Iraqi freelance photographer Ibrahim Jassam was arrested early on Tuesday at his home south of Baghdad by US and Iraqi forces, according to a statement released by Reuters last night.
 
Jassam has contributed photos and video to Reuters for about two years. He has also been working for Iraqi media.
 
His arrest was reported to Reuters by his family. They told the wire service that Jassam’s camera equipment had been confiscated during his arrest.
 
"He was detained because he was evaluated as a security threat, and his case is now being evaluated," military spokesman Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll is quoted in the Reuters statement.
 
Reuters says it is seeking additional information about the arrest.
 
Meanwhile, Reuters Editor-in-Chief David Schlesinger has urged the military to either charge Jassam or release him.
 
"Any accusations against a journalist should be aired publicly and dealt with fairly and swiftly, with the journalist having the right to counsel and present a defense,” Schlesinger said in the Reuters statement.
 
Reporters Without Borders has also called for Jassam’s immediate release, and asserted that his arrest is part of a pattern.
 
Twenty journalists have been arrested in Iraq under similar circumstances this year, and all have been released after spending days or months in detention without any charges brought against them, according to the advocacy group.
 
Among those detained were Ahmed Nuri, an AP cameraman who was held for 80 days, and Ali al-Mashhadani, a freelance cameraman working for Reuters who was held for three weeks. Both were released in August. Photographer Bilal Hussein, who works for AP, was held for two years without charges before he was finally released last April.
 
“Simply possessing a camera or a film camera seems to be taken as evidence that some journalists are involved in terrorist networks,” Reporters Without Borders said.
 
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U.S. Military Frees Photographer Bilal Hussein