Libya: BBC journalists ‘beaten with fists, knees and rifles’

Three BBC employees trying to enter the city of Zawiyah in Libya on Monday were detained, tortured and subjected to mock executions by pro-Gaddafi soldiers. The team were attempting to enter the city that has become the bloodiest battleground so far in this uprising.

According to the BBC the three men subjected to 21 hours of detention, hooded, beaten with fists and guns and believed that they were going to be executed before they were released. They have now been flown out of the country.

The men, like many foreign journalists wanting to be at the epicentre of the action, attempted to enter Zawiyah despite government restrictions prohibiting access. They, similar to reported actions taken against a number of television crews, were detained at the roadblock, but instead of being released like other teams were blindfolded and handcufed before being taken to Tripoli, around 50km away.

Then he walked up to me, put the gun to my neck and pulled the trigger twice. The bullets whisked past my ear. The soldiers just laughed. BBC employee, Chris Cobb-Smith

One of the men, Chris Cobb-Smith, said: “We were lined up against the wall. I was the last in line – facing the wall. I looked and I saw a plain-clothes guy with a small sub-machine gun. He put it to everyone’s neck. I saw him and he screamed at me. Then he walked up to me, put the gun to my neck and pulled the trigger twice. The bullets whisked past my ear. The soldiers just laughed.”

The men say they witnessed many other detainees who had been tortured and were ‘in agony’. Correspondent Feras Killani said of those being held: “Four of them were in a very bad situation. There was evidence of torture on their faces and bodies. One of them said he had at least two broken ribs. I spent at least six hours helping them drink, sleep, urinate and move from one side to another.”

His claims were supported by the third member of the team, cameraman Goktay Koraltan: “I cannot describe how bad it was. Most of them were hooded and handcuffed really tightly, all with swollen hands and broken ribs. They were in agony. They were screaming.”

As we have made clear there will be a day of reckoning for these abuses. Foreign Office statement

The Foreign Office released said: “This is yet another example of the horrific crimes being committed in Libya. The regime had invited journalists to Libya to see the truth. This truth is even more glaring today than it was before. As we have made clear there will be a day of reckoning for these abuses.”

Thursday may be the day of reckoning as NATO meet to discuss further the action, if any, that should be taken against Colonel Gaddafi’s regime. Although no decisions are expected without UN Security Council approval, more contingency planning similar to that conducted by the US, UK and France, will be discussed. EU Foreign Ministers will also hold talks ahead of Friday’s summit at the European Council.

On Wednesday William Hague, in a joint letter with France and Germany called on EU states not to “work or co-operate” with the Gaddafi regime and that the Libyan leader “has to step aside to allow for a true democratic transformation of the country”.

Channel 4 News Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jonathan Rugman was invited along with a small group of other journalists to visit Zawiyah by the Government only last week after the rebels had taken control of the town. Just days later him and his team went against the demands of the Libyan officials and returned to Zawiyah to find blood on the streets and renewed use of force from pro-Gaddafi forces. After this, as was discovered by these BBC journalists, the city has become inaccessible and the extent of the damage caused to people and buildings remains unknown.