AIPS – DOHA: International sports journalists’ body AIPS has criticised the censorship attempt by private security staff on Rasmus Tantholdt of Danish television TV2 while he was reporting live from Qatar.

An AIPS statement said: “A violent and senseless intervention like this is not acceptable and must be immediately rejected and blocked.” 

The Danish team was bluntly told that if they didn’t stop filming their cameras would be destroyed. This is despite the fact that TV2’s team has acquired the correct accreditations and reported from a public place. 

Organisers later apologised and Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said the crew were “mistakenly interrupted”.

An AIPS statement added:

“This is not enough, the organisers must intervene and ensure that private security organisations do not create Wild West situations with physical threats to prevent the normal and regular work of journalists.

There are doubts that the incident of the other night was not a random error but generated by an irrational tension. Interesting neighbourhoods and areas have been created here in Doha, why deny the possibility of being filmed? A sensational own goal. 

We have been informed that other colleagues accompanied by cameramen have been asked not to film on the metro and in the souq, images which would have been positive. Images that anyone can shoot with mobile phones without being blocked. What is the meaning of these interventions? Let us hope that this execrable incident will be the last of this troubled eve.”

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