Have journalists fallen foul of Libya turf war?
It was February 21st. They came early in the morning before the two men were up. They knew who they were looking for and where they were, in the much fought-over Libyan city of Misrata.
And since that time Gareth Montgomery-Johnson (pictured), 36, and his colleague Nicholas Davies, 37, have been held by the Misrata militia in Tripoli. For a week or more it was unclear why. Then, on Sunday a somewhat hurriedly-assembled press-conference was arranged and the militia’s leader Faraj al-Swehli, announced to the world that the two journalists working for Iran’s Press TV, are believed to be spies.
The evidence produced for this claim appeared to rest upon three items.
First a grey plastic package containing a field-dressing bandage with the words “Made In Israel” on it. I have many friends in the news business who have long been haranguing their departmental heads in various companies to desist from supplying them with such equipment. Like an Israeli stamp in your passport, it is perfectly legitimate, until you fall into the hands of people who wish to build a case – any kind of case – against you. Then it can be a very big problem indeed for anybody who wishes it so.
Second, he said they had found documents listing members of a Libyan militia killed in clashes with rivals in recent months. On the face of it, precisely the kind of information you would surely expect any halfway decent journalists to have in their possession.
Third, video images were shown purporting to be the two men firing weapons. Again the context and circumstances of this in a country awash with weapons remains a mystery as does the exact identity of the individuals shown.
More from Channel 4 News: Latest from Libya
Mr Swehli told reporters that he believed the two men were spies and that he and his men were conducting their own investigation into the matter.
“After we have finished the investigation we are going to transfer them to the state authorities to pursue the legal process against them,” he said, according to Reuters.
Mr Swehli said the two men were being well treated.
That is corroborated by the Foreign Office who say their officials have had access to the men and found no evidence of any physical mistreatment. Though both are said to be, understandably, highly emotional about what has overtaken their lives.
There should though, be some optimism that consular access has been granted; the men have not apparently been physically abused; they’ve been able to make at least one phone call; those holding them clearly feel the need to explain their conduct and – significantly – recognise that as a militia they lie outside the recognised due legal process of Libya.
This is far from the Libyan way in recent months, during the long Gaddafi years and for many generations before that. Routine torture, abuse and total lack of the need for any explanation for summary arrest remain the norms across Libya which is now riven by tribal hostility and where the armed militias very often are the law, rather than officially recognised government departments.
So have these two journalists actually fallen foul of some kind of turf war between the Misrata Brigade militia and the actual government? It remains unclear. The British say they are conducting a lot of activity behind the scenes.
A Foreign Office spopkesman said: “We are providing consular assistance to the two men. The embassy in Tripoli is doing everything that it can to assist the two individuals.”
What this curious predicament further underlines – were it needed – is that the writ of the government in Tripoli is limited. Their order for militias to disarm has gone onimously ignored in many parts of the country. The best hope is that the militia make good swiftly on their stated intent of handing these men to legitimate authorities when their investigations are completed, a process which surely does not need long to fulfil.
In short, some way of moving these men into recognised hands with no loss of face for the militia concerned.
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