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La denuncia di Reporters sans frontieres

contro le violenze ai giornalisti

At least 16 journalists seriously injured, the press center of the counter-summit ransacked, interrogations, confiscated materials, threats: RSF condemns unprecedented acts violence against the press.

In a letter addressed to the president of the council, Silvio Berlusconi,  and to the minister of the Interior, Claudio Scajola, RSF expressed its outrage over acts of violence to which the media fell victim, in the context of police repression against anti-globalization movements.

"What took place in Genoa is unprecedented. Some incredibly violent police     operations were carried out far from the unrest, in buildings where   demonstrators and the press were working or relaxing," declared Robert Menard, secretary-general of RSF. "The dreadful violence, the sacking of the   press center, the confiscation of materials and pictures...did all this come from instructions from the minister of the Interior and the president of the  Council? We demand that an investigation be opened immediately and that responsibility be swiftly establihed.," added Mr. Menard.

According to information gathered by RSF, around 1:00 a.m. Sunday July 22 2001, police charged the various buildings housing the anti-globalization  groups and Indymedia, the network of media against globalization, which were  made available for public use by the municipality of Genoa. Correspondents  from the Italian daily Il Manifesto, the magazine Carta, radio GAP, and  other journalists were also working at these locations. According to several witnesses, the police onslaught was extremely violent and a number of wounded were evacuated to the hospital. Information materials were either confiscated or destroyed. A large number of police units, including several helicopters, were mobilized for the raid.

A British journalist working for Indymedia, Mark Covell, reportedly was seriously wounded by police forces during the raid. He is said to be currently in a life-threatening condition. At least 15 other journalists were seriously injured in Genoa during the G8 summit by law enforcement officers or by rioters.

Domenico Affinito, journalist for radio CNR and a member of the board of  directors of RSF Italy, was struck by police. Lorenzo Guadagnucci, journalist from the daily Il Resto del Carlino, was also struck by police and arrested during the assault against the press center. He was hospitalized with a fractured arm and an injury to the head. Massimo Alberti, journalist for radio Onda diUrto and radio GAP, was struck by
police. His glasses were broken, causing injuries to the face. He was held for several hours without receiving care. Journalists Lorenzo Guadagnucci and Enrico Fletzer from Radio K of Bologna were also brutally struck by police. Sonia Fedi, photographer for commercial television Mediaset, was struck by rioters from the "Black Bloc" group.

She was hospitalized with a fracture to the leg. Kerstin Wagenschein, German journlaist working for the daily Junge Welt in Berlin, was arrested and is being detained in the Voghera prison (north of Genoa) awaiting a judge's decision.

On Sunday July 22, four journalists signed a deposition before magistrate Francesco Pinto to testify about acts of violence during the police assault on the anti-globalization press center on the night of Saturday July 21: journalist Luca Tomassini of the agency Digipress, French cameraman Phillippe Blanchard, Attilio Lugli, the president of the Order of journalists of Liguria and Marcello Zipola, head of the journalists' union of Liguria.

RSF has also issued an appeal for testimony about the events in Genoa and has announced the disptaching of mission of inquiry to Italy. RSF will ask to be received by the president of the Italian council and the minister of the Interior during this mission.

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