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Several African sports journalists, who have reported on football matches in Qatar, have rejected concerns about the media's freedom to report on the 2022 World Cup.
Concerns were raised by a section of the western media on Tuesday following the arrest of Swiss journalists in Qatar.
Radio Television Suisse said it would complain to FIFA after the 13-day detention of reporter Christophe Cerf and his cameraman, Yvan Thorimbert.
It said the crew was stopped on April 1 as it filmed for a program about Qatar's cup preparations.
But the African journalists, who have reported on international football matches in Qatar, insist they were able to freely report.
ââ¬ÅI donââ¬â¢t recognize this Qatar a section of the western media is talking about. There might be more to this incident with the Swiss journalists,â⬠Kofi Addae, a Ghanaian journalist said.
ââ¬ÅI have reported on several matches in Qatar and gone around town in Doha to do stories without any problems so I am shocked about this report.
ââ¬ÅMany many journalists have been to Qatar to report and if one incident has come up it should not be tied with the 2022 World Cup. There is total freedom to report in Qatar.ââ¬
Drawing on the Western mediaââ¬â¢s attacks on South Africaââ¬â¢s hosting of Africaââ¬â¢s first World Cup, another African reporter says Qatar is likely to suffer a similar fate.
Kenyan journalist Omulo Okoth said: ââ¬ÅWhen South Africa were given the rights to host the same Western media attacked the decision relentlessly from all angles.
ââ¬ÅQatar will suffer the same because the decision to award the 2022 World Cup did not go to a Western country so these stories will come up but the truth must be told.
ââ¬ÅMy experience of reporting in Qatar is of a free country where journalists are allowed to report on what they want without any hindrance whatsoever.
ââ¬ÅI can even add that it much much safer than all the Europeans countries and stadiums I have reported from. à This is one incident with a story from just one side. The other side of the story must be heard.ââ¬
The pair claim they were handcuffed and interrogated for 10 hours at police stations in Mesaieed and Wakra.
A judge in Doha fined them, confiscated their camera equipment and prevented them from leaving the emirate. RTS claimed it had received previous assurances from Qatari diplomats in Geneva that they could film freely.
Cerf said they were in an area where filming was authorised but were 2km from a sign that stipulated "no pictures".
They were released with their camera after the intervention of Switzerland's ambassador.
FIFA declined to comment.
Source: www.afrikansoccer.com