Doha-based Al-Jazeera, which has been banned from working in Iraq since 2004.

Wasan Media officials, according to the statement, deny supplying footage of the interview to Al-Jazeera, and maintain that the interview was filmed by several news organizations and was widely available.

Iraq.