Two freed Indonesian journalists safe in Jordan

Meutya Hafid and Budiyanto arrived safely in Jordan on 22 February 2005, after being held up overnight at the Iraq-Jordanian border that was closed because of a religious festival. They are scheduled to return to Indonesia following medical checkups. The two journalists said their captors had treated them well. "We were kidnapped by three masked men near a service station one hour from Baghdad, somewhere between Ramadi and Falluja. We were well treated. We were given breakfast, lunch and dinner every day without fail. Our captors were very attentive to our needs," said journalist and presenter on Metro TV, Meutya Hafid. --------------------------------------------------------- Iraq- 21.02.2005 Committee of Muslim Scholars announces release of two Indonesian journalists Reporters Without Borders welcomed the announced release of Indonesian journalists Meutya Hafid and cameraman Budiyanto, abducted one week ago in Ramadi, east of Baghdad. The Committee of Ulemas, Iraq's main Sunni organisation, broke the news of their release on 21 February 2005. Indonesia's foreign ministry confirmed the report a few hours later. The two, who were seized on 15 February, were said to be on their way to Jordan. Their kidnappers, the Jaish al-Mujahedeen, or Army of Warriors said the group had "freed the two Indonesian journalists after checking their identity and offered its apology for the operation to the Indonesian people". News editor of Metro TV for which the two work, Don Bosco, told the worldwide press freedom organisation, "It's a marvellous surprise. Their freedom was won thanks to Metro TV's appeals broadcast by al-Jazeera and those by different Iraqi Muslim scholars". Jakarta had on 19 February sent a delegation to the Jordan's capital Amman to secure the release of the two journalists, made up of crisis management experts and including one of Metro TV's owners, Surya Paloh. Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, appeared on al-Jazeera television to appeal for their release. "The Indonesian journalists kidnapped in Iraq were sent by their editorial office and were in no way seeking to interfere with the country's internal affairs. As the world's largest Muslim country we are concerned about what happens in Iraq and these journalists were bringing us news of this country," the president said. ________________________________________________________________________________ 18.02.2005 Reporters Without Borders calls for protests as armed group says it has kidnapped two Indonesian journalists Reporters Without Borders called today for a campaign to free two Indonesian journalists kidnapped by an unknown group called the Mujahedeen Army that has asked the Indonesian government to explain why they were in Iraq. The group said they could not guarantee the safety of the two - Meutya Hafid and Budiyanto, of the station Metro TV - if this was not forthcoming. "This is absurd," the worldwide press freedom organization said. "It's obvious they are in Iraq simply to do their job as journalists. The kidnappers must free them at once. After the seizure of reporters from Europe, those from Asia are now being caught up in the wave of kidnappings. The international community must exert maximum pressure to stop this terrible blackmail." __________________________________________________________________________________ 18.02.2005 Still no word on Indonesian journalists, Metro TV urges caution The management of the Metro TV, Indonesia's only 24-hour TV news station, continue to be very cautious about the reasons for the disappearance of their two journalists in Iraq, Meutya Hafid and Budiyanto, from whom there has been no word since 15 February. "It is still not clear what has happened," Metro TV editor-in-chief Don Bosco told Reporters Without Borders. "I don't see how it could be a political abduction as Iraq and Indonesia are two great Muslim countries. It must be a criminal act or a case of mistaken identity." Bosco said Hafid, aged about 25, is a "very professional and courageous" journalist and presenter. Before going to Iraq, she spent two weeks in Aceh reporting on the aftermath of the 26 December tsunami. Her cameraman, known simply as Budiyanto, is aged about 35 and has a great deal of experience in Iraq, having covered the war since 2003. The two of them spent two weeks in Irak covering the January legislative elections then withdrew to Amman. Metro TV asked them to return to Irak to cover the festivities in the Shiite city of Kerbala, south of Baghdad. Their last contact with Metro TV in Djakarta was a phone call on 15 February when they were travelling along a highway inside Iraq. One of Metro TV's owners, Surya Paloh, is to fly to Amman tomorrow with a six-member team to try to retrace their steps and track down people who could help find them. ------------------------------------------------------- 18.02.2005 - Concern about two Indonesian journalists said to have been "intercepted" Reporters Without Borders voiced concern today about the disappearance in Iraq of two Indonesian TV journalists, reporter Meutya Hafid and her cameraman, identified only as Budiyanto. There has been no word of them since midday on 15 February. The two work for Metro TV, Indonesia's only 24-hour television news station. The press freedom organization said it was extremely worried that the number of journalists going missing in Iraq is on the increase again. "We do not yet know if the two Indonesian journalists have been kidnapped, but we are following the situation closely and we are trying to ensure that all journalists in Iraq can work freely," the organization said. Reporters Without Borders said Iraq continues to be the world's most dangerous country for journalists, with at least 32 killed and 15 kidnapped since the start of the war in March 2003. "We call on the foreign media that are continuing to cover Iraq to take extreme care," the organization added. The reports about the disappearance of the two Indonesian journalists are conflicting. Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said: "We have received information (...) from the owner of a car rented by the two Metro TV journalists indicating that their vehicle, which was heading toward Ramadi, was intercepted by an armed group on 15 February. The car, driver and two journalists have been taken an unknown location. However, I will not use the word abduction yet." Another witness reportedly said the two journalists were stopped as they were on their way to Baghdad by armed men wearing the uniforms of the Iraqi army. So far no group as claimed responsibility for any abduction. Hafid and Budiyanto have been in Iraq since 31 January. They rented a car in Amman and were heading towards Baghdad when it was "intercepted." The report of their disappearance comes 44 days after that of French journalist Florence Aubenas and her interpreter Hussein Hanoun Al-Saadi (missing since 5 January) and two weeks after Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena was kidnapped (on 4 February).