Belgian state TV threatened for asking Erdoğan about jailed VICE journalist
A Belgian television network was threatened by a government official after a reporter asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a question about VICE News journalist Mohammed Ismael Rasool, who has been jailed in Turkey for nearly two months, VICE News reported on Friday.
The incident which took place during Erdoğan’s visit to Brussels earlier this month was all caught on camera and caused a storm in Belgium, the report said, adding that the European Federation of Journalists has already reported the Belgian government to the European Council for "intimidation."
A video published at the weekend by the public broadcasting organization of the French Community of Belgium, RTBF -- for which Rasool also worked while in Turkey and Iraq -- shows a reporter shouting a question in the direction of Erdoğan as he walks towards his car. "Mr. Erdogan — why is Mohammed Rasool still in prison in Turkey?" she says, as the Turkish leader looks over before disappearing into his vehicle.
Rasool, an Iraqi journalist working with two other VICE News reporters in Diyarbakır, was jailed in early September with his colleagues. Turkey released and then deported the two British journalists, Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury, but Rasool remains behind bars.
http://www.todayszaman.com/national_belgian-state-tv-threatened-for-asking-erdogan-about-jailed-vice-journalist_401784.html
